Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a popular customer loyalty measurement methodology. Recently, not without a cause, it’s become very popular among marketing and sales professionals. The methodology assumes that in order to conduct an effective study of customer loyalty it’s enough to ask just this one question :
Basing on the value provided by the respondents on a scale of 1 to 10 (or 1 to 5), clients are divided into 3 groups : Detractors, Passives, and Promoters. The correlation between those groups makes it possible to provide the NPS indicator and e.g. compare your results with those of the competitors.
A lot has been said about NPS results and conclusions or the desired indicator value, however, it also pays to focus on the respondents in order to truly grasp the specific of each group.
Detractors – a source of valuable information
People who marked 1 to 6 (or 1 to 3 on a 1-5 scale) while describing their willingness to recommend your products or services are referred to as Detractors. Their relationship with your company is of poor quality and they rarely choose your offer or even, if possible, resign from it completely. Detractors tend to be price sensitive and they come back with complaints or comments more frequently than any other customers. They are generally more eager to share their opinion about you … unfortunately with a negative tone. You will find their full of critique posts online on forums and social media. That’s exactly why they mustn’t be ignored and it’s important that you introduce a plan to limit the number of your Detractors.
It definitely pays to keep track of the online word of mouth regarding your company. The Detractors are an excellent source of easily accessible information on what requires improvement. While doing your research you could also reach out to them with extra questions: What made you feel this way about our service/product? What can we do to make you more willing to recommend our service/product?
This kind of attitude gives you the chance to solve the issues, gradually improve loyalty, and grow. Originally biased customers with poor experiences can actually turn into the most loyal ones, if you address their needs properly. Make all the necessary effort to recognize and fulfill their emotional needs by engaging your most flexible and experienced staff to contact the Detractors.
Passives – a reasonable brand relation
Respondents who marked 7 or 8 ( 4 on the 1-5 scale) in the NPS survey are called Passives. Their attitude towards your company, products or service is neutral. They are satisfied with your offer, because they were able to fulfill their needs, however, they’re not being enthusiastic and might as well turn to your competitors. Their lack of emotional relationship with your brand is the key challenge. Depending on the circumstances and further experiences they might just as likely convert into Detractors or Promoters. Naturally, your goal is to successfully attract them to the latter group. Focus on delivering them the most positive overall experiences at any touchpoint.
In contrast to Detractors, Passives are not hostile, so building a positive relation with them should be much easier. However, companies tend to know much less about their needs and expectations. You should get to know them better and consider further studies of this group. Start with questions such as: What should we change to improve our product / service and receive 10 points on the NPS scale?
Promoters – loyal fans
Those who marked 9 or 10 (5 on a 1-5 scale) in the NPS survey are your most loyal customers defined as Promoters. They are true brand enthusiasts using your products or services and encouraging others to try them out. Their relation with your company is strong and emotional. The abandonment rate in this group is the lowest and they’re the least price sensitive. Here you will find customers who choose your offer more often than others and are willing to try out new products introduced by you.
Your goal is to gain and keep the highest possible number of Promoters. Maintaining good relations with Promoters might seem easy. Indeed, they put a lot of trust in you basing on their positive experiences, but don’t forget that any relation built on strong emotions has its weak points. Find out what kind of brand values are most appreciated by your Promoters and regularly ask what you could do to keep getting high scores.