Net Promoter Score Survey: The Ultimate Guide for Growth

“Loyalty cannot be blueprinted. It cannot be produced on an assembly line. In fact, it cannot be manufactured at all, for its origin is the human heart-the center of self-respect and human dignity. It is a force which leaps into being only when conditions are exactly right for it-and it is a force very sensitive to betrayal.” – Maurice Franks

And indeed, with the majority of a business’s revenue depending on how loyal their customers are, brand loyalty is a metric one can seldom afford to go without measuring regularly. Net Promoter Score has still inarguably remained the best way to do it, but what exactly is customer loyalty?

Is it your customers making recurring purchases? Is it them sticking to your brand only for a long time? Or is it simply a client hanging around throughout the funnel to actually convert in the end?
We’d say – all that and more.

Let’s take an example. If you asked your friend for the best earpods in the current market, chances are, they’d name Apple. There are numerous brands offering similar items, and yet, every time Apple launches a new product, people flock to queue in front of their scores, recommendations flood social media, a buzz generates all over, and even the one unversed in Apple’s merchandise previously ends up making a purchase. The end result? A new individual not only joins their customer base but also potentially becomes an active promoter for the brand.

Such is the power of brand loyalty. (which is, of course, fostered by much effort from the brand. We’ll discuss those later in the blog).

To put it precisely, customer loyalty is a tangible measurement of the degree of attachment, commitment, and allegiance that a customer has towards your brand, product, or company. It represents their willingness to repeatedly engage with and make purchases from a business, even when faced with competitive alternatives.

So, where does Net Promoter Score (NPS) come into play in all this? Well, NPS is the yardstick that measures exactly what percentage of your customers are likely to act as your promoters, remain passive, or actively detract from your brand reputation by speaking negatively about you.

In this guide, we’ll explore NPS in detail – what it is, how it’s measured, the various types of NPS surveys, as well as expert-driven tips on improving your NPS score for a more successful business.

The path to customer loyalty starts here, so let’s dive in and unleash the power of NPS surveys together!

What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a gold standard customer loyalty metric that measures the willingness of customers to recommend a brand, product, or service to others.

It is based on a simple question: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [brand/company] to a friend or colleague?”

To understand NPS, let’s break it down into three key components:

• Promoters: Customers who respond with a rating of 9 or 10 are considered promoters. These individuals are highly satisfied with their experience and are enthusiastic about recommending the brand to others.
  Promoters are crucial for driving positive word-of-mouth and are likely to become loyal, repeat customers.
• Passives: Customers who respond with a rating of 7 or 8 fall into the passive category. They are generally satisfied but not overly enthusiastic or likely to actively promote the brand.
  Passives may continue using the product or service but are more susceptible to competitive offers.
  Keep in mind that customers may be at different stages of their journey. It’s important to identify the points where you can transform passive customers into enthusiastic promoters by offering value to them.
• Detractors: Customers who respond with a rating of 0 to 6 are detractors. These individuals are dissatisfied or had a negative experience and are more likely to share their negative opinions with others.
  Detractors need particular care while tending to because they can potentially harm a brand’s reputation and customer acquisition efforts.
  It may be disheartening, but remember, they are also your biggest opportunity to learn where you can improve and get ahead!

Read More: How to Turn Your Detractors into Promoters

Types of NPS Surveys

1. Transactional NPS Surveys

Transactional NPS surveys are designed to capture customer feedback based on specific interactions or transactions with your brand. These surveys are typically triggered immediately after a customer completes a purchase, receives customer service support, visits a website, or engages with any other touchpoint relevant to the business.

An example of a Transactional NPS survey would be: “How likely are you to recommend our customer support service to a friend or colleague? Rate on a scale of 0-10.”

Relationship NPS Surveys

Relationship NPS surveys provide a broader view of customer loyalty and satisfaction over an extended period. These surveys help you understand the overall customer experience and track changes in sentiment over time. You can conduct a relationship survey annually, bi-annually, or quarterly to gauge how the brand-customer bond is faring.

Consider this example of a relationship NPS survey question:
“On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our brand to others based on your overall experience as a customer?”

Competitive NPS Surveys

Competitive NPS surveys enable you to benchmark your brand against competitors by measuring customer preference. This type of survey helps you understand how your brand stacks up in the market.

Here’s an example of a competitive NPS survey question:

“When comparing our brand to our top competitor, how likely are you to recommend us? Rate on a scale of 0-10.”

