As technology evolves, cross-channel marketing will become even more sophisticated, leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics to deliver hyper-personalized and proactive customer experiences. Businesses that adopt this approach will stay ahead of the curve, fostering stronger customer relationships and achieving long-term success.
When a friend or colleague takes the time to tell you about a product or service, you probably pay attention. Your friend is more reliable than a Yelp review, right? Word of mouth is the most common way people hear about brands. But how can you tell if your existing customers like your company enough to recommend it to their friends? One way is by tracking your Net Promoter Score (NPS). Is NPS really the best way to measure customer loyalty? Some service leaders aren’t convinced. We wanted to explore the pros and cons of this popular (and sometimes controversial) metric by reviewing what it is, why it’s important, and why some Service Trailblazers choose to measure loyalty in other ways. What is a Net Promoter Score? The Net Promoter Score is a customer experience metric that captures how likely a customer is to recommend your products, services, or brand. Created by Fred Reichheld in 2003, NPS has since been widely adopted. To find NPS, businesses ask customers: “On a scale from 0 to 10, how likely would you be to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?” Typically, companies follow up with an open-ended question to understand why a customer chose their score. Customers are categorized as promoters, passives, or detractors based on their scores: By understanding these categories, businesses can gain insights into customer loyalty and take action to improve customer experiences and foster stronger relationships. How to Calculate Net Promoter Score A company’s NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. For instance, if you have responses from 100 customers, with 30 promoters and 18 detractors, your NPS would be 12. Why is the Net Promoter Score Important? Companies use NPS to gain insights into individual customer experiences and understand the overall perception of their products, services, and brand. NPS feedback helps address individual issues, enhance product offerings, and apply customer service principles effectively. An improving NPS indicates positive changes that matter to customers, while a sudden drop signals potential issues that need attention. What is a Good Net Promoter Score? NPS can range from -100 to +100. While anything above 0 indicates more promoters than detractors, industry-specific benchmarks provide a more nuanced view. For example, the average NPS in the insurance industry is 74, whereas in healthcare, it’s only 45. According to Bain & Company, the creators of NPS, a score above 0 is considered good. Scores over 20 are favorable, over 50 are excellent, and above 80 are world-class. Comparing your NPS to industry benchmarks helps gauge your customer experience relative to competitors, though it’s important to consider the context, such as company size and market scope. What is a Bad Net Promoter Score? Any NPS below zero is considered bad, as it means more customers are dissatisfied than satisfied. A significantly lower NPS compared to competitors may indicate the need to re-evaluate your customer service experience and address gaps that cause dissatisfaction. What Can You Measure Using NPS? NPS provides insights into: Bain & Company’s data shows that companies with long-term profitable growth have an NPS twice as high as the average company. How to Run Surveys and Collect Feedback Running an NPS survey involves asking a single question, collecting responses, and calculating your NPS. Surveys can be distributed via email, text, in-store, or online at checkout, using a survey builder or NPS app for automation. When to Run NPS Surveys The timing of NPS surveys varies: Staggering surveys over time can provide a more organic picture of customer satisfaction. How to Collect NPS Feedback Following up with an open-ended question like, “What’s the primary reason for your score?” helps gather actionable insights. This feedback can highlight areas for improvement and strengths to build on. How to Improve Your Net Promoter Score Improving NPS requires both individual and broad strategies: Implementing Net Promoter Score Invest in NPS survey software that integrates with your CRM platform. Automate survey distribution and workflows to manage responses efficiently. Designate responsibilities for customer follow-ups and NPS analysis. Measuring Your NPS is Just the Beginning Your NPS provides valuable insights into customer loyalty and satisfaction. However, the follow-through on these insights is crucial for engaging customers and delivering better experiences. Measuring your NPS is the first step towards enhancing your overall customer experience. 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Changing customer expectations are reshaping the automotive industry, compelling dealerships to reevaluate their approach to business. With only 1% of buyers fully satisfied with their vehicle purchase experience, dealerships face a significant barrier to fostering loyalty. This dissatisfaction jeopardizes long-term profitability, as customers may turn elsewhere for future service or vehicle needs. Delivering exceptional customer experiences has become more critical than ever. However, rising operational costs present the challenge of achieving more with fewer resources — and doing so quickly. To drive sustainable growth, dealerships must prioritize relationship-building alongside achieving sales goals. Central to this effort is creating personalized digital touchpoints, especially for millennial and Gen Z shoppers, who now dominate the market. These younger consumers seek seamless, consistent experiences — from online browsing to in-person showroom visits. Turning them into lifelong customers requires a unified view of customer data, encompassing their digital shopping habits, service requests, and communications across all platforms. Fortunately, new tools can help dealerships meet these changing demands while reducing costs and improving productivity. To succeed, however, dealerships must adopt a mindset shift, moving beyond transactional practices to focus on customer-centric strategies. Digital Storefronts Are Falling Short Research reveals that fewer than 20% of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and retailers consider their digital storefronts engaging and mobile-friendly. For more insights into the industry’s challenges and opportunities, check out the “Trends in Automotive” report, based on feedback from 500 industry leaders. Beyond 30-Day Sales Goals: Building Lasting Relationships Dealerships have long operated in 30-day cycles, dictated by monthly sales goals from OEMs. However, successful dealerships now balance these targets with efforts to nurture long-term relationships. This involves more than sporadic emails about promotions or tune-ups. Instead, it’s about providing consistent, valuable interactions that address customer needs year-round. For example, keeping customers informed with personalized communications—such as alerts about service offers or recommendations for vehicle upgrades—can enhance their overall experience and build trust. Four Steps to Build Customer Loyalty The Path to Loyalty: A 360-Degree Customer View Sustaining long-term profitability hinges on extending customer loyalty beyond individual car sales. With Americans now keeping vehicles for an average of 12 years, dealerships must create enduring relationships across the vehicle’s lifecycle. Salesforce Automotive Cloud empowers dealerships with a 360-degree view of customer data, enabling teams to deliver personalized, seamless experiences. This unified approach helps sales teams close deals faster and service teams provide tailored consultations, ultimately fostering loyalty. Salesforce Sales and Service Cloud provide the same 360-degree view with powerful sales and service tools, including automated agents. The goal? To ensure customers think of your dealership first—whether for service, upgrades, or their next vehicle purchase. By placing the customer at the center of your business and leveraging advanced technology, dealerships can adapt to the evolving landscape and thrive in the future. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
