Overview of NPS Detractors
Did you know that, on average, it costs a company at least $243 to lose a customer due to poor service? On the same note, a 5% increase in customer retention rates results in a 25% to 95% increase in profits. This amount shows the critical benefit of addressing customer dissatisfaction early.
That said, a negative review from a detractor is not always a bad thing. Rather, it’s an opportunity to improve your product or service and grow your business. The crucial step is to proactively spot and address issues that drive detractors away from your business. Understand their disappointment, take action immediately, and even turn the negative reviews into positive experiences.
This guide will delve into who NPS detractors are, and how to spot them, understand their needs, and convert them into promoters—ultimately improving customer retention and boosting your business's bottom line.
Let’s jump in!
What Is an NPS Detractor?
An NPS Detractor is a customer who rates your service between 0 and 6 on a scale of 0 to 10 in an NPS survey. While these dissatisfied customers pose significant risks to your business, they also present opportunities for improvement.
Detractors are often observed:
- Spreading negative word of mouth and leaving poor online reviews, which influence potential customers
- Frequently return products, or rack up complaints, driving up operational costs.
- Zero or low brand loyalty, making them more susceptible to competitor offers
- While they may not churn immediately, they tend to spend less and are unlikely to invest more in your brand
Although detractor feedback can be challenging to receive, it's important to understand that these customers are still engaged enough with your brand to provide feedback, albeit negative. This feedback often indicates a gap between customer expectations and the perceived value of your product or service or potential inconsistencies in addressing customer needs. Crucially, detractors are more engaged with your brand than passives, which is why it’s still possible to turn them into promoters. But you must act swiftly and take care of their concerns.
How to Easily Identify NPS Detractors? Step-by-Step
Unhappy customers are often easy to identify through negative online reviews, complaints, or word-of-mouth.
However, businesses should be aware that while many detractors are vocal about their dissatisfaction, it's also true that only 1 out of 26 unhappy customers will formally complain—most will simply stop engaging with your brand.
Many brands fall into the trap of interpreting a lack of feedback as a sign of satisfaction when the main issue lies in customer indifference. These disengaged customers aren’t actively complaining or leaving reviews but quietly churn and reduce their spending over time.
Put simply, you cannot rely on customers to tell you they are detractors. It’s up to you to find methods to identify them proactively. Here are a few techniques to do it effectively:
Run an NPS Survey
NPS surveys are one of the most straightforward ways to identify detractors.
Start by asking customers the common NPS question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product, service, or company to a friend or colleague?” Every customer who answers with a score between 0 and 6 is a detractor. To clarify, customers who answer with a score of between 7 and 8 are passive, and customers who give a score of 9 or 10 are known as promoters.
Essentially, this question gauges the customer’s satisfaction and loyalty to your brand. A robust NPS survey software like ClearlyRated can help calculate your scores while offering valuable insights into your detractors' loyalty, sentiment, and overall customer experience. It also provides industry benchmarks, comparing your performance with sector averages and competitors.
Review and Categorize NPS Survey Responses
To spot detractors, review and filter responses to identify customers who scored between 0 and 6 on the NPS survey. These low scores show dissatisfaction and potential problems that require immediate action.
Properly analyzing the answers will reveal possible problems with your products or services and suggest ways to improve them. Common themes in customer feedback can also identify problems that reappear repeatedly. For example, if several customers state that using your website is difficult, this is a sign of a usability problem. Another method is to categorize by department or product features. For instance, complaints about performance could be traced to flaws in specific features.
When feedback is grouped together, it’s easy to identify the exact areas for improvement and prioritize them.
Continuously Monitor Feedback
Monitoring customer feedback channels can also help you identify new detractors. This can be achieved by setting up systems to review NPS surveys, review sites, social media mentions, and other sources of feedback. Implement dedicated systems such as social media monitoring tools (Sprout Social, Hootsuite) that can help track comments, mentions, and customer sentiments across all social media platforms.
In addition to monitoring these channels, the customer journey must be followed closely, and satisfaction at every key touchpoint must be tracked. From the first interaction to service initiation, project completion, and beyond, measure how your customers feel at each stage of their lifecycle. Being truly customer-centric means assessing satisfaction not just at one point, but throughout their entire experience with your brand.
To get a clearer picture of your NPS results, a customer experience platform like ClearlyRated can help you better understand the feedback provided by detractors. With its benchmarking features, you can compare your scores with industry averages, allowing you to address issues faster.
Best Practices When Responding to NPS Detractors
Identifying detractors through NPS surveys, reviews, and response monitoring systems is the first step. Once you spot dissatisfied customers, the next step is to know how to effectively address their concerns.
In this section, we’ll cover some actionable techniques for responding to detractors, addressing their concerns, and potentially turning them into loyal customers.
Acknowledge Feedback and Respond Quickly
Unhappy customers want to know that their dissatisfaction is recognized. Empathy plays a major role here, therefore, showing a genuine understanding of their needs demonstrates that you value their experience.
