Why Does Netflix Have an 800 Number?

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By Douglas A. McIntyre Published
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Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is among the ultimate online companies. Once a renter of DVDs, its video service runs across the “cloud” to stream content to 69 million people. For some reason, Netflix has an 800 number, or to be precise an 866 toll-free one.

Netflix‘s “help desk” operates in part via 1-866-579-7172. Perhaps it is for Netflix customers who do not have an Internet connection, even though because Netflix is delivered via the Internet that makes no sense.

The 866 number dials into a service that suggests that customers use the online service from Netflix to solve their problems. However, a call to the line tells why Netflix has set it up. Many subscribers who use Netflix on portable devices need “troubleshooting” for operating the service on non-PC platforms. Netflix emails basic solutions to problems with smartphone and tablet operations.

Netflix has apps for Google Play and Android from Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Windows apps for the Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) Store, as well as Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) App Store. That means Netflix runs across devices with a number of operating systems and on portable devices from dozens of hardware manufacturers. Netflix has to go as far as creating the means to watch its content on game consoles.

A summary of Netflix migration to non-PC devices:

  • 2007 Netflix introduces streaming, which allows members to instantly watch television shows and movies on their personal computers.
  • 2008 Netflix partners with consumer electronics companies to stream on the Xbox 360, Blu-ray disc players and TV set-top boxes.
  • 2009 Netflix partners with consumer electronics companies to stream on the PS3, Internet connected TVs and other Internet connected devices.
  • 2010 Netflix is available on the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, the Nintendo Wii, and other Internet connected devices. Netflix launches its service in Canada.

Presumably the one price Netflix customers pay for monthly service allows access to that service from this huge hardware universe. However, that number of selections has to be too many for most consumers.

ALSO READ: Did Alibaba Just Seal Netflix’s Doom in China?

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About the Author Douglas A. McIntyre →

Douglas A. McIntyre is the co-founder, chief executive officer and editor in chief of 24/7 Wall St. and 24/7 Tempo. He has held these jobs since 2006.

McIntyre has written thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St. He is an expert on corporate finance, the automotive industry, media companies and international finance. He has edited articles on national demographics, sports, personal income and travel.

His work has been quoted or mentioned in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Time, The New Yorker, HuffPost USA Today, Business Insider, Yahoo, AOL, MarketWatch, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian and many other major publications. McIntyre has been a guest on CNBC, the BBC and television and radio stations across the country.

A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, McIntyre also was president of The Harvard Advocate. Founded in 1866, the Advocate is the oldest college publication in the United States.

TheStreet.com, Comps.com and Edgar Online are some of the public companies for which McIntyre served on the board of directors. He was a Vicinity Corporation board member when the company was sold to Microsoft in 2002. He served on the audit committees of some of these companies.

McIntyre has been the CEO of FutureSource, a provider of trading terminals and news to commodities and futures traders. He was president of Switchboard, the online phone directory company. He served as chairman and CEO of On2 Technologies, the video compression company that provided video compression software for Adobe’s Flash. Google bought On2 in 2009.

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