Comments on The Official Netflix Blog: Product Development Insights

Since I couldn't find any place on the netflix.com...

2008-09-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Since I couldn't find any place on the netflix.com site to post a suggestion like most, if not all of the other websites on the internet have, I'm posting it here. People don't always like to call customer service and wait on hold. Why can't users leave comments or ask questions through the site? That's one reason I canceled my subscription. The other reason is they kept trying to charge my debit card two or three days before pay day, every time. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that most people get paid on the 1st and 15th. Why not just set up your billing cycles accordingly? I know that doesn't have anything to do with product development, but if I could have posted this suggestion on the site, I would have. ;)

A feature that I would dearly love to see is: Alon...

2008-05-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

A feature that I would dearly love to see is: Along with the "Add" to queue and "not interested" buttons, how about an "I own it" button. So that the movies you own at home will not be suggested to you again. After all you bought them so that you could watch them whenever. That way when I rate a movie "Loved it", it will stay on the suggestions list. Or perhaps, a list of movies that were seen, rated, and you'd like to watch again sometime, but not enough to buy. I don't know about you, but I cannot always remember all the names of movies I've seen in the past, but get nostalgic to see again.

This is in regard to the previous posting. Has any...

2007-11-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

This is in regard to the previous posting. Has anybody else experienced this problem of having the same broken or scratched disc returned to you more than one time? Please chime in if you have. I've complained in as many ways as I can think of and have always been ignored.

It's starting to look like my only recourse is to switch to Blockbuster.

this is off topic, but it's something that really ...

2007-11-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

this is off topic, but it's something that really bugs me and I can't find a good place to post it.

whevever I return an unplayable disc, it is replaced by yet another--actually, I assume the same--unplayable disc.

I have gotten the same broken or scratched disc three or four times in a row. on several different ocassions.

extremely annoying. in fact, it's gettin to the point where it's going to be a dealbreaker.

CRITICISM:First I would like to apologize for putt...

2007-10-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

CRITICISM:
First I would like to apologize for putting what I am going to write here, here. I found out that I can no longer send an email to Customer Service for my questions. This feature was replaced by a contact number. When you go to the Help link, it takes you to the Help Center page that contains the following info:
"Phone US
1-888-638-3549
24 hours a day

For faster customer service, please provide this customer identification number when you call: 757 087"
I called it at about 11pm CST, I received the following recording 'Welcome to Netflix. we are sorry we are closed due to system maintenance'

I'm surprised. Why did the information said 24 hours a day? Could we say that this is falso advertising?

I found another toll free number in the site for Website questions, the page again indicated
"Phone Us
1-877-638-3549
24 hours a day

For faster customer service, please provide this customer identification number when you call: 757 087"

I called the number and alas, i got the same message about being closed for system maintenance. Had any other subscriber tried calling these numbers? And was it successful? To netlfix, have you considered putting back the email capability for situations such as this so that you are still reachable in cases where you get this "system maintenance closure" which is contrary to what you are noting in the web pages.

I can't find a place to make a suggestion for a fe...

2007-09-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

I can't find a place to make a suggestion for a feature that I can't find on the site. Can I leave it here? Thanks!

I really like the Queue for building an ordered wish list for movies I want to have sent to me. But how about having the same thing for movies that I plan to watch instantly on-line? This would be a good feature for when my time runs out (as it seems to do very early in my billing cycle).

Perhaps this is already available or others have requested it?

Is it possible that we can browse the Entire site ...

2007-09-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

Is it possible that we can browse the Entire site starting with the NetFlix Home Page by # of Rated STARS that a Movie receives?
I ask this a while back Feb. 14, 2007. RE:
NFLX ID: UYD9F17QE8VM0XSST4AC5KHEN3DBI3MI
and was told NetFlix could not do this yet but would look into it.
I see NetFlix did look into it and only in " some areas " can you browse by # of stars rating.
By the way, Nobody said Thanks for the ideal or even offered me a Free movie " after " it was put into use but that's OK I would like to see the Browse by Star rating in each movie category to look up ALL 5-star or 4-star movies in each category. What about the rest of you?

I cannot use the function to reorder my movies in ...

