How to Measure NPS through an Online Survey: A Step-by-step guide for Small and medium-sized businesses

The customer does not leave suddenly, usually there are signals before that: there are fewer repeat purchases, support calls sound sharper, reviews deteriorate, almost no recommendations come. The problem is that these signs are noticed too late, when some of the customers have already switched to competitors.

NPS helps to see the attitude of customers before the dissatisfaction begins. This is a simple metric that shows whether customers are willing to recommend the company to other people. If you measure it regularly and analyze the answers, you can understand where the service, product, delivery, communication, or the work of managers is sagging.

What is NPS and why do large companies trust it?

NPS, or Net Promoter Score, was invented in 2003 by Bain consultant & The Fred Reicheld company. The methodology was based on one observation: willingness to recommend a company to a friend or colleague can more accurately show the quality of a relationship with a client than regular satisfaction surveys.

Today, NPS is used by large international companies, but the metric itself does not require a complex analytical system. There is only one question at the heart: "How likely is it that you will recommend our company to a friend or colleague?" The answer helps to divide customers into loyal, neutral and dissatisfied.

It is important to understand that NPS alone does not increase sales. This is an indicator that shows where a business is at risk of losing customers and where strong loyalty has already been formed. The benefits appear only when the company does not just collect estimates, but analyzes the causes and changes the processes.

How is NPS considered

The respondent is asked the question: "How likely is it that you will recommend our company to a friend or colleague?" The score is set on a scale from 0 to 10.

The answers are divided into three groups:

1. Promoters, 9-10 points. These are loyal customers who are satisfied with the experience and can recommend the company to others.
2. Neutrals, 7-8 points. They are generally satisfied, but they are not tied to the brand and will easily leave for a competitor with a better offer.
3. Detractors, 0-6 points. These are dissatisfied customers. They may stop buying, leave a negative review, or dissuade others from contacting the company.

The formula is simple: the percentage of detractors is subtracted from the percentage of promoters. The final number from -100 to 100 is the NPS.

Why should a small business do this?

A small company needs NPS for quick management decisions. In small and medium-sized businesses, the distance between the customer and the owner is shorter, so feedback can be turned into action faster: fix the manager's script, change the delivery terms, refine the service, and find a weak spot in the customer's path.

There are several reasons to measure NPS regularly:

• It is usually cheaper to retain a client than to attract a new one;
• promoters help you get recommendations without additional advertising costs.;
• detractors show problems that might otherwise remain inside individual correspondence, calls, and reviews.;
• The dynamics of NPS helps you understand whether the customer experience is improving or deteriorating.

The main thing is not to limit yourself to the average score. If the NPS has decreased, you need to look at comments, segments, and specific reasons for dissatisfaction.

Typical errors in the formulation and launch of an NPS survey

Mistake 1. The question does not sound like the original

"Rate our work from 1 to 10" is not an NPS, but a regular satisfaction survey. In the methodology, it is important to formulate a recommendation to a friend or colleague. It is she who shows not just satisfaction, but a willingness to associate her reputation with the company.

Error 2. There is no way to explain the assessment

One number doesn't help you make a decision. If the customer has set 4, it is important to understand the reason: the manager failed him, the deadlines were not satisfied, there was a problem with the product, or the expectations were initially different.

Therefore, an open question is needed after the assessment. For example: "What was the main reason for such an assessment?" Comments turn NPS from an abstract metric into a working tool.

Error 3. The survey is sent too often or at the wrong time.

If you ask the client after each small action, he will stop responding. The relative NPS, which measures attitudes towards the brand as a whole, is usually launched quarterly or semi-annually. The transactional NPS is linked to a specific event: purchase, delivery, closing of the application, completion of the service.

Error 4. All clients are included in the same sample

A new customer and a regular customer with a five-year history evaluate the company from different points of experience. If you mix their answers, the average can hide the problem.

It is better to divide the answers into segments: new and regular customers, different tariffs, service areas, cities, managers, channels of attraction. This makes it easier to understand exactly where the discontent arises.

Mistake 5. The company does not respond to detractors

If you just collect low scores and do nothing, then nothing will change. The client took the time to explain the problem and got no reaction. After that, trust may decrease even more.

It is important to close the cycle with detractors: contact them quickly, clarify details, propose a solution and fix the cause in the system. Then NPS becomes not just a survey, but a part of the customer service.

Frequency and timing: when to send the survey

For relative NPS, quarterly or semi-annual mailing to regular customers is suitable. Such a survey shows the general dynamics of attitudes towards the company.

For transactional NPS, the moment of contact is more important:

• in e-commerce, a few days after delivery, when the customer has already evaluated the product.;
• in services - after completion of work;
• in the service support - after the request is closed;
• in products with a subscription, it is 2-4 weeks after the launch, when the customer has their first experience.

Both approaches can be combined. Transactional NPS shows problems at specific stages, while relative NPS helps to see the overall attitude towards the brand.

How to launch an NPS survey in QForm

• You can create an NPS survey in QForm without developing a separate analytical system. Create a form with a score on a scale from 0 to 10 and add an open question so that the client can explain his choice. This way you will get not only the final score, but also the reasons behind the scores.
• Use conditional logic to avoid asking everyone the same clarifying questions. Detractors can be shown the question of what exactly did not suit them. Neutrals - what prevented them from giving a higher rating. The promoters - what they liked the most. This structure helps to collect more accurate answers and not overload the client with unnecessary fields.
• The answers will be stored in the personal account of QForm. They can be viewed, filtered, and uploaded for further analysis. If the form uses hidden fields, UTM tags, or other parameters, the responses can be sorted into segments: attraction channel, service, city, manager, or customer type.
• Set up notifications for quick response. For example, so that the manager immediately receives a message if the client has given a low rating. This helps to contact the detractor faster, understand the situation and not leave negative experiences unanswered.
• QForm can also be linked to CRM and other services through integrations, APIs, or webhooks. In this case, the responses from the NPS survey will get into the company's work systems, and the team will be able to process feedback in the usual process.

Conclusion

NPS is useful only when the company measures it regularly and responds to the results. Correct question formulation, open commentary, segmentation of responses, and quick contact with detractors turn a simple assessment into a customer retention tool.

Small and medium-sized businesses do not need a separate analytical department for this. In QForm, you can create a form, configure the logic of questions, receive notifications about low grades, analyze responses, and send data to CRM. This way, NPS becomes part of the daily work with the customer experience, rather than a one-time figure in the report.