Netflix is Keeping Profiles

Netflix just sent out the following e-mail to notify customers that they are keeping the Profiles feature:

Todd on the Netflix Community Blog had the following to say:

For users of Profiles, I have good news to report: we will keep the feature with no plans to discontinue it.

We were persuaded by the well-reasoned, sincere responses of loyal members who very much value this feature. As someone who enjoys helping his four-year-old daughter manage her one-DVD-at-a-time, G-rated sub-account, I identified with these thoughtful pleas to maintain Profiles.

Because of an ongoing desire to make our website easier to use, we believed taking a feature away that is only used by a very small minority would help us improve the site for everyone. Listening to our members, we realized that users of this feature often describe it as an essential part of their Netflix experience. Simplicity is only one virtue and it can certainly be outweighed by utility.

As for improving Profiles, there are no definite plans in place yet, but, like everything at Netflix, we seek to make it better and we are open to suggestions. Non-users of the feature and new members will be able to access Profiles in 2-3 weeks. Existing users will be able to continue their use, uninterrupted.

We apologize for any inconvenience the previous announcement caused.

Thanks to Sean, Dave, Chris, Chris, Holly, Adam, Arul, Ken, Doron, Andy, Joseph, Timothy, Brian, Simon, Robert, Jason, Matt, Katelyn, and everyone else for sending this in.

Comments

[Katelyn]

Woo-hoo!!! :)

[Jason]

GREAT NEWS! I'm glad Netflix listened to its customers and decided to keep this great feature. I really can't imagine using Netflix without it. FWIW: I was one of the people who called to express my feelings about their now-reversed decision. It was only the 2nd time in about 5 years that I called Netflix customer service.

[Rick]

thank goodness!

it worked!

[Travis]

I have never used this feature, but I am glad that they have listened to what the customers want and kept the feature. I doubt Blockbuster would have listened.

[Donna]

YES!

I would really have hated to take my account down to one DVD out at a time or cancel and move to Blockbuster, but I would have.

This is great news. Hopefully they'll have the sense to have something in the works next time before they try to cancel a feature. That was a PR disaster.

[Brian]

This says a lot about netflix. They obviously care about their customers. No matter how small of a percentage of us actually use the feature.

[RobertB]

I called, emailed, and described my concerns on this blog, but I can hardly believe the good news. Hooray for common sense! As for their original decision... let's just call that their "New Coke" moment.

[BoB]

As a long-time critic of NF, I would like to thank them for listening to their customers and continuing a worthwhile feature. While everyone may not use it, It is great for folks with families that have broad tastes, large age differences, or those that like to manage TV shows & movies, etc. separately.

Thank you NF!

[MJ]

Awesome move Netflix. Thank you for listening :-D

[Scott Parker]

I signed the profiles, contacted their customer service, and commented on their blog. Never, not even for a moment, did I think we'd be successful, though.

Hooray!

[DP]

This news just made my day. I was making plans to sell my Roku and sorrowfully limp over to BlockBuster.

I was also among the petition signing, emailing, calling masses, but am still a little shocked that they actually listened!

Oh the Euphoria!

[Brian]

Wow! They listened to us. Amazing. I hoped that posting on a site like this would help and it looks like it did. I'm a HUGE Netflix fan now. Netflix listens to their customers even when it's was a small group of users of a certain feature. Excellent!

In return I'll keep spreading the word about how Netflix listened to its users and hopefully they'll help get more people to join.

[Chicago Jon]

My account will be unsuspended today! Thanks netflix for realizing that your business exists because of customers not in spite of them. The airline industry should take note!

[michael]

i call shennanigans that it's a geature only used by a small minority...and if it's underutilized, it's because it's not a well enough advertised feature.

[Phil]

Now that's more like it! I say on with the new website design, love that idea! However make sure you keep the profiles (even re-tool them to make them easier) but keep them none the less!

[Miggity]

HOORAY!!!

[Sarah]

Oh the relief! Thank you Netflix! I'm sure my 9 yo daughter will echo the sentiment when I tell her this evening too :) I have to say that I'm pretty impressed that they've turned around on this, after the finality with which they imparted the original announcement. Not bad, not bad at all.

[Profile Lover]

I wonder if the 1-2% figure was a little lower than reality? Once you calculate the percentage based on the number of users who qualify for profiles (a lot of people must be on one out plans) the impact of removing the feature may have been under estimated.

Glad to have netflix back!

