What are good NPS questions?
Written by Support EXP
“What are good NPS questions?” is a bit of a trick question – there really is only ONE Net Promoter Score (NPS)® question: On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?
Its simplicity is one of the main reasons for its popularity. When Fred Reichheld introduced it in 2003, Harvard Business Review billed it as “The One Number You Need to Grow.” It was expanded in the book, The Ultimate Question. It has since grown to become one of the most commonly used metrics for businesses to measure and evaluate their customer experience.
But even Reichheld has acknowledged its limitations as a predictor of customer loyalty when applied as a single question. For example, NPS measures a customer’s attitude at a given point in time, not actual customer behavior. Those administering the survey have also learned to “game the system” by biasing customer responses, skewing the results.
To address these (and other) shortcomings, Reichheld’s most recent book, Winning with Purpose, introduces a complementary metric – earned growth rate – intended to capture the actual revenue growth generated by returning customers and their referrals.
So to get an accurate view of your customers, NPS is just a starting point.
Key Takeaways:
- Implement customer feedback to bring your customers closer to you and establish loyalty.
- Ask NPS questions right after a customer interaction.
Collect metrics that will help strengthen customer relationships.
How Do I Make a Good NPS Survey?
Making a good NPS survey to accurately measure customer experience can be like trying to “nail Jell-o to the wall.” That’s why businesses have been looking for a way to quantify the measurement of it.
The whole point of gathering customer feedback is to bring your customers closer to you, to create loyalty that keeps your customers doing business with you and telling others about you. So you need to ask “why” to make the data actionable.
Knowing a customer is not willing to recommend your bank or credit union does not tell you what underlying issues need to be addressed. There is little point in asking customers for their views unless you are able to act upon the feedback you receive. But how can you take action without first knowing the cause of your customers’ opinion of you?
When Should I Ask an NPS Question?
The best time to ask an NPS question is after a customer interaction, such as a routine account transaction or an application for a new loan. Experiences generate emotions, and the stronger the emotion the longer the memory of the experience tends to stay with you. Of course, a customer experience that generates an experience can be either good or bad. But if you want a clear picture of your customers, you want an honest response.
When the customer’s experience is fresh, they have a clearer memory of the event and will be able to more accurately share their emotions and responses with you.
How Many Questions Can an NPS Survey Have?
Even though there is technically only one NPS question, the more customer information you can get to explain the response to that question can only give you a clearer picture of your customer. To that end, what might be even more important for understanding your customers is knowing how to get a good NPS response rate.
But you don’t want to overwhelm the customer with survey questions. With consumers receiving surveys from so many businesses these days, you should be conscious of “survey fatigue.”
Keep in mind that it is not necessary to survey all of your customers at the same time. To ensure a steady flow of customer feedback, a phased approach is recommended. For example, send surveys to a quarter of your customer base every three months.
It should be clear that NPS is only a starting point. You need more than a diagnostic of customer sentiment to change your culture. It’s not enough for your customers to say they will or will not recommend you, or that they do or don’t like you.
You need metrics that give you the intel you need to change the behaviors that build strong customer relationships. And relationships are the most important contributor to your growth and long-term success.
If you need help building strong relationships at your credit union or bank, we have the solutions, the experience, and the know-how to get you to your goals.
Have More Questions? Reach Out to Our Team Of Experts
Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.