2007-09-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

I cannot use the function to reorder my movies in my queue when I use Netscape. I cannot drag and drop, and I cannot type in a number to reorder. I called customer service, and their response was "use Internet Explorer." That sucks. I am a website designer myself, and I must design well, and that means making the site available to IE and Netscape. Making it available for IE only is discriminatory. I hate IE and only use it if I have to. And Netflix says I have to. And I hate that. It's stupid and it sucks. IE has proven to be unreliable and not as secure as Netscape. Over and over again. I hate IE and refuse to use it unless I have to. When I want to reorder my queue, I am forced to leave Netscape, open up IE, go to the website, type in my account and password (Netscape conveniently has all passwords memorized with only a Master Password) and then use that other, weaker, less stable, less secure browser just because Netflix has failed to design a proper website.

My default browser, my favorite browser, my personal browser, is Netscape. When I open up email, and view a message from Netflix, and hit a link to go to my queue, it automatically opens up Netscape. But because your website is so poorly designed, I must also open up IE and manually type in username and password to access the same info that I should be able to access in Netscape.

Poor web design. If I have a problem with a car, and the answer is “don’t drive that car,” then people will not use that service any more. If I call Netflix, and the answer is “don’t use Netscape, only use IE,” then eventually you will drive your customers away. The whole beauty of Netflix is ease of use. And if Netscape cannot be used because your webmaster is a bonehead, then ease of use is no longer a benefit.

This didn’t used to be a problem. The problem only started occurring a few weeks ago. So, you used to do it right. Now you don’t do it right. Somebody screwed up. Fix it.

Help! I hate that I can't email customer service....

2007-09-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Help! I hate that I can't email customer service. I had a scratched disk, ordered a replacement...but we suffered through the skipping tonight and I no longer need the replacement, which will ship Monday. The wait to talk to customer support is NINE MINUTES! Insane. Please bring back email customer support. For trivial things, I don't want to talk to someone.

@gregory - Don't they? Hang on. Here: Under the Yo...

2007-08-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

@gregory - Don't they? Hang on.

Here: Under the Your Account hyperlink (up top) there is a section called "Account Preferences" which has a link called "Format Preferences" and you can tell it whether you have HD or Blueray.

I have a great suggestion for a new feature. How ...

2007-08-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

I have a great suggestion for a new feature. How about setting up something in the user profile where the user can select whether or not they have HDDVD, Bluray, or standard DVD player. I personally have only a Standard DVD player and it ticks me off when I have to go back and change the DEFAULT setting on newer movies. Currently, if there is a movie that is out in HD DVD then thats the default format that get put in your Queue and you have to manually select standard format. Thanks.

I am a very basic Netflix user, and I apologize fo...

2007-08-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am a very basic Netflix user, and I apologize for placing this post where it probably doesn't belong, for being anon. just because I didn't want to deal with sign up, and possibly asking a very basic question asked elsewhere. I simply couldn't find a good place for it.

I've just spent an hour or so rating movies, with new screens popping up with every choice, an endless maze... When I say I like a certain film but don't add it to my queue, the damn thing shows up over and over....I've SEEN it, I don't want to get it again. Can't we have a no, thanks, I've seen it choice? A gentle retirement page, films I liked but will probably not rent again? I hate to say not interested when they are a favorite, but that's the only way to get them out of the way. At this point, I'm inclined to just stop rating, period. Genie, not anon.

I'm not a programmer, but I completely understand ...

2007-07-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not a programmer, but I completely understand how something conceptually simple can be difficult to make real. I have faith in you guys though. You're much better than the guys that work at my company. I can build a better webpage than those doofussis (doofussi? doofussae?) I'll be happy with the half stars. Everything else is gratis. Appreciate 'cha! Oh and thanks for the link to Pogue.

Re languages and subtitles, thanks for the back-up...

2007-07-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Re languages and subtitles, thanks for the back-up Mort, Jane and Anon #2; I was braced for cries of "if they want to show movies in this country they should damn well learn to speak English". And it's a great idea to add another option to the 'flag' drop-down such as "Not a review" or maybe even "Please report all disc problems using the 'Report Disc Problem' link in your queue" [silent scream implied].

adam, I gotta try it out by putting the DVDs in th...

2007-07-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

adam, I gotta try it out by putting the DVDs in the return slip in my mailbox - but what if I were to lose it from there?

nuuu,I don't work for NETFLIX but usually if I lea...

2007-07-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

nuuu,

I don't work for NETFLIX but usually if I leave the NETFLIX in my home mailbox in the morning, it gets taken by the mailman in the afternoon, NETFLIX will receive it the next morning. A lot of depends, I suppose, on how far you are from your distribution center and how effecient your town mail system is.

