Using the Net Promoter Score to support service design: Digging for gold in customer free-text reports

Abstract

Customer research is key to service design. However, current methods to obtain in-depth customer insight are resource demanding and rarely utilise available customer reports. In this study, we explore the widely used transactional Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a potential source of customer insight for service designers. Specifically, we explore the qualitative customer reports from transactional NPS. The study included the qualitative analysis of 1100 customer reports from a telecommunications service provider. We find that a proportion of customer reports clearly have potential as a source of customer insight, but that filtering is key. In particular, the detailed reports of low-scoring customers may provide the most valuable insight, as these can give a new perspective on the service process and a strengthened understanding of painpoints and potential improvements. We also discuss how the transactional NPS may be used more generally to assess the value and impact of service design.

Using the Net Promoter Score to support service design: Digging for gold in customer free-text reports