On a scale from 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?
It’s a simple question, but it can tell you a great deal about customer loyalty.
- Customers who leave a rating of 9 or 10 are called Promoters, and you can reach out to them and ask them to leave reviews, participate in case studies, and help you spread the word about your brand.
- Detractors are customers who leave a rating of 0 to 6. Getting in touch with them is even more important — if you can find out the nature of their dissatisfaction, that’s an opportunity to change their mind and prevent churn. Detractors offer valuable insights into your overall performance that you might miss out on if you rely on CSAT alone.
- Your overall NPS score gives you a good sense of how your customer loyalty levels change over time. Plus, you can compare your score to other businesses in your industry!
But to reap the benefits of customer feedback, you have to ensure that response rates are as high as possible. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to do with NPS surveys.
Why are NPS response rates low?
According to Bain & Company, the originator of NPS:
In our experience, anything less than a 40% response rate for business-to-consumer (B2C) and 60% for B2B enterprises indicates a red flag.
But in practice, these red flags can be difficult to avoid. Research by CustomerGauge indicates that, disappointingly, the NPS response rate is around 5% for the majority of companies. The average response rate for B2B companies is only 12.4%
Low NPS response rates are caused by several factors:
- The customers don’t see the point. Many customers believe their feedback won’t lead to meaningful change. They assume that you’re just going through the motions of asking their opinion, and they don’t think their input makes an impact.
- The survey feels overwhelming. The standard NPS scale of 0-10 is designed to capture nuance, but it can cause problems for indecisive customers. This is known as the paradox of choice, where having too many options becomes exhausting and discouraging.
- Email fatigue. NPS surveys are often sent via email, where they can easily be ignored, lost in spam folders, or simply overlooked due to the sheer volume of messages customers receive daily.
Still, there’s plenty you can do to improve your odds. By making a few adjustments, you can significantly boost engagement with your NPS surveys; and a carefully constructed NPS strategy is guaranteed to give you a competitive edge regardless of your industry.
Ways to improve NPS response rates
1. Timing is everything
The timing of your survey can dramatically impact your response rate.
Consider sending your NPS survey shortly after a customer reaches a milestone or completes a significant interaction. Your customers are already thinking about your business, so you can make use of the momentum. This approach proves you are paying attention to their experience instead of just keeping to a rigid schedule.
However, this approach has its risks. One in four customers says that they’ll consider cancellation if they receive a survey “too often”. So think carefully about which points of the customer journey you want to tie NPS questions to. Don’t send out NPS questions after every purchase: that’s what CSAT is for.
Of course, quarterly/yearly NPS surveys are important too. They give you an overview of your customer base at a specific moment in time — this lets you plan ahead and set performance goals for your team.
💡 Zendesk suggests that the best time to send a business email is on Monday, around 4 AM.
2. Send out reminders… carefully
If a customer doesn’t respond to your initial survey request, consider a gentle follow-up. A reminder email or message a few days later can nudge them to fill out the survey after all.
However, be mindful of frequency! Too many reminders can come across as pushy and may lead to customer frustration. And don’t make the customer jump through hoops: the survey should be available from the follow-up email.
3. Keep it simple
There’s no need to overthink the content of your survey. Ask the main question, and then add an optional comment box in case the customer wants to elaborate. If you wish, you can also add a multiple-choice question such as “Which aspects of [brand] matter the most to you?” but make sure this is skippable.
It’s also crucial to reduce any barriers to entry. Ensure the survey is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and doesn’t require customers to navigate away from their current task. The easier you make it, the more likely customers are to respond.
4. Optimize subject lines and CTAs
The subject line of your email can determine whether it’s opened or ignored. Craft a compelling subject line that grabs the recipient’s attention. Depending on your brand style, emojis can be a great addition. Always use action-oriented language.
💡 Emphasize that the survey only takes a moment to fill out.
Similarly, the call to action (CTA) within the survey should be clear and direct, encouraging immediate participation.
5. Personalize the survey
Instead of sending a generic email blast, tailor your communication.
Segment your audience based on factors such as purchase history, loyalty, or interaction frequency. Tailoring your survey for different segments can lead to higher engagement and more meaningful insights. Again, customers don’t enjoy feeling like you’re just sending them a one-size-fits-all survey with no regard for their needs.
Address the customer by name. It seems simple, but research indicates that using the name of the customer in business emails:
- Increases open rates by 6-23%
- Increases clicks by 7-32%
- Reduces unsubscribes by 11-17%
6. Be transparent about how you use feedback
A short, clear, sincere request to provide feedback goes a long way! If you make it clear why NPS responses matter to you, many customers will listen.
While you want to keep it brief, you can occasionally share examples of how past feedback led to product or service improvements. Most importantly, personalize feedback follow-up: if a customer’s input led to a change, you should let them know.
7. Leverage multiple channels
Don’t rely solely on email to distribute your NPS survey. Customers interact with your brand across various channels, and your survey should reflect that.
Consider sending surveys via SMS, in-app notifications, and other chat platforms.
You can also promote your yearly NPS survey through your social media accounts. This is a good opportunity to explain your feedback approach to interested customers in more detail.
💡 Read more about our recommendations for multifaceted survey delivery!
8. Test and iterate
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with different strategies to see what works best for your audience.
A/B testing helps optimize:
- your email subject lines
- the wording of your calls-to-action
- the timing of your surveys.
Analyze the results and iterate on your approach. Continuous improvement is key to maintaining and increasing your NPS response rates over time.
+1. What about incentives?
Another way to increase survey feedback is to offer an incentive, such as a discount or gift card.
However, this can skew the results: if people are in it for a reward, they’ll likely give you a positive rating (even if you tell them you’re looking for honest feedback).
If your main goal is a more representative sample and more accurate NPS score, this approach isn’t worth it.
Instead, why not piggyback off of community-building events? For example, you can offer a raffle, with NPS survey completion being part of the entry process. Or you offer a charitable incentive: donate a small amount to a charity for every completed NPS survey. This way, you’re not just collecting feedback, you’re also reinforcing your brand’s values and giving customers a reason to feel good about participating. It’s a win-win!
And if nothing else works…
If your response rates are still lagging, it might be time to consider whether the traditional NPS format is truly serving your needs at this moment.
While NPS is a popular metric, some of its critics point out that it doesn’t always reflect customer behaviors well. Some customers are unhappy, but they don’t want to communicate with you in this way. You might need a different feedback approach to reach them.
If you aren’t happy with your current approach, reframe the NPS question entirely. For instance, instead of asking how likely someone is to recommend your product, you might ask, “What would make you most excited to recommend us to a friend?”
This subtle shift invites more thoughtful responses, and it also signals to customers that you’re interested in actionable insights, not just numbers.
About Simplesat: Simplesat is the leading omnichannel survey app designed to enhance customer feedback management across various platforms, including Zendesk, Salesforce, and Gladly. Trusted by businesses worldwide, Simplesat delivers actionable insights that drive business growth and customer satisfaction.