Employee NPS Surveys

Employee NPS surveys focus on measuring employee loyalty and satisfaction, as engaged employees often contribute to better customer experiences. This survey type helps identify areas where employee engagement can be improved.

As a savvy business owner, you understand the importance of measuring customer loyalty and satisfaction. Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys provide valuable insights into customer sentiments, but did you know there are different types?

In this section, we’ll explore the various types of NPS surveys, including transactional, relationship, competitive, and employee surveys.

By understanding these survey types, you’ll be equipped to gather feedback effectively and make data-driven decisions to enhance your business’s success. Let’s dive in!

Consider this example of an employee NPS survey question:
“On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our company as a great place to work?”

Create your own employee NPS survey here

These different types of NPS surveys serve specific purposes, allowing you to gather insights into various aspects of your business, from customer experiences and competitive positioning to employee satisfaction. Choose the appropriate survey type based on your objectives to unlock valuable feedback and drive improvements.

Read More: Measuring Customer Loyalty: 12 Proven Metrics

The Importance of NPS: Unlocking Customer Loyalty and Business Growth

Understanding the significance of Net Promoter Score (NPS) is crucial for driving customer loyalty and propelling your business to new heights. NPS serves as a powerful tool that goes beyond simple customer satisfaction metrics. It provides valuable insights into customer sentiments, enabling you to make informed decisions to enhance your products, services, and overall customer experience.

Let’s delve into the benefits of NPS, the link between NPS and customer loyalty, and how NPS can serve as a key performance indicator (KPI) for your business.

Benefits of NPS for Businesses:

Implementing NPS yields a multitude of advantages for your business. By measuring customer loyalty and advocacy, you gain insights that can drive meaningful improvements. NPS surveys provide actionable feedback, enabling you to:

• Identify Areas for Improvement: NPS helps pinpoint specific pain points in the customer journey. By analyzing customer comments and suggestions, you can address weaknesses, refine processes, and optimize customer experiences.
• Foster Customer-Centric Culture: NPS encourages a customer-centric mindset throughout your organization. With a clear focus on customer feedback and satisfaction, your teams can align their efforts to deliver exceptional products and services that resonate with your customers.
• Enhance Customer Retention: Happy customers are more likely to stay loyal and continue doing business with you. NPS helps you identify satisfied customers who can become brand advocates, driving positive word-of-mouth and reducing customer churn.

Link Between NPS and Customer Loyalty:

Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between NPS and customer loyalty. According to research, loyal customers who are promoters tend to:

• Make repeat purchases: On average, promoters are more likely to remain loyal and increase their spending with a brand, contributing to higher customer lifetime value.
• Refer others: Promoters act as brand ambassadors, sharing positive recommendations with their friends, family, and colleagues. A satisfied customer is a powerful marketing asset.
• Provide valuable feedback: Promoters often offer constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement, enabling you to continuously refine your offerings and stay ahead of competitors.

NPS as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI):

As a KPI, NPS provides a tangible measure of your business’s customer-centric performance. It allows you to track changes in customer loyalty over time and benchmark your progress against industry standards or competitors. NPS serves as a guiding star for your business strategy, helping you:

• Set clear goals: Establish specific NPS targets and align your organization’s efforts to achieve them. Use NPS as a reference point to monitor progress and celebrate milestones.
• Measure customer satisfaction: NPS acts as a reliable indicator of customer satisfaction and overall brand health. Regularly monitoring NPS trends allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your customer experience initiatives.
• Drive continuous improvement: NPS serves as a feedback loop, highlighting areas where your business excels and areas that require attention. Use NPS insights to drive continuous improvement and stay ahead in the competitive landscape.

See Also: Why Companies Need a Net Promoter Score (NPS) Software

How Do You Calculate Net Promoter Score?

Calculating Net Promoter Score (NPS) involves a simple formula that uses the percentage of promoters and detractors among survey respondents. Here’s a step-by-step guide to calculating NPS:

Collect survey responses: Distribute an NPS survey that includes the key question: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [brand/company] to a friend or colleague?” Ensure that respondents provide a numerical rating.

