Step 2: Deploy
In my previous post I made a case for using the simple NPS measure of customer loyalty. With that behind you, now you need to engage with your customers to collect feedback. Deploying a NPS survey is a simple way to generate plenty of feedback.
The Survey
The most pure form of the Net Promoter approach uses a simple, two-question survey. It asks customers the Ultimate Question and also a follow up, open-ended question “Why did you respond that way.”
Now, your data scientist roommate will spend an hour telling you why this is an overly simplistic way to measure, and they would be right. However, the simplicity is what is so incredibly appealing. NPS is expressed in a language and calculations that are easy to understand, it is used across industries and it gets you data quickly.
Timing
The timing of the survey is important.
A transactional survey is deployed shortly after an engagement with your company - a sales event, service event, contact centre engagement etc. - and is heavily weighted to that most recent transaction.
A relational survey is sent out rarely, perhaps annually, and it is used to evaluate the ongoing relationship customers have with your brand, regardless of whether or not they have had a recent interaction.
Recognize that the amount of time since the last event can influence the responses significantly. The NPS can erode by as much as 20 - 30 points just weeks after a successful service event. The implications include;
Keep in touch with your customers to reset their impression of your brand, and
Deliver promotional offers when NPS is at its peak, not a valley.
Sample Size
Aim to capture a significant number of customers on an ongoing basis in order to feed your improvement efforts with real-time current data. There are textbooks written on this subject, but my advice is to use as large a sample as is practical. By integrating an NPS survey into your transactional processes, it is easy and cost-effective to sample almost everyone!
Be careful when you are analyzing the data and splitting it up into categories. As the sample sizes in those categories get smaller, the reliability of the sample decreases. However, great ideas can come from just one response! Be sure to explore the verbatim comments to learn what customers are truly looking for, expressed in their own words.
Method
Measuring Cx using e-mail and other digital can facilitate high volumes of feedback in a short period of time at a very low cost.
Today, there are many Customer Experience Management (CEM) tools that can manage your customer engagement surveys, track responses and scores and analyze data for you at scale to track and measure your customer journeys. I’d save those for when you have the basics in place and start by dedicating a good analyst to quickly get your program off the ground.
We can help
Chapman Management Solutions has deployed Cx measurement models at large and small B2C and B2B businesses. We can help you to implement a simplified approach to get actionable insights quickly. That’s how you create a Magical Customer Experience that will deliver long-term, sustainable growth.
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