To assess the Customer Experience many use Customer Satisfaction surveys or the Net Promoter Score. Both measure an experience that took place in the past. One could say that using the NPS as a reference is a bit like driving while looking in the rear view mirror.

The point is that the purpose of the NPS (Net Promoter System) method is not to chase a number and try to improve it.

NPS becomes a very good predictor of future customer behavior (and that’s why we measure it) when we shift the focus to the WHY a customer gave us that score.

The analysis of the motivations behind that score is meant to identify and measure the emotions associated. It is essential to rely on the principle that Emotional Intelligence always precedes the rational decision; this is how our brain works.

And how do you dig into your customers’ emotions to better understand their decisions?

It’s easier than you might think. It might be enough, to ask “what is the main reason behind your score?”

The question is open-ended and does not influence the answer in any way, leaving the customers free to express themselves, describing the first thoughts that come to mind, that are the ones that led them to give that vote.

Focusing on the emotions that determine the score of the NPS, is the best way to analyse them and define an action plan capable of improving the customer experience, removing those elements that create negative emotions and promoting what leads the customer to trust.

This is how the Net Promoter System methodology becomes the tool to understand customer behavior and defining the action plan that becomes the driver for business change.

Because CX without change is just a hobby!