The Net Promoter Score or NPS has become popular across all sectors. This adoption is due to both the simplicity of the metric and its general usefulness. Customers surveyed only have to answer one question. “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [name of company, product or service] to a friend or colleague?” What makes a good net promoter score?
1. High quality products and services
Too obvious? For many managers and entrepreneurs, a negative NPS serves as an important wake-up call to rethink overall quality. Just because you have heard very few complaints does not mean that customers are happy. You may have hundreds of detractors spreading unpleasant experiences and you don’t even know it.
Commit to a philosophy of constant and never-ending improvement. A negative or declining NPS can be overwhelming. Take it as an opportunity to find out specifically where your products or services are not meeting customer expectations.
2. Properly segmented marketing
Let’s say a customer buys a high-end cashmere jumper from your online boutique. He loves it and makes other high-end purchases. As a thank you, you email her a coupon for $20 shoes on sale for $15. She buys them and what she gets is… a pair of $20 shoes. They are what you would expect: lower quality, and the stitching comes apart after a couple of months. You are surprised after the quality you expected. You may have just turned a promoter into a detractor.
Whether it’s clothing, appliances or electronics, people naturally expect different levels of quality at different prices. But after building a reputation, marketing a product to a different segment can have detrimental results. Narrow your niche and find your uniqueness. Avoid failing to meet previously developed expectations by marketing to the wrong segment.
3. Strong digital user experience
Your website, social media or app are likely to be your potential customer’s first experience with your company. They are your storefront. Just like a physical shop, it should be attractive, clean and easy to navigate, while offering browsing options.
And if that sounds like a lot, it should also cater to consumers who prefer self-service. While SMS, email or a pop-up wizard/live chat bring value to your digital page, many consumers prefer to explore and learn on their own. Be sure to include a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page based on the questions your customers ask the most.
4. Quickly follow up on enquiries
Nobody likes to wait. We have become accustomed to instant responses from friends, family and colleagues. Customers expect no less. You wouldn’t wait until 5pm to respond to your brother’s message to meet for lunch. The moment has passed, and moments pass even faster for potential customers.
Long waits for a business response can quickly antagonise a potential or existing customer and turn them into a detractor. If you have an option for email enquiries, those messages should be treated with the same urgency as a phone call or text.
5. Improve your NPS
Addressing each of the above steps will help you get a good NPS. But the NPS itself does not tell you exactly what you have done well or what you have failed to do. It knows the good and the bad, but not the why and how. That’s why it’s important to close the loop with your customers.
Follow-up is essential to understand what your customers like about your offer. And also their weaknesses. Some customers may drastically lower their average and give you a 2 even though they like your products and services in general. It only takes one failure to spoil the customer experience. Follow up with a personal call or email. Ask them what they liked and disliked, and what you can improve.
Within the survey itself, offer an open-ended follow-up question option to hear the voice of the customer. These questions are easy to tailor based on the customer’s NPS. For example, ask promoters: “What did you like most about your experience? A passive customer can simply be asked: “What can we improve? A detractor can be asked, “What disappointed you about your experience with us?”. Each of these should provide some insight into the customer experience.
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