The old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Following that logic, “If you know what you did to break it, doing that same thing more won’t fix it.”
This simple logic seems too hard to understand for Netflix.
Netflix has decided that their online streaming service is more valuable than it’s DVD by mail service. Several months ago, they announced a price increase for the streaming service, previously included for free in their higher tier memberships (like mine). This amounted to a 60% increase in my bill. I changed my membership to avoid this price increase. About 1 million subscribers flat out cancelled.
When Netflix boss, Reed Hastings, started a press release this weekend with “I messed up.”, I had some hope. That hope didn’t last beyond the second paragraph.
Ultimately, what Hastings “messed up” was jacking up prices with no added service. The delusion Hastings expresses in his press release is that the mistake was in communication. Wha?! “I need to be extra-communicative. This is the key thing I got wrong.” What are you smoking, man?!
The “key thing” is a 60% price increase, plain and simple!! The “key thing” is that you are raising prices for nothing! Splitting up services for nothing. Making my membership more complicated for nothing! I don’t give a flying crap about your level of communication.
Instead of fixing the problem, Netflix is going to make it even worse. They’re splitting the DVD business into a new company with a new name and, presumably, a new website and price model, completely separate from their streaming service, which will retain the Netflix monicker. So, if your price increase and service changes broke the system, the solution is not to further change the service and keep the stinking price increase!!
I loved Netflix. I touted Netflix to friends, family and blog readers. I even defended Netflix when people talked about the problems (like poor selection, some titles becoming unavailable, and how slow Netflix adds new releases). But you’ll notice all of those are in the past tense. Frankly, I’m pissed at Netflix right now. And it’ll take a lot for them to win me back.
At this moment, my Netflix account is “on hold.” That means my account is still there, my DVD queue (nearly 400 titles) is still there, but I’m not paying and they’re not sending. I’m one small step away from just canceling my membership. I don’t want to cancel. I want to get my DVDs. I want to stream some TV shows once in a blue moon. And I want to do both from one service, with one queue and one library of titles at one simple and competitive price.
*sigh*
But, I guess that’s just too much to ask. I guess logic is just too much for some people.
