Netflix Update

You may remember that about a month ago, I stupidly mailed our wedding DVD to Netflix. Not long after that, I received the following email from Netflix:

Hi,

Thank you for contacting Netflix.com customer support!

I am so very sorry Matthew. When I came upon the note to give you a call, it was still too late to call as I am on the West Coast. Often, by the time we are finished answering phone calls and move on to our emails, it is too late to call. What we would like to do instead is to have you call us. This way we can help resolve the situation on your time and at your convenience. We are so sorry to hear that this problem occurred and we all wish that we could get your disc back to you, unfortunately we are just unable to do so. Please give us a call so that we can, at the very least, try to compensate you for this loss.

We can be reached by phone at 1-888-638-3549 M-F between the hours of 6:00am and 7:00pm, Sat-Sun between 6:00am and 2:30pm. Pacific Standard Time.

Thanks,
Carmen
Netflix Customer Service

Frustrated by the loss of the disk, but intrigued by the unexpected offer of compensation, I called the number. A very kind customer service agent told me that it was “impossible” to search for disks inadvertently returned by customers. She also said the most compensation she could offer was one month’s fees, or $17.99.

I told the agent that, although I appreciated their kind offer, it was important to me that she distinguish between actual impossibility and the (quite reasonable) company decision not to search for such disks. She refused to be diverted from her script, so I thanked her and asked to speak with a manager.

After a very short wait, the manager immediately conceded this distinction, which probably would have been enough for me. She then asked what compensation would make me happy. I told her that it would cost us $50 to replace the disk, so that would make me very happy and keep me as a loyal netflix customer. “No problem,” she said, and within hours my credit card was credited 3 months at $17.99 a piece.

To summarize, Netflix credited me $53.97 for a screw-up that was 100% my fault.

There are several morals to this story. First, Netflix has great customer support. Second, when dealing with customer support, always ask to speak to the manager. And finally, make sure you know which DVD you’re sliding into that Netflix shipping envelope.