Use phrases like “We understand how disappointing this experience must have been.”
Then, show appreciation and gratitude for sharing their thoughts and ideas: “Thank you for sharing your honest feedback - it helps us identify areas of improvement and work to enhance the experience.”
By using this technique, you can easily engage with detractors effectively and attend to issues fast, further improving customer experience and brand voice.
Provide Personalized Responses
Using generic and copy-pasted responses can make detractors feel ignored. To prevent this, it’s important to personalize your responses by gathering certain data about every customer’s experience. Review details such as customer history, including purchase history, previous interactions, and past support tickets. This allows you to customize your response based on the client’s needs.
Show genuine understanding and empathy about their situation by integrating this information into your response. For example, rather than saying: “Sorry for the inconvenience caused,”
you can say: “Mr. Smith, we completely understand how the delay in your order has disrupted your plans, and we sincerely apologize for the inconveniences this has caused. Rest assured we are taking the necessary steps to ensure this does not happen again.”
Businesses with many detractors can take advantage of customer service automation tools such as Zoho, Freshdesk, Zendesk, and others that are integrated with CRM systems. These tools can help you collect helpful customer details such as name, complaint details, and order history— enabling you to personalize responses automatically.
Continuous Follow-up
Now that you have addressed the detractor's needs and concerns, a follow-up response is crucial to ensure all issues are resolved. For a more personalized touch, we’d recommend using the customer’s most preferred mode of communication, whether by phone or email.
In your follow-up, ensure you highlight the set of actions taken and assure the customer of your commitment to making changes and improving their experience. Follow-ups signify your commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction and your ability to take the detractors' feedback seriously.
Use Feedback to Improve
Compile all the responses of NPS detractors and study them for every complaint raised regarding your product or service. You can begin this by first classifying issues based on customers about customer services, functionality, shipping, or logistics. That way, you'll be able to identify the trends and patterns as well as know which to tackle first.
After categorizing the issues, focus on improvements based on how impactful the problems are to customer satisfaction and business growth. For instance, if a business's customer service is great, 78 percent of customers will come back again, even after a mistake. When detractors see that their feedback has resulted in improvements, they are more likely to return and even become brand ambassadors.
Why Are Detractors Crucial to Your Business's Growth?
Negative reviews can be discouraging. However, while detractors may leave low ratings, they offer valuable opportunities for your business growth. They highlight areas that need improvement and addressing their issues can lead to stronger customer relationships, improved products, and ultimately business growth.
Here are reasons why detractors are crucial to your business.
Honest Feedback
Research shows that 77 percent of consumers indicate that they have a more appealing view of brands that ask for and accept customer feedback. This is a sign that most customers are always willing to share feedback with you - all you have to do is ask for it.
Detractors provide honest feedback about your product or company. They highlight all the areas that need attention and improvement. This unfiltered feedback helps you gather actionable insights into customer experience and understand where improvements are needed. That said, gathering feedback is not enough, you need to act on it to reveal any issues you might have missed, allowing your support team time to fix them before they escalate
Addressing these issues not only enhances your product but also increases the chance of improved customer satisfaction and business growth.
Increase Customer Retention Rates
While an overwhelming 96 percent of unhappy customers will simply leave after a bad experience with a product, it's crucial to note that customers who take the time to leave a negative rating often care about your product. Research further shows that 70 percent of unhappy customers are willing to shop with a business again after their complaints are resolved.
This presents an opportunity for service recovery. You want to quickly address detractors' problems, possibly turning them into loyal customers and improving your customer retention rate in the long run. Acting quickly on negative feedback can help you strengthen customer relationships, build long-term loyalty, and ultimately reduce churn rate.
Identify Customer Trends and Stay Ahead
Feedback from detractors reveals issues that might be affecting your business and provides valuable insights into areas that need improvement. Some of the trends to look for include:
- Service gaps like the slow response from customer support,
- Issues with product usability, such as difficulty using certain features
- Pricing problems that show the difference between value and cost.
By identifying these patterns, it becomes easy to address them. For instance, if multiple customers indicate they are facing difficulty using a particular feature, it may be a sign that you need to redesign the user interface or create additional training materials. Robust tools such as data analysis software and natural language processing (NLP) can help brands analyze detractor feedback, providing a clear pathway where improvements are required.
In addition to product changes, identifying customer trends can help in broader decision-making, including marketing strategies that address certain customer concerns, business model adjustments that align with the customer's needs, or customer service protocols that address service issues. Responding to these trends helps you build stronger relationships and stay ahead of competitors.
Develop a Strategic Market Advantage
Addressing detractor feedback is a way to recover from a negative rating. It’s an opportunity for the business to improve its services and set itself apart in the market. For instance, Slack improved its website functionality after receiving a lot of feedback from customers who complained about the complexity of using certain features. As a result, it became one of the best user-friendly platforms in the market.
Any brand that focuses on becoming customer-centric can use the feedback of detractors to improve its products and services and thus gain a competitive advantage in the market. For example, Tesla has consistently improved its electric cars by implementing user feedback, allowing it to stay ahead of the competition.
