Customers are the lifeblood of any company. Without customers, there is no money, and without money there is no company. This is the same for a business to business (B2B) company as it is to a direct to consumer company (D2C) as it is for a company most customers don’t even want to use (think garbage companies). Each one does not exist without their customers, this is why they use feedback surveys.

Why Do Companies Request Feedback?

Assuming the statement above is true: customers are the lifeblood of any company, they should (not all do) care what customers think about their goods or services. In my experience working in service departments my entire career, the quickest and easiest way to request feedback from customers is to send a feedback survey. In this day, with technology, it is easy to solicit feedback from customers.

What is the NPS Methodology?

The NPS score is the most commonly used method of collecting customer feedback. It usually consists of two parts:

1. A question asking about how likely you are to recommend this company to a friend or colleague, where the answerer can choose a number from 1 to 10. This is the heart of the NPS score.
2. An open text question asking for more details.

Occasionally there will be more questions, but this is really the substance of the NPS score.

Once all the feedback surveys have been gathered or a time period has been set, each response will be placed in one of three categories based on the number they provided in part 1:

• 1–6 are detractors and are considered people who dislike the offering
• 7–8 are passives and are indifferent to the offering
• 9–10 are promoters and enjoy the offering and are also likely to be cheerleaders for the company

To calculate the company’s NPS score, take the % of promoters and subtract the % of detractors (NPS Score = % promoters — % of detractors).

Different companies make take different actions based on the response. For example, for a detractor, someone from the company may reach out to gather more feedback. Or for a promoter, they may be asked to leave a review.

What Is A Good NPS score For a Company?

A NPS score of 100 is nearly impossible to obtain. Bain & Company, the creators of the NPS score, suggest that anything about 0 is good, above 20 is favorable, and above 80 is world class.

Some companies will boast about their NPS score while other’s are quiet about it, so even after answering, it may not be clear what other customers think of that company.

Why I Answer All Company Feedback Survey Sent To Me

Having been closely tied to feedback and feedback surveys during my career, I have come to understand, people will tell you when they are not happy, but it is much rarer for them to tell you when they are happy. I have made a point to do both.

With any and all feedback, they are likely to know if they are on the right track or need to pivot. If a company is doing well, but they are not being told they are doing well, it is possible they do a pivot in a direction that is less beneficially for you.

Depending on how I truly feel about the product, I decide if I am a promoter, passive, or, in the rare case, a detractor, and provide my feedback in the feedback survey appropriately.