Post-NPS action guide for each score

What is NPS?

NPS (Net Promoter Score) is one of the metrics used to quantitatively measure customer satisfaction. It is measured through a survey consisting of a single, simple question.

Based on responses to this question, customers can be classified into three groups:

-Promoters: Customers who give a score of 9-10 and are expected to strongly recommend the company.

-Passives: Customers who give a score of 7-8 and are neutral, unlikely to either strongly recommend or criticize the company.

-Detractors: Customers who give a score of 0-6 and are not expected to recommend the company.

NPS provides important insights into customer experience and company growth. Whether customers are likely to recommend the company reflects their satisfaction and loyalty. A high NPS can be seen as a predictor of positive customer experiences and continuous growth. However, merely measuring the score through NPS surveys is not meaningful. It is essential to strategically plan optimized actions for each customer segment based on their scores. In other words, NPS should be used as a tool to build customer-centric strategies.

Here are recommended actions from Smore CX Team for each score group, from Promoters to Detractors!

Follow-Up Actions for Promoters

The relationship with promoters forms a crucial part of customer relationships. These customers already have positive experiences and strong willingness to promote our product. They are also the most important segment for our brand's performance and reputation. Therefore, actions for promoters should focus on maintaining ‘continuous communication.’

🟢Request Reviews

Reviews from other customers are the most persuasive factor in convincing potential customers. Hence, it's important to ask promoters, who have the highest satisfaction with our product, to write reviews.

🟢Inform Them About Loyalty Programs

Promoters are likely to continue their relationship with our company. Therefore, it’s important to run a membership program where they can receive rewards for their purchases or activities, and to promote this information to this group. By showing appreciation to our loyal customers, we can provide a more positive customer experience..

🔴 Avoid Aggressive Sales Pitches

NPS promoters are extremely valuable customers. While it’s okay to suggest related products or services that can enhance their experience, excessive upselling can damage the relationship. The goal of follow-up actions for promoter customers should be to maintain their loyalty and encourage their recommendations, not immediate sales.

🔴Avoid Using Message Templates in Your Correspondence  

 It’s crucial to thank customers who are highly satisfied with our product and willing to recommend or promote it. However, if you send the same message using a generic template, it won’t convey sincerity or provide a special experience. Use the customer's name and include specific feedback in the thank-you message to create a personalized experience.

Follow-Up Actions for Passives

Passive customers are a key group that can provide important hints for the growth and improvement of our product. As they are neutral, they have a more flexible perspective and can be experimented with more. It’s necessary to find ways to turn all our customers into promoters through this group.

🟢 Create a Feedback Loop

A feedback loop means analyzing customer feedback to find areas for improvement, addressing these areas, and then gathering feedback again. It’s important to separate passive customers into a distinct segment and create a feedback loop specifically for them. After addressing their feedback, it’s crucial to seek their feedback again.

🔴 Don’t Take THeir Neutrality for Dissatisfaction

Many companies make the mistake of equating passive customers with dissatisfied customers. It’s necessary to explore more actively to find out where these two groups differ. Passive customers may not immediately highlight their complaints or issues. This could mean they haven’t had a negative experience, but they also haven’t had an experience that met or exceeded their expectations. Therefore, well-designed follow-up questions are needed to clearly define their needs.

Follow-Up Actions for Detractors

It's natural to have customers who are dissatisfied with our product. Focusing solely on reducing this number can negatively impact the improvement of customer experience. It's important to deeply understand the experiences of these customers.

🟢 Find the Optimal Time for Follow-Up Action

The most important thing in follow-up actions for detractors is the timing of the nudge. If you contact them too soon, it can exacerbate their negative feelings about the service. On the other hand, if you take follow-up actions too late, their memory and interest in our service may fade, leading to less meaningful results. We might fail to express our commitment to valuing their voice and swiftly improving their experience.

🟢 Prepare a Clear Action Plan 

Before contacting a dissatisfied customer again, it’s crucial to define the goals and objectives of that action clearly. This requires thoroughly investigating the customer and predefining the scope of what our team will do to address their dissatisfaction or demands. The goal could be to gather deep feedback from the customer or to retain them. Methods such as offering a refund or providing a discount coupon for the next month’s payment can be used.

🔴 Don’t Overly Prioritize Detractors

Listening to detractors is important for the growth of our product and the improvement of customer experience. However, their low willingness to recommend may not be due to the quality of the product itself but because it doesn’t match their preferences or tastes. Therefore, when improving the product based on detractor feedback, it’s essential to check if their feedback aligns with our product’s long-term roadmap and core values.

🔴 But Don’t Ignore Them Completely

However, don’t classify detractor feedback as worthless. Always keep channels open for detractors to communicate their experiences and feedback. Regularly share updates about our product with them.

With Promoters, it's necessary to manage the relationship carefully to increase their willingness to promote the brand and enhance loyalty through membership programs. However, avoid strong sales actions and use personalized messages to provide a better experience.

Passives are an important group for experimentation and innovation. Use feedback loops to identify strengths and weaknesses of the product and find improvement points. Distinguish between neutrality and dissatisfaction, and understand their needs through careful follow-up questions. Target them so they become your strongest promoters.

For Detractors, a cautious approach is needed. Maintain communication with appropriate timing and a clear action plan while balancing attention between this group and other segments. Always keep channels open for feedback and provide regular updates about product improvements.

By taking suitable actions for each NPS score segment, you can continuously enhance customer experience, strengthen the positive image of the brand, and increase competitiveness in the market. This approach shows the brand's sincerity and commitment to building relationships with customers, ultimately improving customer experience and trust in the brand over the long term.