I don't know where to ask this question, so here g...

2007-07-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know where to ask this question, so here goes.

What day of the week and/or time of day is the best, to put a DVD into the mailbox to ensure the fastest in receiving the next one in queue?

@Josh, yes AMEN, I'd like to see the Language of e...

2007-07-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

@Josh, yes AMEN, I'd like to see the Language of each film featured prominently. My wife dislikes subtitles, yet we lean toward many of the Foreign directors. Much as I hate a bad over-dub-English-mishmash, I prefer it to my wife rolling her eyes at me yet again when Spanish or French with English subs it the only audio choice :-)

Just wanted to second Daniel's point about buildin...

2007-07-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to second Daniel's point about building a web community. Obviously this isn't a social networking site, but it would be nice for users to interact more, and sending private messages would be a first step.

Setting up discussion forums would be another idea I would appreciate. Obviously, that has the potential to go downhill--witness the hellhole of flamewars on IMDB--but it'd be cool to join, say, an 80s trashy action film group or a Jan Svankmajer appreciation group to discuss movies and make recommendations.

Yes,Josh, yes, Michael. This point is REALLY IMPOR...

2007-07-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

Yes,Josh, yes, Michael. This point is REALLY IMPORTANT. There are countless of so called reviews of people complaining the movie is not in english and therefore they couldn't watch it (unbelievable that people don't know how to set up their dvd players), that they were sent the wrong disc, that it is scratched etc. Please make an addition to the "flag it" with another button that says something like "not a review" for those kinds of comments, so that we can help you clean up, and leave space for the REAL reviews...THE ONES THAT TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE CONTENT.....

Good point Josh. Listing all spoken and subtitle...

2007-07-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Good point Josh. Listing all spoken and subtitled languages on each movie prominently should help. Though I wonder: If people can't figure out the buttons and simpler functions on their DVD remote, will they read it? I'd like to see a big sweep of "I don't speak Mongolian", "I really look forward to seeing this" and "My disc was scratched so I didn't get to see/finish it" reviews and encouraging subscribers to flag them so that the Netflix gods can erase them, if it could be done easily. Especially if clearing out that garbage would help the website operate more quickly and economically.

Re upgrading the movie info page, how's about movi...

2007-07-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Re upgrading the movie info page, how's about moving the 'Language and Sound' and 'subtitles' right up to the top of the page, maybe just below the 'ratings', which might save us having to wade through pages and pages of either "NOWHERE DOES IT SAY THAT THIS MOVIE IS IN SPANISH" or "THIS MOVIE HAS NO SUBTITLES AND I DO NOT SPEAK MONGOLIAN" [you have to click 'subtitles ON' in the 'set-up' section, People!]. And while the fine folks at Netflix are working tirelessly on upgrading their list of movie credits [among a thousand other recent goodies], maybe check-out Blockbusters' website, which DOES list the writer/s, and even gives the name of the character each actor plays!

What about engaging the community of programmers w...

2007-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

What about engaging the community of programmers who develop Greasemonkey scripts/Firefox extensions? Maybe release a Netflix API.

I've seen some good mods to the Netflix site by third parties discovering things on their own. Imagine what they could do if there was an officially documented interface. This would allow the power users to add extra functionality and my mom never has to see it.

I haven't seen this addressed on the blog, but in ...

2007-07-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen this addressed on the blog, but in the interests of building a true web community, wouldn't it be nice to have the option to tick a box in your account that ALLOWS other users to send you messages/friend invites? I know many people don't want to be bothered by strangers, but as a fan of movies, I would welcome unsolicited messages from similar (and even dissimilar) users.

Thanks for all your hard work, Netflix is the one monthly bill I'm happy to pay every month.

The changes to the site lately have been amazing a...

2007-07-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

The changes to the site lately have been amazing and very quick. So much so that I seem to see something new practically with each visit. Obviously development takes time and consideration, and hopefully most people understand that - but you're doing a great job.

I like mcwhammer's idea about polls about new features - but perhaps somewhere other than this blog? I didn't even know this blog was here for quite a while, so polls (and new-feature intros!) that are more readily visible would be great, and would get more users involved. Perhaps linked from the main landing page? There's lots of stuff on there already so just an announcement and a link would be great. (Personally - I don't need 2 recommendation areas; one based on what I've watched and the other just further recommendations. Just recommend, period, and use the other space for another feature. Just my opinion.)

Thanks for communicating with us.