NetFlix Hopes Good Customer Service Will Keep Mail Boxes Stuffed With Red Envelopes
from the nice-talking-with-you dept
Although Blockbuster sat on its heels for a long time while NetFlix gobbled up market share, the company has aggressively fought back this year, prompting a lot of pain at NetFlix. NetFlix stock has been pummeled lately as its been drawn into a price war in order to stem customer churn. The problem is that its business model is easily replicated, which partly explains the company's attempt to assert a patent on it. However, the company does appear willing to actually compete, which is refreshing. The New York Times reports on the company's unorthodox decision to offer customer support services from friendly sounding Oregonions (as the company puts it), rather than rely on offshoring or email support. Although this is an expensive move, the company feels it will prove to be a key differentiator as it battles back Blockbuster. Obviously, good customer support means happier customers, while bad customer support can turn customers away. But the lesson isn't that companies should immediately stop all offshoring of these services. Rather, it's important for companies to think of customer support strategically and weigh the various costs and benefits, rather than just going on the lowest-price option.
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Filed Under: customer service, dvd
Companies: blockbuster, netflix
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Biggest Killer
Although I think Netflix could compete with that. We have Redbox DVD vending machines all over the place. If Netflix invested in some machines that people could return their movies to and grab another movie that's in the machine, they could close that gap with Blockbuster at a lower cost than opening and maintaining stores.
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Re: Biggest Killer
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Re: Biggest Killer
People are lazy.
Given the choice of waiting for a DVD in the mail and going to the store, I bet on the lazy answer.
when predicting human behavior, remember:
"It is easier to do nothing."
Plus, I think there is a whole world of people out there who hate Blockbuster, not just dis-like but hate.
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Re: Re: Biggest Killer
People are lazy.
Given the choice of waiting for a DVD in the mail and going to the store, I bet on the lazy answer.
I disagree with that. Some people are lazy, but not all. Sometimes I watch the movies I get in the mail and then just end up heading to the video store to rent something else.
Maybe the younger generation doesn't mind waiting for movies, but what about families with children? I think the option to return to store (or conveniently located kiosk)is a fantastic idea. I just don't like Blockbuster. I only rent from RedBox these days though.
Oh yeah, you weren't 1st. =)
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Re: Re: Re: Biggest Killer
people are lazy,
you may not be but people are.
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Re: Re: Biggest Killer
I live 75 miles from the nearest Blockbuster and it's in another state. Netflix is my best option for viewing movies. Plus I have two dogs and don't leave them for hours at a time to go to a movie or to drive out of state for shopping purposes.
And, I do not own a television. Netflix has provided more quality entertainment than a tv ever could. There are no commercials, there are many genres to choose from,the supply is endless, and the cost fits my budget perfectly.
Thank you, Netflix.
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I am a Netflix customer and
Netflix has more than just movies.
Netflix rekindled my lost desire to watch TV again.
There is no way I will every go back to Blockbuster.
I don't care how cheap or slick Blockbuster makes their product, there is no way I will ever be one of their suckers, I mean customers again.
Netflix has a double bonus in that it was first, it is very easy to use and it is not Blockbuster, I mean triple bonus.
My only complaint with Netflix is the new web site is too Javascript, "in your face suggestions" that are starting to get old; but it is not Blockbuster.
The few times I have actually needed to contact Netflix, I got quick response and good Customer support.
There are all the old television shows available on DVD with no commercials. I can watch a complete series front to back. This is important for those TV shows that rely on past shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5 or 24.
oh yeah, 1st.
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Re: I am a Netflix customer and
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Re: Re: I am a Netflix customer and
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Re: I am a Netflix customer and
This is the main reason I use NetFlix. I have worked night-shift jobs most of my adult life, and I tend to miss all the shows I wanted to watch. Today, it's not as much of a problem, with DVR's available wherever you turn, but back when the past few Star Trek's came out, they always seemed to be on nights that I worked.
I'm currently on season 6 of DS9... Anyway, NetFlix makes it extremely easy to add a season of shows to your queue, and they keep them in order. Blockbuster made you add them one at a time, in the order you wanted to watch them. A royal pain in the posterior.
I tried Blockbuster, and tried to find a reason to like it, really I did. But their lack of variety, both online and in the stores, as well as their cumbersome website drove me away.
EtG
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in 6-12 months, this will be offshore. duh!
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Re:
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Re: Re:
It's nice to know that there is a human option available though, and even nicer to know that they are Americans manning the phones. While overseas tech support can be effective, it irks me that companies spend money on people in another country, when we have such high unemployment rates here at home.
EtG
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There
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Netflix.. oh netflix
So I'm calling shenanigans on Netflix for unfair pricing (not that I'm one to really care about $1). I am happy they are trying to save everyone money - so on that note, yay Netflix.