[Jerome]

Thanks Netflix! For the longest you guys have been a good example how a corporation should treat its customers. I'm glad you're still setting the example.

[aguayo]

i also called and emailed them asking to keep profiles, but these days you never think a big company will actually listen to the little guy.

talk about caring about their customers. WAY TO GO, NETFLIX!!! i have been a customer for 8 years and i am not going anywhere else for my movies anytime soon....

[Miggity]

I KNEW there was a reason I left Blockbuster...

+1 Netflix!
A++++++++++ Will continue recommending Netflix to friends.

[Norris]

god knows you don't want to go BB. Keyes has effectively killed the online program. Go to one of his "new" stores and drink a latte instead. lol.

[Tim]

Now I can go ahead and order my Roku player!

I was ready to order one when I received the original e-mail about Profiles. Domestic entertainment bliss is best achieved with separate Profiles, so we have been looking for alternative services that had Profiles. I am so glad that Netflix changed their position on this, because no other service had Netflix's selection. Yeah!

Awesome! It was taking forever to get my ratings moved. Thank you Netflix (and Danni of customer service) for listening.

[Steven Hoober]

I choose to be cynical. This was all a ploy to show how much they listen to their customers, and can express humility.

:)

[vw]

Woo I was getting worried I was going to have to cancel netflix

[Simon]

Yeah Netflix! Faith has been restored.

Thanks!!

Never do something this stupid again Netflix. Never.

[Scooby]

Thank you Netflix! You continue to outshine the competition and I (we) really appreciate it! Thanks for listening!

Maybe I'll reward Netflix by increasing to a 4 movie plan. :-)

[Ann]

I think Netflix realized that we subscribers are a bit like Mac fans - mess with us and we'll raise hell. lol Also, they want those Rokus to continue to sell so it's a bad time start taking things away from us.

[kolohe61]

"i call shennanigans that it's a geature only used by a small minority...and if it's underutilized, it's because it's not a well enough advertised feature."

That's exactly the case. I told some friends who use NF that I was PO'ed at them and why. They all said they had no idea the feature existed, and that it's a great idea. With this latest news, many of them will start using it, I imagine.

[Guy121]

Steve Swasey- decision to eliminate Profiles is a "final decision."

Suck on it.

-Guy121

[gotta love netflix]

That's awesome Netflix, you are really stepping up to the plate and taking care of your customers. All the more reasons why I have been loyal to you even when things like these happen.

One thing I can't help but notice is that the same people who couldn't say more horrible things about netflix and leaving to blockbuster because of this, are all of a sudden ALL for netflix. Another reason why I can't stand reading comments by people like that.

I knew that netflix would do right by their customers. I don't think they thought it was worth all the bad press from people who really don't appreciate the good service that Netflix offers. The customer base is probably very low of those who used the profiles, but those who did speak out, keep on forgetting that netflix didn't have profiles from the beginning and for people to judge the service vs THE FEATURE on the site is completely uncalled for.

This "horrible" complany listened to you, so next time you might have a little more faith than that.

Again, great job Netflix, and you prove yourself every time that the real reason you are in business is for the customers.

[needo]

In thanks I upgraded to a 5 dvd at a time plan.

[Oliver Ortega Chua]

I'm sure Netflix reads this blog but I suggest that we all thank them personally anyway. Call/Email them and say how grateful we are that they listened to us!

http://www.netflix.com/Suggest?type=2&lnkctr=cu_suggest

[Karen]

I always found Profiles to be very poorly implemented. It's so awkward to have to sign in and sign out to access different profiles, and there was no easy way to move or copy movies from one profile to another.

I'm glad Netflix is keeping profiles, since so many people like this feature, but does this mean they won't offer a better implemented version? When they originally announced profiles was ending, they said they were planning something with similar features that worked better than profiles, and I hope that's still in the works.

[Seth]

THANKS.

This is why Reed Hastings and his team are some of the best executives in the business. They make bold choices AND they change their minds when they realize they've made a mistake.

[Tom Ado]

Dang, I was looking forward to the new features they were promising...

But then again, now I don't have to move all my ratings, reviews, and queue to a new account.

[ScottZ]

Geez guys, don't give them too much credit for jerking us around.

Fine, give them a little credit for making what appears to be the right decision. But shame on them for making the wrong decision in the first place.

[brutus inquisitor]

Thank you for listening. For your customers, I believe that you did the right thing by keeping profiles. I hope that it still makes economic sense for netflix. Hey, gotta make a buck now and then.

brutus