NPS Survey Questions: The Question + Follow-ups

NPS survey questions are a powerful tool for gauging customer loyalty and satisfaction. At the heart of any NPS (Net Promoter Score) survey is a simple question: “How likely are you to recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague?” But to get the most out of your NPS survey, you need to understand how to ask the right follow-up questions and how to interpret the results. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about NPS survey questions, including how to run them using OXPoll’s free poll maker.

The Core NPS Question

The standard NPS question is straightforward: “How likely are you to recommend [Company/Product/Service] to a friend or colleague?” Respondents answer on a scale from 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely). Based on their responses, customers are categorized as:

• Promoters (9-10): Loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others.
• Passives (7-8): Satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competitive offerings.
• Detractors (0-6): Unhappy customers who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.

The NPS is then calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. For example, if 60% of respondents are Promoters and 20% are Detractors, your NPS would be 40.

Essential Open-Ended Follow-Up

While the numerical score provides a quick snapshot, the real insights come from the follow-up question: “What’s the main reason for your score?” This open-ended question allows customers to explain their rating in their own words, providing valuable qualitative data that can help you understand the drivers of customer loyalty and dissatisfaction.

Variations of NPS Survey Questions

There are two main types of NPS surveys:

• Relational NPS: Measures overall sentiment about your company or brand. Example: “How likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?”
• Transactional NPS: Gauges satisfaction with a specific interaction or transaction. Example: “How likely are you to recommend our customer service to a friend or colleague based on your most recent experience?”

You can find more survey questions examples to tailor your NPS survey to your specific needs.

Good Placement and Timing

The timing and placement of your NPS survey can significantly impact the quality of the responses. Here are some tips:

• For relational NPS, send the survey at regular intervals (e.g., quarterly or annually).
• For transactional NPS, send the survey shortly after a specific interaction (e.g., after a purchase or customer service call).
• Consider using email, in-app pop-ups, or SMS to distribute your survey, depending on your audience and the nature of your business.

What NPS Does and Doesn’t Tell You

While NPS is a valuable metric for measuring customer loyalty, it doesn’t provide a complete picture of customer satisfaction. It doesn’t capture specific issues or areas for improvement, nor does it account for factors like price sensitivity or competitor actions. To get a fuller understanding, consider supplementing your NPS survey with additional poll vs survey questions.

Turning These into a Real Poll with OXPoll

Creating an NPS survey with OXPoll is quick and easy. Simply visit the OXPoll poll maker, enter your questions, customize the design, and share your survey with your audience. OXPoll’s intuitive interface makes it simple to set up and analyze your results, so you can focus on taking action based on the feedback you receive.

How to calculate your NPS (worked example)

To calculate your Net Promoter Score (NPS), follow these steps:

1. Collect Responses: Gather all responses from your NPS survey. Responses are typically on a scale from 0 to 10.
2. Segment Respondents: Divide the respondents into three categories:
   • Promoters (score 9-10): Loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others.
   • Passives (score 7-8): Satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competitive offerings.
   • Detractors (score 0-6): Unhappy customers who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.
3. Calculate the Percentage: Determine the percentage of respondents in each category. For example, if you have 100 responses:
   • Promoters: 60 (60%)
   • Passives: 20 (20%)
   • Detractors: 20 (20%)
4. Calculate the NPS: Subtract the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. Using the example above:

   NPS = 60% (Promoters) – 20% (Detractors) = 40

Your NPS can range from -100 (all Detractors) to +100 (all Promoters).

Good follow-up questions by score

After collecting the NPS score, it’s important to ask follow-up questions to understand the reasons behind the score. Here are some suggestions:

For Promoters (score 9-10)

• What is the main reason you gave us such a high score?
• What do we do that you love the most?
• How can we make your experience even better?
• Would you recommend us to your friends or colleagues? Why?

For Passives (score 7-8)

• What did you like about your experience with us?
• What can we improve to make your experience better?
• What would make you more likely to recommend us to others?
• Is there anything specific that nearly made you give us a higher score?

For Detractors (score 0-6)

• What is the primary reason for your low score?
• What can we do to improve your experience?
• What specific issues did you encounter?
• Is there anything we could have done differently?
• Would you consider giving us another chance in the future? Why or why not?

When to send it

Timing is crucial when sending out NPS surveys. Here are some guidelines:

• After a Purchase: Send the survey a few days after the customer has received their product or service to ensure they have had time to experience it fully.
• After Customer Support Interaction: If a customer has interacted with your support team, send the survey after the issue has been resolved to gauge their satisfaction with the service.
• Regular Intervals: For ongoing services, consider sending the survey at regular intervals, such as quarterly or annually, to track changes in customer sentiment over time.
• After Events or Webinars: If you host events or webinars, send the survey a day or two after the event to capture immediate feedback while the experience is still fresh in the attendees’ minds.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate NPS?

NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. For example, if 60% of respondents are Promoters and 20% are Detractors, your NPS would be 40.

What is a good NPS score?

An NPS score above 0 is considered good, above 50 is excellent, and above 70 is world-class. However, what constitutes a “good” score can vary by industry.

How often should I send an NPS survey?

For relational NPS, quarterly or annually is common. For transactional NPS, send the survey shortly after a specific interaction.

Can I customize the NPS question?

Yes, while the standard NPS question is “How likely are you to recommend [Company/Product/Service] to a friend or colleague?”, you can tailor the question to better fit your needs.

What are some good follow-up questions?

Some good follow-up questions include “What’s the main reason for your score?”, “What can we do to improve your experience?”, and “What do you like most about our product/service?”.