This past week NetFlix has suffered from crippling shipping, receiving and communications problems. I typically go through 6 DVD's a week with the DVD rental business and I am accustomed to fast turnaround on movies. This past week's interuption in my movie queue stood out as the exception to their typical high quality service. Today I received an email notifying me of the troubles they've been having and volunteered a 15% discount on my next month's service. While the interuption was frustrating I am feeling good about my movie watching partnership after their proactive and responsible ownership of this problem. In this era of abusive, shoddy and inconsistent customer service from cell phone companies, cable providers and internet services this accountability stands out as a shining example of what companies should be doing.

Here is the text of the email sent to me:

We're sorry your DVD shipment was delayed
Dear Peter,

As you may know, we had issues with our shipping systems this week. As a result, we didn't ship DVDs to you in a timely manner, and you likely didn't receive email letting you know we got a DVD back from you. Our shipping systems are working again, and any outstanding DVD shipments are being mailed today (Friday).

We pride ourselves in delighting you, and we've let you down. We apologize, and we will issue a 15% credit to your account in the next few days. You don't need to do anything. Your credit will automatically be applied to your next billing statement.

Again, we apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. If you need further assistance, please call us at 1-888-638-3549.

-The Netflix Team