The NPS, or Net Promoter Score, was created in 2003 by a scientific article by Frederick F. Reichheld. It was effectively conceived and put into practice shortly afterwards with the conception of the book “The Ultimate Question”. This research methodology can be used in practically any type of business and by any organization, as it only depends on one parameter for its main calculation, customer feedback. Because it mostly only considers this parameter for its calculation, the existence of customer feedback is completely necessary for NPS to work effectively and correctly.
This customer feedback comes in the form of the famous question that you may have seen thousands of times in the most diverse establishments around the world: “From 0 to 10, how much would you recommend/rate your experience?” It is through this question that the entire method is created, so the existence of customer feedback is necessary for the NPS, practically like a qualitative-quantitative survey, in which you use a mass response that can be answered simply, accompanied by a more detailed response in cases of negative evaluations.
But there’s no point in just asking this question without analyzing the results or classifying customers. Customers who voted negatively tend to be more critical of the organization and will probably no longer do business unless changes are implemented, while customers with neutral scores don’t have an opinion of the organization yet and can become retractors or promoters, which is the category of customer who has a good experience with the company and tends to be more positive in relations. With a correct analysis of this data together with other factors, it is possible to identify weaknesses and strengths in the organization, making actions proactive rather than reactive, in other words, collecting customer feedback correctly so that the NPS can act in the right way.
Turning promoter customers, those who have good experiences and are more tempted to speak positively of the organization, into brand influencers and as the main audience for feedback before implementing changes can be a positive factor in the long term.
Regardless of how you choose to use the results you receive through the NPS, it is always important to remember that customer feedback is essential for the Net Promoter Score to work properly and for you to get the information you want.