Another reason to love Netflix

I am a very satisfied Netflix customer. I was a member before Blockbuster had their dvd-by-mail service. Lots of things appealed to me and got me to try their service: a flat fee, handling it by mail, the "wishlist" of movies, and the fact they weren't Blockbuster.

Well, while catching up on the Hacking Netflix blog I saw this entry about how they are handling subscribers that are Katrina victims. The email said in part:

Dear Terry,

The U.S. Postal Service has let us know that postal delivery to your address has been interrupted due to Hurricane Katrina. All of us at Netflix extend our sympathies to you and your loved ones during this difficult time.

We want you to know that we have stopped billing your account and are in the process of issuing a refund of your last bill. When you are ready to resume your service, please visit the Netflix website, where you will have the option to restart deliveries. When you restart your service, your first month will be at no charge.

Am I benefiting from this? No. But I think it's a great way to run a company, and I'd like to think I'd do something similar if I were in a similar situation. And this makes me like Netflix even more.