What in hell? - Well-mannered nerd rage: an open letter to Netflix

In response to this announcement:

I am writing to express my great disappointment at your recent announcement to remove the Profiles feature. In my four years as a subscriber, I have found the ability to maintain multiple separate queues to be one of the most important and enjoyable aspects of your service.

For example, I like to watch TV series on DVD, but I also want to watch modern and classic films, as well as keep up-to-date with new releases. With the current system of multiple queues, this is effortless: I have one queue for new releases, one for TV series, and one for older films. If I feel like watching a lot of older films for a while, I know they will be replaced at the rate that I watch them, without my having to fuss around with reordering my DVDs.

Under a one-queue system, this just isn't possible. I guess I can rearrange my queue by hand, and insert movies in-between TV series discs. This is what I used to do before you implemented the Profiles feature, and it was very inconvenient. Meanwhile, there's really no way to keep up with new releases with a single queue, since they typically have a long wait time, and it is impossible to predict the order in which they will be sent.

I really don't understand the reason for this change. Your notice states that this change will "help us to continue to improve the Netflix website for all our customers." Honestly, I don't care about the Netflix website. I don't subscribe for the website. I subscribe because, so far, Netflix has made it very easy to watch the movies and shows I want to watch, in the way I want to watch them. Whatever cosmetic upgrades you bring to your website by removing Profiles, it will not come close to being worth what you're removing from your service.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, and I will be able to maintain multiple queues under one Profile. I hope that this is the case. If it is not, I strongly ask that you reconsider this change. If you cannot figure out a way to improve your website without compromising the quality of your service, then it is not the website that needs improvement.

I'm sure this sounds more upset than an email about mail-order DVDs has a right to be, but in my eyes you are taking away the very best feature that your service has to offer. If multiple queues go away on September 1st as planned, I will probably migrate my account to another service.. and I really don't want to do that. Until now, my experience with Netflix has been overwhelmingly positive - I recommend your service to all of my friends - but if there is another service out there that isn't going to make it hard to rent the way I want to rent, I will have to go with them.

Sincerely,
Eryk Nielsen

If you subscribe to Netflix and like me, please write and call to complain about this. If they go through with this, I fear my movie-arranging OCD may get out of control.

UPDATE: I am not alone!

UPDATE 2:

From: eryk@twodancingmonkeys.org
To: lkilgore@netflix.com
Cc: reed.hastings@netflix.com, publicrelations@netflix.com
Subject: It's been fun.

Hi guys!

I've been a Netflix subscriber since 2005, and until yesterday, a very vocal evangalist. Netflix was the one service I would recommend to everybody, always, due to a long history of good customer service and ease of use.

What happened?

Your announcement about removing core functionality, as well as your biggest market differentiator, in the name of "customer service," was quite an eye-opener. It made me realize that, for quite a while now, a lot of the little things about Netflix that made me love the service have slowly been eroding.

The reason given, something about improving website functionality, is obviously cover. I don't know the real reason, of course, but I've read speculation about patent changes, a wish to move completely to online distribution, a simple desire for extra cash due to people having to buy multiple accounts. Seems plausible enough. Whatever the reason, it's becoming clear that Netflix and I no longer want the same thing.

Now, look.. this isn't easy. I love you guys! We've been together for years, and I want to give this a chance. So, I'm giving you a friendly ultimatum: fix it! Either it's a terrible decision that should be reversed, or it's a good decision for reasons I can't fathom. If it's the former, don't do it! If it's the latter, please respect me, a loyal customer, enough to tell me the real reason behind the change. I may still walk, but at least I won't walk angry.

Otherwise, all the positive recommendations I've given my friends will quickly turn sour. That's not really much of a threat from one person, but if you spend a few minutes reading your PR blog comments, you'll see it's definitely not just one person.

So anyway, it's been fun. I hope you come to your senses; otherwise, I'll enjoy my new GreenCine account.

Ciao!

--Eryk

Current Location: My tiny awesome apartment
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Pink Floyd - Money