by Jennifer L. Thompson

Created on: January 08, 2009   Last Updated: April 21, 2010

Netflix is a great service available to its online users for renting dvds. With thousands of titles available, no late fees, a variety of service plans, and its user-friendly website, it is certainly attractive to any movie lover. In using Netflix, there are a few key things that make it work, and work seamlessly, that can be done with very little effort.

Netflix mails movies to its users in a postage-free return envelope. Once a movie is returned, they mail the next one listed in the user's queue. If movies are left lying around the house after they've been watched, the full benefits of the service are not being received, and a user is actually paying more for the service. Therefore, developing a system of sorts for returning the movies is one of the first things you may want to keep in mind, in order to make Netflix work.

For instance, the prepaid return envelopes that come with each movie can be kept in a particular place, possibly near the dvd player. Then, when a movie is removed from the dvd player, it can be put in its envelope and ready for return the next day. This keeps a steady flow of your chosen movies being delivered, allowing the full benefits of any service plan to be received. It also avoids those little aggrevations such as misplaced envelopes, long waits between movies, and the like.

The Netflix que, on its website, keeps a list of what movies you've chosen to be delivered, and in what order. Keeping the que updated is also a large part of making Netflix work. If the que is empty, there are no movies to be delivered. It is recommended to keep at least six movies in the que, though it will hold many more. You may also occasionally want to go through and remove some, or change the sequence in order to keep current with the newest movies, if you wish.

Rating movies that you've watched brings new recommendations based on your likes and dislikes. This can be done rather quickly and can cut down on the time it may otherwise take to pick out what you'd like to be watching. Also, if one enjoys writing movie reviews, adding your opinions and expertise with these can help others choose which movies to watch, and so helps to make it work for the entire community.

Keeping payment information current would be the final key point in making Netflix work. With automated payments, current billing and credit card information is, of course, a necessary part of the equation.

Finding your Netflix groove will give you an enjoyable movie experience, with little effort. Once you've developed good habits in choosing and returning dvds, and in using the guidelines above, you will love making Netflix Work for you!

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