Netflix has suddenly decided to eliminate their very popular “Profiles” feature. Many families use this feature to set up separate profiles for each family member. It’s a convenient way for each person in a household to set up their own DVD queue. By many people’s estimation, it’s the one thing that sets Netflix apart from their arch-rival, Blockbuster.
The change won’t go into effect until September 1st, but it’s already starting a swell of outrage across the Internet. I suppose there is still time for Netflix to come clean and provide a better answer than this one:
Why? While it may be disappointing to see this feature go away, this change will help us to continue to improve the Netflix website for all our customers.
That’s not much of an explanation. Okay, let’s be frank: It’s not in any way an explanation. How will taking away this service “improve” things for customers?
The discussion on Get Satisfaction started rolling tonight, and it’s building. In a matter of hours, a topic started on our site has grown quickly, and my guess is that it will keep on growing until Netflix’s customers can get a suitable explanation or response from the company.
When we see customer interest or outrage that explodes like this, we work to get the company connected so they can respond. That’s not always possible, particularly when the company in question hasn’t yet joined Get Satisfaction. I have attempted to contact Netflix in the past, but they haven’t been responsive to me. I’m going to put my head down and reach out to them again. And I encourage everyone else to do the same.
What’s your opinion about the Profiles feature on Netflix? Love it? Never used it? Can’t understand why it would be taken away? Weigh in and let’s reach out and get some answers from the folks at Netflix.
[Netflix is on Get Satisfaction.]
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3 Comments
Eric, it seems more often than not these days you assume too much. Check the links at the end of that post you screenshotted/linked to, and you’ll see this one:
http://gregalbrecht.com/2008/06/19/netflix-profiles-going-away-boo/
Wherein, it says “Dear Greg,” at the start, because he’s copy pasting from an e-mail they sent to all customers (I got it too). Yes, it’s a shame he didn’t also post a screenshot so that you could see it was an e-mail, and that he didn’t mention it was an e-mail when he said “This just in”, but it was still e-mailed to all customers… which is why the topic was so popular on GSFN.
It’s not a “secret removal”, it’s an announcement more than 2 months ahead of time. Probably just to gauge interest in it and generate positive publicity when it gets a stay of execution…
Tom,
Thanks for this info. Sorry if I’ve assumed too much, and thanks for (as you do more often than not) correcting people when they appear to be wrong.
I’m not trying to be a jerk or anything, just trying to keep the story straight. It’s not an unannounced change, as (previously) the entire first paragraph seemed to say it was.