• Categorize respondents: Segment survey respondents into three groups based on their ratings:
  Promoters: Those who rate 9 or 10
  Passives: Those who rate 7 or 8
  Detractors: Those who rate 0 to 6
• Calculate percentages: Determine the percentage of respondents in each category by dividing the number of respondents in that category by the total number of respondents and multiplying by 100.
• Calculate NPS: Subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. The formula is:
  NPS = % Promoters – % Detractors

For example:
Let’s say you received 200 survey responses, with 120 promoters (rating 9 or 10) and 40 detractors (rating 0 to 6). The calculation would be as follows:
Percentage of Promoters = (120 / 200) * 100 = 60%
Percentage of Detractors = (40 / 200) * 100 = 20%
NPS = 60% – 20% = 40

In this example, the NPS would be 40, indicating a positive NPS score.

The higher the NPS, the more positive the customer sentiment and likelihood of customer recommendations.

The NPS score can also be calculated using a 5-point scale. In this case, customers are asked to rate their likelihood of recommending a business on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being “Not at all likely” and 5 being “Extremely likely.” The NPS score is then calculated by subtracting the percentage of customers who gave a rating of 1 or 2 from the percentage of customers who gave a rating of 4 or 5.

Read More: How to Calculate Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Assessing the user experience on your website or app is crucial for identifying areas of improvement. Consider asking:

• “Based on your experience, how likely are you to recommend our website/app to others? Rate on a scale of 0-10.”
• “What specific features or aspects could be enhanced to improve your rating?”

Follow-Up NPS Questions:

In addition to the primary NPS question, follow-up questions can provide deeper insights into the customer experience. These questions can be used to uncover specific pain points or gather more detailed feedback.
ere are a few examples:

Open-Ended Follow-Up Questions:

• “What can we do to improve and earn a higher rating from you?”
• “Is there anything specific that stood out to you, either positive or negative, about your experience?”

Demographic or Preference-Based Follow-Up Questions:

• “What is your primary reason for choosing our brand over competitors?”
• “Are there any additional products or services you would like to see us offer in the future?”

Ways to Deploy Follow-Up NPS Questions:

Follow-up NPS questions can be deployed using various methods to gather comprehensive feedback. Consider the following approaches:

• In-App or Website Pop-ups: Utilize pop-up surveys immediately after a customer completes the primary NPS question to capture follow-up feedback while the experience is fresh in their mind. You can use a tool like Picreel to effortlessly create and trigger the popups for you.
• Email Surveys: Send follow-up surveys via email, thanking customers for their initial NPS feedback and encouraging them to provide more detailed insights.
• Phone or Personal Interviews: For high-value or long-standing customers, consider conducting personal interviews or follow-up phone calls to gather qualitative feedback and establish a deeper understanding of their sentiments.

Read More: 50+ NPS Survey Questions to Ask in Your Next NPS Survey

What is a Good NPS Score?

While navigating the realm of Net Promoter Score (NPS), one question inevitably arises: What is considered a good NPS score?
The answer varies across industries and businesses, but understanding industry benchmarks and the relationship between NPS and customer loyalty can shed light on what you need to know.

Industry Benchmarks and NPS:

To determine whether your NPS is good or needs improvement, it’s essential to consider industry benchmarks. NPS benchmarks provide a valuable reference point, offering insights into how your NPS score stacks up against competitors or industry leaders.

However, the crucial thing to remember is, there exists no perfect NPS score – realistically, a business will likely have passives and detractors. The score can also vary by sector, geography, and customer expectations.
For instance, industries with traditionally low NPS scores, such as cable companies, may have lower benchmarks compared to sectors with historically high NPS scores, like hospitality.

A healthy approach would be to aim for positive NPS numbers compared to the standards of your industry.

While there is no universal benchmark for a “good” NPS score, the scale typically ranges from -100 to +100. (Although NPS hardly ever reaches those extremes).

You can categorize your Net Promoter Score as:

• Below 0 – This is a negative score. Scores below zero indicate a predominance of detractors. Your customers are not happy and may spread negative word-of-mouth. You must pay immediate attention to address their concerns and improve their experience.
• 0 to 30 – The score is still quite low and indicates a higher presence of passives – customers who are neutral and may easily switch to competitors. If your NPS falls in this range, it’s high time to identify areas for improvement and convert these passives into promoters.
• Above 30 – Scores above 30 signify a significant presence of promoters – customers who are highly satisfied and willing to advocate for your brand. A higher concentration of promoters is a strong indicator of customer loyalty and the potential for organic business growth.

However, remember that NPS scores should not be viewed in isolation. It’s equally important to analyze the qualitative feedback received through open-ended survey questions to gain deeper insights into customer perceptions and identify actionable areas for improvement.

Read More: What Is a Good Net Promoter Score?

