The Chicacgo Tribune has a very interesting story on how the Netflix processing warehouses work. Let's just say it's not all propane powered robots.
Associates inspect each returned disc. They rip open each envelope, toss it, pull the disc from its sleeve, check that the title matches the sleeve, inspect the disc for cracks or scratches, inspect the sleeve for stains or marks, clean the disc with a quick circular motion on a towel pulled tight across a square block of wood, insert the disc into its sleeve, and file the disc in one of two bins. The bin to the right is for acceptable discs, the bin to the left is for damaged discs or discs not in the proper sleeve....
Employees are expected to perform this a minimum of 650 times an hour. Also, customers stuff things into the envelopes. Scribbled movie reviews, complaints, pictures of dogs and kids. That needs sorting too. After 65 minutes of inspection, a bell rings. Everyone stands up.
Calisthenics!
Wow... that sounds kinda awful. I guess the next time my copy of What a Girl Wants ships a day late I'll be a little more forgiving. I'm still going to write an angry letter, but I'll refrain from using any 4 letter words. That means I can still use bastards right?
1 comments:
While they may treat their hourly employees like meat robots, the other little bit of Netflixania that's been spreading around the web this week underscores their well-considered approach to having the best and the brightest work for them at the upper levels: http://www.slideshare.net/reed2001/culture-1798664
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