Townhouse,

I sympathize with your point of view, and agree with the basic position, but I'm not so sure that "common sense" would suggest giving repeat customers the same deal as potential new customers. It seems to me that common sense would lead to just the opposite--existing customers are already committed and don't need any more incentives. It's a kind of uncommon, really pro-customer sense that would make a company value its existing customers at least as much as potential new ones.

I'd have thought that Outlaw might be that kind of company, but maybe not (since it really is uncommon). That's the way to not just keep your customers happy with the product, but amaze them with your assessment of their value to you. A good product makes the customer speak well of the company when talk turns to "home theater"; a great company makes the customer speak well of the company by initiating discussions of how great it is. Apple continues to be that kind of company--formerly with the Macintosh line, now with the iPod. I think Outlaw could be that kind of company, but they really need to cultivate their customers in new and unusual ways to get their customers to respond. Making the 7125 available at a special rate to all members of "the family" would be that kind of action, I think.

Mike:

I own a Mac and an older iPod. Will Apple give me a discount on a new iPod or MiniMac just because I bought a product previously? You know the answer: They continually innovate with new products and if you want 'em you buy 'em.

Outlaw brings out new products at a less frequent interval, but when they do they are great values -- and even more seem to HOLD that value. They also offer what to all reports is great customer service. They offer combo discounts and sometimes a special or two. When they lower a price anyone who has bought in the last 30 days is price protected. All of that seems to be the kind of thing that would make people happy.

Yes, it might be even better if they always offered anyone who had previously bought something an additional discount on future purchases in the form of some sort of affinity program, but I have to believe that they don't do that because of the administrative nightmare and/or some logical ecomomic reason.

Unless I am suffering from memory loss, which is always a possibility, the Outlaws used to offer a family discount. It wasn't an enormous amount, but it was a nice way of thanking a customer for their continued loyalty.

That's the $50 discount that I mentioned, Jed, and it was available on a few products (the 750 and 1050, and I think the initial pre-orders of 950's as well) before being replaced by the combo pricing structure.

I did check. If you read the posts more carefully, you will understand the difference between family and combo pricing.

Podboy,

I appreciate that Apple doesn't give discounts to former owners, but that clearly wasn't my point. Different companies working in different markets, with different distribution channel structures do different things to become "great" in the eyes of their customers. The overall effect of what Apple does is to get its customers to say "wow."

The question that I'm asking is what does Outlaw need to do get its customers to respond that way. I don't want to beat this to death, but I'm not questioning whether Outlaw is a good company with superior products and excellent value: they are. I'm asking whether they're a great company that makes its customers into evangelists: I don't think they are.

Reviving the family discount for the 7125 and future products is the kind of thing that might, along with the other good things you mention, have the effect of making customers even more attached to the Outlaw brand than they already are. (And by the way, a great company figures out how to do things that others reject as administratively difficult or possibly uneconomical! Examples available on request.)

I am sorry sluggo. When I read family I was thinking combo.

I think the bottom line is a company has to make money for all their work, and I am sure they giving the best deals they can while still running a business.

Townhouse, I am not sure if you are upset for you or for everyone? You made it sound like Scott said you could upgrade to a combo 990/7125 if you wanted. I assume since you already had the 990, they would have just shipped you the 7125 for the difference between the combo price and what you paid for the 990?

The one thing I think Outlaw did that was not cool was to not tell people the 7125 was coming and that it matched the 990. I for one, and I am sure others, would have bought the 990/7125 combo instead of the 990/7100 combo. They had to know the 7100 was going away for at least a couple of months before they told us. It would have saved me around a $100.00 in shipping, but I am still happy they let me switch amps. Yes, I would have had to wait another month and a half, but I really did not think the 990 was going to ship out as soon as it did either.