Onshore Customer Service

Netflix set up shop here a year ago, shunning other lower-cost places in the United States and overseas, because it thought that Oregonians would present a friendlier voice to its customers. Then in July, Netflix took an unusual step for a Web-based company: it eliminated e-mail-based customer service inquiries. Now all questions, complaints and suggestions go to the Hillsboro call center, which is open 24 hours a day. The company's toll-free number, previously buried on the Web site, is now prominently displayed.

This sounds very good, in the spirit of Joel on Software steps to excellent customer service.

I will say that I have had some good luck with email-based customer service lately, with Northwest Airlines, and BlockBuster. But I hate how hard they make it to actually get hold of a human being.