It goes without saying that you want your customers to be happy with your brand and your business. You’re striving to be better and deliver better experiences, every day.
But if you don’t know where your customers stand, it’s hard to make improvements. So what’s a good way to measure customer experience?
That’s where a Net Promoter Score (NPS) can help. And luckily, there are some pretty simple ways you can track and improve on this score.
Read on for how you can help level up your NPS by crafting an impactful NPS survey.
What is an NPS survey?
An NPS measures customer loyalty by one simple metric: how likely a customer is to recommend you to others. This magic number is crucial for helping businesses that want to turn indifferent customers into loyal brand advocates.
How do you figure out your NPS? With an NPS survey, of course.
With an NPS survey you can measure customer satisfaction about a lot of things. This includes individual products and services, company stores, and web pages. It’s also handy for post-purchase customer feedback and long-term customer loyalty tracking.
These surveys usually measure customer satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10. That way, it’s easy to group customers who respond into these three categories:
- Detractors (scoring 0-6) are dissatisfied customers who could hurt your brand through negative word-of-mouth.
- Passives (scoring 7-8) are satisfied but not particularly loyal, and not as likely to recommend your products or services.
- Promoters (scoring 9-10) are your loyal die-hards who are likelier to spread the good word about your brand.
To calculate your NPS, you must subtract the percentage of detractors from the total percentage of promoters in your survey. Your score will fall between -100 to 100.
4 steps to a successful NPS survey
To start building your NPS questionnaire, follow these four simple steps below.
1. Introduce the issue
A simple but important first step. Make sure you explain to the customer why their feedback matters.
In this step, you’re building trust and showing that their input can drive change.
Here’s how to do it:
- Keep your introduction short and genuine. For example: “We’re always looking to improve, and your feedback helps us deliver the best experience possible. Thank you for taking a moment to share your thoughts!”
- If relevant, let customers know how their feedback will be used. For instance: “Your input will help shape the next version of our product!”
A personal touch goes a long way in making customers feel heard.
2. Ask your core NPS question
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is all about understanding customer loyalty and advocacy. The cornerstone of your survey is the tried-and-true question:
“How likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?”
It’s simple, straightforward, and easy for people to answer quickly. This means that you’re more likely to maximize your NPS survey response rate and gain a clear picture of where your customers stand.
You can tweak this question slightly for your audience, but no need to reinvent the wheel.
3. Follow up with additional NPS questions
Your core NPS question tells you how a customer feels, but follow-up questions help uncover the why.
Use open-ended or multiple-choice questions for the best results here. Consider these examples below and tailor them to suit your needs:
Open-ended:
- “What’s the main reason for your score?”
- “Please tell us why you gave that rating.”
Product-focused:
- “What feature do you value most in our product?”
- “How do you benefit from using our product?”
- “What problem are you trying to solve with our product?”
Service-oriented:
- “How can we improve your experience with us?”
- “What’s one thing we could do to make you happier?”
- “What was missing or left out from your experience with us?”
Need some sample NPS survey questions to help you get started? With KNO, you can access a bank of 200+ sample survey questions that you can download for free.
4. Say thank you!
A little courtesy never hurt anyone. Remember to thank your customers for taking the time to complete your survey, no matter how short.
A simple message like “Thanks for your feedback!” is fine, but you can further personalize it. For example:
- Promoters (9–10): “Thank you for your support! We’re thrilled you love our product.”
- Passives (7–8): “Thanks for your feedback. We’d love to learn how to turn that 8 into a 10!”
- Detractors (0–6): “We’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations. Your feedback helps us improve, and we’ll work hard to do better.”
Offer next steps: Let customers know how their feedback contributes to change. For instance:
“We’ll review responses this month to identify improvements for [specific product/service]. Stay tuned for updates!”
For example, you can let detractors know you value all feedback from your customers, whether positive or negative.
Post-survey tips for continued success
So, you’ve finished your survey and got some great feedback. You must be done now, right?
Not quite!
Here are some quick tips to take what you’ve learned and apply it to future surveys for even greater success.
- Refresh your survey regularly: Your customers’ needs are constantly changing. This means you need to update your NPS questionnaire accordingly. Make sure to keep it fresh.
- Benchmark your score: Do you know how your NPS compares to industry averages? Make sure to track your NPS score over time to determine improvement.
- Share your results: Good or bad, don’t sit on any of your survey results without sharing with your team. By having open and honest conversations, you can help drive continuous improvement.
Get started with KNO’s NPS survey templates and sample questions
We know you’re busy, so we’ve made it even easier to create your next NPS survey in minutes.
We have a library of survey templates, including NPS, for you to use with any KNO plan, and you can start right here.
And remember to check out our question bank filled with sample NPS survey questions.
We’ve got you covered.