Why Your NPS Score Isn’t Telling You What You Think It Is
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) has become the go-to feedback mechanism for many businesses. On paper, it’s simple: ask your customers, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our business to a friend or colleague?” Then, use the data to calculate a single number that reflects customer sentiment.
But here’s the issue: the NPS score can feel more like an illusion of progress than a meaningful metric. Sure, it’s satisfying to send out a survey and collect responses, but what actionable insight are you really gaining?
The Problem with NPS
The NPS score often stops at surface-level data. Let’s say most of your customers give you a 7 or 8. What does that really tell you about their experience? When businesses ask the follow-up question, “Why did you give this score?” the answers often lack depth or actionable feedback. People aren’t always able—or willing—to articulate their feelings in a way that helps you improve your product or service.
And what about the question itself? It’s convoluted. Customers might hesitate to recommend you for reasons unrelated to their satisfaction. For example, maybe your service is niche, and most of their friends wouldn’t need it. Does that mean you’re failing?
A Better Question to Ask
Instead of relying on NPS, consider asking this straightforward question:
“Knowing what you know now, would you buy this product or service again?”
It’s a yes-or-no question that gets straight to the heart of customer satisfaction. It eliminates ambiguity and opens the door to meaningful follow-ups:
- If yes, why?
- If no, why not?
This approach works especially well for membership sites, courses, and service-based businesses. It helps you understand if there’s a gap between what you promised in your marketing and what your customers actually experienced.
Building a Better Feedback Loop
Here’s where the magic happens: this kind of feedback isn’t just a one-time activity. It’s part of a continuous improvement cycle—the foundation of an agile mindset. Instead of collecting data for data’s sake, you’re creating a system where feedback leads to action:
- Ask Better Questions: Focus on actionable insights.
- Analyze Trends: Look for patterns in the responses.
- Refine and Improve: Use the feedback to make small, meaningful changes—whether it’s tweaking your sales copy or enhancing your onboarding process.
This iterative process, often referred to as a feedback loop, is how you make your product or service 1% better every day.
Why This Matters
Exceptional customer experiences are built on trust and alignment. When your customers feel like they’re getting exactly what they signed up for—or more—they stick around longer. That means higher lifetime value, lower refund rates, and a more sustainable business model.
So ditch the illusion of progress that comes with NPS and embrace a smarter, more agile way of listening to your customers.