Tips to Improve Your Net Promoter Score

Achieving a higher Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a common goal for businesses seeking to enhance customer loyalty and drive growth. Fortunately, there are several strategies you can employ to improve your NPS and create a positive impact on customer perceptions. Let’s explore some effective tactics that can help you elevate your NPS and foster stronger customer relationships.

• Understand Customer Feedback
  Take time to thoroughly analyze customer feedback gathered through NPS surveys. Look for patterns, identify common pain points, and pay attention to specific suggestions or concerns. By understanding customer sentiments, you can pinpoint areas that require improvement and develop targeted strategies to address them.
• Prioritize Customer Experience
  Place customer experience at the core of your business strategy. Ensure that every interaction customers have with your brand is seamless, personalized, and memorable. Use sentiment analysis to know how your clients feel about your brand, product, or service. Focus on delivering exceptional service, providing timely responses to inquiries or issues, and creating a positive emotional connection with your customers.
• Act on Feedback
  When customers share feedback, it’s crucial to take swift action. Address their concerns promptly, resolve issues effectively, and demonstrate your commitment to their satisfaction. By actively responding to feedback and implementing changes based on customer input, you show customers that their opinions matter and that you value their loyalty.
• Train and Empower Your Team
  Equip your team with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver outstanding customer experiences. Provide training on active listening, empathy, and problem-solving. Empower your employees to make decisions that prioritize customer satisfaction and encourage them to go the extra mile to exceed customer expectations.
• Personalize Interactions
  Tailor your customer interactions based on their preferences and history with your brand. Leverage customer data to create personalized experiences, whether it’s through personalized email campaigns, targeted offers, or customized recommendations. Customers appreciate the feeling of being understood and valued as individuals.
• Foster a Customer-Centric Culture
  Instill a customer-centric mindset throughout your organization. Make customer satisfaction and loyalty a shared responsibility among all employees, from frontline staff to top-level executives. Encourage cross-functional collaboration to improve the end-to-end customer journey and nurture a culture that consistently puts customers first.
• Innovate and Evolve
  Continuously seek ways to innovate and differentiate yourself in the market. Stay updated on industry trends, invest in research and development, and consistently introduce new features, products, or services that align with your customers’ evolving needs and desires. By staying ahead of the curve, you can attract and retain loyal customers.
• Engage with Promoters
  Identify your loyal promoters and engage with them further. Leverage their positive experiences to amplify your brand through testimonials, case studies, or customer success stories. Encourage them to refer friends or colleagues and reward them for their advocacy. Building a community of brand advocates can have a significant impact on your NPS.

5 Best NPS Tools for 2023

Here is a comprehensive list of the 5 best tools that will help you create, share, and monitor your NPS:

1. ProProfs Survey Maker

Hailed as one of the best in the market, ProProfs Survey is a robust online survey platform designed to simplify the process of creating and deploying surveys. With a user-friendly interface and analytical prowess, it empowers businesses to gather valuable insights and make data-driven decisions in a matter of minutes.

The tool offers a host of powerful survey features, such as advanced survey logic, 100+ templates, automated analytics, and widespread integrations to make the survey deployment process even easier.

Top Features of ProProfs Survey Maker
Craft visually stunning surveys in minutes using 100+ customizable templates and question types.

• Easily distribute surveys via email, social media, and links, or embed them on websites to reach your target audience effortlessly.
• Engage respondents with skip logic, branching, and scoring options, tailoring the survey experience based on individual responses.
• Gain instant access to comprehensive survey reports, allowing you to analyze data, identify trends, and make informed business decisions.
• Connect ProProfs Survey with popular tools like Salesforce, Mailchimp, and more, streamlining your workflow and enhancing productivity.

2. Qualaroo

Qualaroo is another cutting-edge user feedback and survey tool crafted to empower businesses with unparalleled customer insights. Its intuitive interface and an array of advanced features let you launch a survey in minutes, and the findings on an advanced analytical dashboard uncover invaluable data with just a few clicks, enabling you to enhance user experience and fuel substantial business growth.

Top Features of Qualaroo

• Seamlessly connect with website visitors through strategically targeted surveys, capturing their thoughts and opinions at crucial touchpoints.
• Dive deep into user behavior by triggering surveys based on specific actions, such as scroll depth, click patterns, or exit intent, to gain nuanced insights.
• Harness the power of advanced targeting capabilities to tailor survey experiences to distinct user segments, delivering a personalized touch that resonates.
• Delve into comprehensive analytics and reporting tools that dissect survey responses, highlight trends, and equip you with the knowledge to drive informed decision-making.
• Integrate effortlessly with your existing technology stack, including CRM systems, analytics platforms, and marketing automation tools, amplifying your productivity and streamlining workflows.

3. Delighted

Delighted’s NPS software provides businesses with a comprehensive solution for running an NPS survey program. The greatest advantage lies in its ability to distribute surveys through various channels in 30+ languages, ensuring a global reach.

Whether you’re surveying customers or employees, you can choose to personalize the survey questions to fit your specific needs. Additionally, you have the option to use open-ended follow-up questions to uncover the underlying reasons behind their ratings.

This allows businesses to truly understand their audience and make informed decisions based on customer and employee feedback.

Top Features of Delighted

• Seamlessly collect customer feedback through surveys across various channels, including email, web, and SMS, to gain a holistic view of customer sentiment.
• Gain instant access to real-time, actionable insights with visually engaging dashboards and reports, allowing you to monitor satisfaction trends and make data-driven decisions.
• Tailor surveys to your brand’s unique needs by customizing question formats, branding elements, and language to create a personalized experience for your customers.
• Automate follow-up actions based on survey responses, triggering workflows such as alerts, notifications, and ticket creation to ensure timely resolution of customer issues.
• Integrate Delighted CSAT with popular tools like Zendesk, Slack, and Salesforce, enabling effortless data synchronization and enhancing your customer support operations.

4. Survicate

Survicate is a powerful customer insights tool that empowers businesses to truly understand their customers and optimize their strategies accordingly. The tool enables you to effortlessly capture and review survey responses, including those left incomplete by respondents.

With Survicate, you have full control over customization and branding. Personalize your surveys by adding your company logo, selecting unique colors, and utilizing custom CSS to create visually appealing survey experiences!

Top Features of Survicate

• Engage with your audience through targeted surveys, feedback widgets, and on-site surveys to capture valuable insights that drive meaningful improvements.
• Customize surveys with ease using drag-and-drop functionality, allowing you to create visually appealing and interactive surveys that align with your brand identity.
• Effortlessly target specific audience segments and trigger surveys based on user behavior with advanced targeting and triggering, ensuring you collect feedback at the right time and from the right people.
• Dive into comprehensive analytics and reporting tools to analyze survey responses, uncover patterns, and gain deep insights into customer preferences, needs, and pain points.
• Integrate Survicate with popular platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Google Analytics to enrich your existing data and streamline workflows.

5. Hotjar

Hotjar is yet another efficient survey tool that lets users easily distribute NPS surveys on their website or via email. It enables you to gauge the likelihood of a customer recommending your products, services, or brand through precise NPS survey results.

With Hotjar, you have the flexibility to ask follow-up questions based on your respondents’ initial feedback, gathering deeper and more valuable insights.

Moreover, you can track NPS trends over specific timeframes, such as 30 days, 90 days, or 12 months, according to your specific needs.

Top Features of Hotjar

• Visualize user interactions through heatmaps, session recordings, and conversion funnels to see exactly how visitors navigate and engage with your website.
• Understand user feedback through customizable surveys and feedback polls, gaining valuable insights into user preferences, needs, and pain points along the way.
  .
  Identify conversion bottlenecks with form analytics and funnel visualizations, pinpointing areas of improvement to optimize your conversion rates.
• Analyze user behavior by segmenting visitors based on specific actions, such as clicks, scroll depth, or time spent on a page, providing you with targeted insights for tailored optimizations.
• Collaborate with your team by sharing and analyzing user feedback and recordings, fostering a collaborative environment for data-driven decision-making.

Enhance Loyalty with a Robust Feedback System

Although conceptualized a decade ago, NPS still remains to be one of the most reliable ways to measure your customer loyalty and, to an extent, your brand performance. If used correctly, NPS surveys are a powerful tool that can revolutionize your understanding of customer happiness and drive business growth.
Launching a robust NPS survey program can become the quickest way to know ‘why’ your users are making the decisions they are making, where you are falling short, and what aspect of your brand you should focus on the most.

Aided by an intuitive tool like ProProfs Survey Maker, the chances of your NPS surveys being a success improves exponentially, as it not just lets you craft your survey questions with a free-flowing creativity, but analyzes the results like a pro using one of the most advanced technologies available as well!

So, on a scale of 1 to 5, how willing are you to recommend us to your peers?
Use the trial version and tell us here!