NPS detractors: 5 pro tips for turning critics into champions

Net Promoter Score (NPS®) measures customer satisfaction and loyalty based on one central question: "How likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?" This question provides valuable insight into your customers' sentiment toward your brand.

The NPS framework categorizes customers as promoters (rating of 9 or 10), passives (rating of 7 or 8), and detractors depending on their response to the main question. Promoters are brand advocates, while passives are neutral in their feedback.

Then there are your detractors, who rate their likelihood to recommend your business between 0 and 6. Pay special attention to this group; their dissatisfaction can significantly impact your business's growth if you don’t address it. 

Let’s explore what an NPS detractor is, why customers become detractors, and strategies for turning detractors into champions for your brand.

Related video: What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)? Top tips and common mistakes.

NPS detractors (respondents who give you a score of 0-6) are customers who are dissatisfied with your product or service and are unlikely to make a repeat purchase. They might even discourage their friends or colleagues from doing business with you. Detractors offer valuable insights into areas your business needs to improve, making them a crucial part of any customer experience (CX) strategy.

Understanding and addressing the concerns of your detractors is important for improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. Listening to the needs of your unhappiest customers requires humility, empathy, and sustained focus to make the necessary changes to change their perceptions. 

Businesses can win back detractors' trust and loyalty by actively engaging with them, addressing their concerns, and offering solutions. This approach will convert detractors into promoters and demonstrate your commitment to providing excellent service to other customers. 

Related: Net Promoter Score pros and cons: why use NPS

The first step to addressing your detractors is understanding why they are unhappy. Some of the most common reasons that customers become detractors include: 

Customers become detractors when their expectations are unmet due to misleading marketing or sales messaging, a lower-quality product, or a perceived lack of value in your product or service.

If your marketing efforts promise more than what your product or service can deliver, customers will feel deceived and disappointed in your brand for “duping” them into spending their money on a product that doesn’t live up to the hype. Delivering a product that fails to meet basic quality standards can cause customers to lose trust in your brand. Customers will likely be dissatisfied when their price does not reflect the value they received. 

Negative experiences can quickly turn customers into detractors. For example, customers expect to be treated with respect and courtesy. If a customer interacts with unfriendly or dismissive staff in a customer service context, it can leave a lasting negative impression. 

Additionally, long wait times, whether waiting in line, being on hold for customer service, or experiencing delays in service delivery, can be extremely frustrating experiences that can turn a customer into a detractor.

Impersonal interactions and generic service can further leave customers feeling undervalued and overlooked. Your customers should feel like your business understands their unique needs.  Generic responses that fail to acknowledge customers' individual needs and preferences can diminish their overall experience. 

Using customer data to tailor interactions and offers can significantly enhance the customer experience. Personalized recommendations, customized support, and acknowledging customer history can also make a big difference in how customers perceive your brand.

If customer concerns and feedback are ignored, it can worsen existing dissatisfaction. Failing to respond to customer complaints or taking too long to address them can make customers feel ignored and undervalued. Unresolved issues may lead to frustration and prompt customers to express their displeasure more widely. 

Timely and effective issue resolution is crucial to maintaining customer trust. Providing regular updates and confirming that the problem has been resolved to the customer’s satisfaction are essential for maintaining a positive relationship with your customers.

Customers expect the same level of service every time they interact with your brand. Creating a consistent experience is also key to maintaining customer satisfaction. Variations in service quality across different interactions or touchpoints can erode trust and loyalty. 

Gathering feedback is only useful if you act on it. Demonstrating that you listen to and address customer concerns can significantly improve satisfaction. Ignoring feedback can make customers feel that their opinions don't matter, leading to increased dissatisfaction. 

It’s important to communicate the changes you make based on customer feedback. Transparency about how their input is used can build trust and show that you value their contributions. By addressing these key areas, businesses can transform detractors into promoters, fostering a more satisfied and loyal satisfied customer base.