Blockbuster has always angered me with their brutal late-fees and un-helpful staff. I would never go back.
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better selection
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Netflix still punishes their best customers
I don't care if the CEO of Netflix answers my call for support, until I can order and view as many DVDs per month as I want on my 3-at-a-time plan, then the new pricing I have been offered and the lame on-demand PC movie views are not going to get any more referrals from me. The quality of the DVD's (broken, scratched, wrong DVD in the sleeve) has definitely gone down in the past 18 months.
After being a customer almost since Netflix began, I am now about to move to another option if there is not a resolution to the restriction on rental frequency soon. Oregonians making excuses for Netflix's draconian Terms of Service is no better than getting the same excuses from the Philippines or India.
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Blockbuster just looks so good...
Finally I switched. The final cancellation page on Netflix's site asks you why you cancelled and most reasons in the menu have something to do with B-buster. It made me sad when they thanked me for my patronage; I always hated Blockbuster but it just didn't make sense to stick with Netflix.
I agree with the RedBox concept, but they should be somewhere like colleges and strip malls not supermarkets.
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Netflix>Blockbuster
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The whole reason of renting online is that you don't have to go to the video store.
Redbox comes in real handy. I rented from them time to time if the movie on my netflix queue is on long wait list.
Dollar a day is not that bad but I just hate to drive back to the supermaket to return the movie but one nice thing about it is that you can return at any readbox machine. It doesn't have to be the one that you rented from.
I read somewhere that Netflix is working on some kind of box that let you download the movie instead of having them sent it to you by mail. If the quality is not as good as DVD or Hidef then I'll pass. I was wondering how far is that project coming along.
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Porn
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Re: Porn
rent porno dvds! same idea as netflix.
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Blockbuster Video, meh...
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I'm pleased with Blockbuster...
Out of those nearly 200 movies I've only had 4-6 that I received damaged and had to return and replacements never took over two days. The turn around isn't that bad. If I drop my 3 movies in the mail on Monday I'll get my next three by Friday at the latest and since I work all through the week and only get to watch on weekends anyway that doesn't bother me. And as for customer service I've only had to call them once (I'll get to that in a second) and I got my answer on the spot without an insane waiting time or a silly automated system.
However no system is perfect. Blockbuster seems to be random on the rated versions of movies they carry. How can have the unrated version of one movie but not the unrated version of another? The way their queue is setup how soon they can get a movie out to you takes priority over position in the queue...even in a DVD boxed set. This resulted in me putting a 5 disc set (the anime Weiss Kruss) in my queue and when it got to the top they sent me discs 1,3, and 4. I watched 1 thinking they'll send me 2 and no...they sent disc 5. Well I called their CS line and they told me that they would send me disc 2 out without having me send in 3-5 (remember I've already seen 1 and I didn't want to risk sending back 3-5). So what did they do? They sent me disc 1 again. I just got so frustrated that I sent all of them back and gave up on it. Oddly enough after that every boxed set I've tried after that has gone off without a hitch, so I may try Weiss Kruss again someday.
Personally I think if they would carry more beyond R rated and unrated versions and change their queue priorities from:
1.availability
2.proximity (from distribution center to your location)
3.position in queue
to :
1.availability
2.position in queue
3.proximity
they would be a lot better off.
And for god's sake start offering game rentals online (the hope that they would do so eventually is why I chose BB over Netflix).
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They've been sitting on the domain name "netflixxx" for years
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=netflixxx.com
though it's probably to protect themselves from someone else doing it on their coattails...
I don't expect see it comming any time soon, but I would not be offended if it did.
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Now I'd be all over that! I've yet to shell out for "yet another account" at gamefly, but for another buck or three on my netflix subscription... yes, I'd be there
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Why do I care about customer support?
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People or vegetables?
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Great service, Very poor availability
I only use Netflix for new release, blu-ray movies. They are too expensive to buy, and Blockbuster only has a few test stores that carry them, not to mention BB Online's ship time is 1-2 days longer and poor availability in my experience.
How can they have the audacity to charge me on a time-basis yet tell me it will be 4 weeks to ship my movie? Their response: put other movies in your queue that don't have a long wait. Great, so rather than NF actually buy an adequate number of discs for the movies people WANT to watch, they have the additional audacity to tell me to just rent something else that I (and apparantly the rest of their subscribers) DON'T want to watch.
My NF experience is ALWAYS receiving #'s 4-10 in my queue and only receiving my top picks a month or more after their release. To their credit I have never received a damaged or wrong disc. But I am always receiving some crappy movies they have tons of copies of while the ones I want to see sit as #s 1-3 in my queue on a Very Long Wait for weeks at a time.
I really want to cancel my membership but have not found any superior Blu-ray alternatives out there.
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Adult DVDs
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