Now, word comes out that they have responded to a customer’s question rather brusquely. Upon “noticing” that the customer “still” had a disc out after switching to the streaming-only plan, they asked for the disc back within 7 days or face a firing squad. Just kidding. The customer would only be charged $14. Needless to say, Netflix seems bound and determined to make everyone mad. I get that they need their discs back, but I believe a friendlier worded email would have sufficed. It likely would have sown some much needed good will for them. Oh, well. Here’s to opportunities lost.

To his credit, the customer was not terribly upset, and stated that his relationship with Netflix had not been damaged. Echoing his point, they are the best thing going at the moment. The problem is, though, that they had a rabid customer base that sung their praises to whomever would listen. They were the internet startup that was taking on the big studios. They were the company that literally destroyed Blockbuster. Our favorite rental place to hate.

Now, they are coming across just like all of the rest of the tech world where customer service is an afterthought. They would have been better off explaining themselves. That is all people really want. Instead of being like the most interesting man in the world, they came across like Michael O’Leary.

1. Netflix goes to Canada – After 10 years of existence, Netflix is finally going north of the border. Later this fall, the streaming service will also be available. It will initially only be available in English, but they have plans to open a French site soon.
2. Windows Mobile 7 nears release – Microsoft is finally nearing release of it’s new mobile operating system. This time around, they are trying to mimic Apple and Research In Motion’s success with a closed environment. Apps will only be sold through their Microsoft Marketplace. They will also have tighter hardware controls with hardware makers.
3. Apple gives away free cases – Stung by the Consumer Report downgrade, Apple decided to take on “antenna-gate” head-on. They will be giving away free cases to iPhone 4 buyers, which should alleviate the dropped call issues.
4. Facebook expected to hit 500 million users this week – They plan to celebrate the half-a-billion mark with Facebook Stories, “a collection of real-life blurbs from Facebook users about how the social networking site has impacted their lives.” Facebook users now equal the populations of the U.S., Japan and Germany combined.
5. New Motorola Slide-Up Device Coming – The new device will be with Verizon, and it appears to be a combination of the Droid and the Palm Pre.

The major networks, including Fox, NBC and ABC (not CBS), have put their current program lineups online for you to view on demand via Hulu.com. For $10 per month, the new Hulu Plus service will give you even more access the shows that you love. Besides current in-season episodes, you’ll get past episodes of the shows you love.

Netflix will appeal more to movie buffs, while Hulu Plus will have more for tv fans. For those looking to wean themselves off high priced cable and satellite prices, you could save quite a bit of money by subscribing to both services. It may not be for everyone, but there will be quite a few people who find this to be a great alternative to broadcast television.