Related: Going beyond Net Promoter Score: why context matters

To identify NPS detractors, start by thoroughly reviewing the responses to your NPS surveys. Pay attention to respondents who give ratings between 0 and 6. These low scores suggest dissatisfaction and potential issues that require attention. By carefully analyzing these responses, you can identify specific aspects of your product or service that are causing dissatisfaction and focus on improving those areas.

After identifying the detractors, the next step is to analyze their feedback for trends and patterns. Look for common themes such as product quality, customer service, or pricing concerns. Quantify complaints to pinpoint the most urgent problems in need of attention. For instance, if multiple detractors mention long wait times for customer service, it indicates a need to streamline your support processes.

Monitoring your customer churn rate is another effective way to identify detractors. Customers who have stopped using your product or service may have done so due to dissatisfaction.

Use customer service surveys in tandem with your churn data. Surveys can reveal patterns of dissatisfaction that might not be evident from churn data alone. Analyzing churn data alongside NPS responses provides a more comprehensive view of customer sentiment.

Analyzing usage patterns and engagement metrics can help identify customers who have decreased their usage or engagement with your product or service. A sudden drop in usage or engagement may indicate dissatisfaction. By tracking these patterns, you can proactively reach out to these customers to understand their concerns and attempt to re-engage them before they decide to leave. This preemptive approach can help mitigate the impact of potential detractors.

Social media channels, review websites, and forums are valuable sources of customer feedback. Monitor these platforms to identify customers expressing negative sentiments about your brand. Negative reviews and social media posts can provide immediate and unfiltered insights into customer dissatisfaction. 

Actively engaging with these platforms allows your team to quickly address issues and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction, potentially turning negative experiences into positive ones.

Continuous monitoring of feedback channels helps identify new detractors. Setting up systems to review NPS surveys, social media mentions, review sites, and other feedback sources regularly is also important. Address detractors promptly and resolve their concerns. This feedback loop allows real-time adjustments and improvements to your services or products.

When responding to NPS detractors, acknowledge their feedback as the first step. Express gratitude for sharing their thoughts and validate their feelings. For example, say, "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We understand how frustrating this experience must have been for you, and we truly appreciate your honesty."

Let them know their concerns are heard, and their feedback is essential in helping your company improve. 

Take responsibility for your shortcomings to rebuild trust with detractors. Offer a sincere apology for any negative experiences or dissatisfaction they have encountered with your product or service. This shows accountability and a willingness to make amends. 

For example, you could say, "We apologize for the inconvenience and frustration caused. We acknowledge that our service did not meet your expectations and are committed to making things right." By owning up to the issue, you demonstrate that your company is dedicated to addressing and resolving problems.

After addressing the initial concerns, it's important to follow up with the detractor to ensure you’ve addressed their issues adequately. This step demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and shows that you take their feedback seriously.

Reach out to them after implementing solutions to check if their concerns have been addressed and if they are satisfied with the outcome. For example, you might say, "We wanted to follow up with you to ensure that our recent changes have resolved your issue. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we hope these adjustments have improved your experience with our service."

Personalizing your response to each detractor's specific feedback can significantly affect how your message is received. Address them by name whenever possible and tailor your response to their unique situation. Avoid generic responses, as they can come across as insincere. 

Demonstrate genuine empathy and understanding towards their situation. For example, instead of saying, "We are sorry for any inconvenience caused," you could say, "John, we understand how the delay in your order has impacted your plans, and we deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused you. We are working diligently to prevent such issues in the future."

Concluding your response by expressing gratitude to the detractor for their feedback reinforces the message that you value their input. Reiterate your commitment to improving their experience with your brand and thank them for their continued support. 

This final touch can leave a positive impression and help mend the relationship. For instance, you might say, "Thank you for your feedback, Jane. We are grateful for your patience and understanding as we work to improve our services. Your support is invaluable to us, and we look forward to providing you with a better experience in the future."

Related: Turn NPS detractors into promoters

Understanding and addressing NPS detractors is one of the best things your business can do to improve customer satisfaction and foster loyalty. By implementing the abovementioned strategies, you can turn your critics into champions and drive business growth.

Learn how to monitor and improve your NPS today with SurveyMonkey.

NPS, Net Promoter & Net Promoter Score are registered trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld.