So Netflix' servers recently went down for 11 hours (ouch) which resulted in many of their customers experiencing delays in getting their DVDs. Sure, having your 'And There Will Be Blood' movie held up 1 day is a pain, but fortunately DVDs are not a mission critical part of most people's lives. So, Netflix could have simply ignored the issue, banked on their positive brand image and moved on. I think most companies would have done just that. But those 'most companies' probably don't have as positive an image as Netflix, and that's just the point. Netflix has a culture of consumer-centricity and they take every opportunity to protect and build on it.
They took immediate action and sent out this email to their userbase:
I think this is great. They didn't over-think things, they admitted the screw-up and offered a discount to make up for the inconvenience. Sure, they could have offered an additional movie or some other gift instead, but the bottom line is they took immediate action. And this type of culture will win and keep loyal customers as well as spread positive word of mouth. Looking at comments on blogs like Hacking Netflix, most people agree.
So take a lesson - everyone is going to screw up. When it happens respond to it head-on, in a timely manner with no excuses. Whether you give a gift or not is not so much the issue!
My only knock? They didn't post anything on their own blog.
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