The technique also plays a key role in creating a brand identity that is customer-centric. Businesses that take customer feedback seriously are able to diagnose problems faster and act on them to improve customer experience. The outcome is increased retention rates and enhanced business growth.
How Can Detractors Negatively Affect Your Business?
It’s easy to ignore detractors. You can try to ignore detractors, but here’s the truth—they won’t stay quiet.
Unlike passive customers who simply drift away, detractors are vocal—they won’t hesitate to let you know they’re unhappy. And they won’t keep it to themselves, either.
If you don’t offer them a direct channel to voice their concerns, they’ll take to social media or review sites, spreading negative feedback that can seriously damage your brand’s reputation. While promoters are great for business, neglecting detractors can backfire. They’re not going anywhere unless you actively address their issues.
Here’s how detractors can negatively affect your business:
Customer Attrition and Revenue Loss
Detractors are a major cause of customer attrition, which is not only costly, but also damaging to your brand. Studies show that the cost of acquiring a new customer can be five to seven times more than retaining an existing one. In fact, increasing customer retention rates by 5 percent can help increase revenue by 25 percent to 95 percent.
When detractors leave, they fail to provide feedback, which could help you know which areas to improve. They can even spread negative word-of-mouth about your business, further driving the churn rate and running your company’s reputation.
Damage To Brand Reputation
Detractors can significantly damage your company’s reputation through negative online reviews and escalating issues on social media. Online reviews have tremendous influence. In fact, 99 percent of customers say they make an effort to read reviews before purchasing a product, and 96 percent look for negative reviews sometimes.
Similarly, a bad review from a detractor can influence future buyers, as 75 percent of consumers trust reviews more than personal recommendations. This shows just how a small number of dissatisfied customers can have a significant effect on your brand’s reputation.
Detractors can further express their disappointment on social media, where issues can escalate quickly. Negative posts can quickly go viral on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, reaching a broader audience and causing reputation damage. Such posts can lead to distrust and an increase in churn rate down the line.
Hampering New Customer Acquisition
In addition to damaging your brand reputation, detractors can also affect your business's ability to acquire new customers. Constant negative ratings, whether through word-of-mouth or social media, may discourage potential customers from engaging with your brand, resulting in higher cost of acquisition.
Studies show that 90 percent of customers read online reviews before deciding to purchase a product, and most focus on negative reviews before making the final decision. Negative online reviews can discourage potential buyers, leading to a high churn rate. Acting on detractors’ feedback can help reduce the risk of negative reviews and improve your chances of converting them to promoters.
Internal Business Impact
Detractors don’t just ruin a business externally—they also affect business operations internally.
Feedback from detractors can highlight product and service shortcomings, which, if not solved, can affect the overall business bottom line. Similarly, continuous negative feedback can put a strain on the internal team and resources.
For example, if customers constantly complain about weak customer support, confusing interfaces, or bad shipping and logistics, internal teams, such as customer support, will be overwhelmed by complaints. This will cause burnout and a plummet in team morale and productivity. If nothing is done immediately, the business may also lose the opportunity for improvement.
If these issues are not addressed quickly, the business may also miss key opportunities for improvement. This can lead to a cycle of repeated errors, eventually increasing operating costs and slowing down overall performance. Addressing these issues can help retain detractors and improve internal processes in the business.
Powerful Strategies to Turn NPS Detractors into Promoters
Detractors are often seen as non-loyal customers. But when their needs are met, they can convert into some of the most loyal advocates.
Here are actionable strategies to help you convert NPS detractors into promoters:
Creating an Efficient Feedback Management System
Implementing an NPS system can help simplify the process of gathering customer feedback. Teams can gather and analyze customer satisfaction information at key touch points, including after-customer interaction data or post-purchase details.
Similarly, such a system allows the team to optimize how swiftly and efficiently they can handle customer concerns. Tools like ClearlyRated can segment feedback based on set criteria, allowing your team to resolve urgent matters first without getting overwhelmed by minor issues. This method ensures that the team addresses all critical concerns quickly, improving both customer experience and team efficiency.
Implement Rapid, Personalized Follow-up
When you receive feedback from a detractor, the clock is ticking. Don’t wait—close the loop quickly!
Research shows that 46 percent of customers expect a response in under four hours, so fast action is critical. Ignoring or delaying a response gives the impression that their concerns aren’t important to you. But when you respond quickly, it shows that you care and are committed to resolving the issue.
Use automation tools to ensure an immediate, personalized response. Whether it’s a simple acknowledgment or a tailored message, speed and personalization are key.
After that, don’t stop there. Conduct regular check-ins to ensure their issue has been resolved and they’re happy with the solution. This approach helps transform negative experiences into positive ones, building loyalty and possibly even turning a detractor into a passionate brand advocate.
Actively Listen and Show Genuine Care
The use of chatbots can be an excellent first step in responding to customer inquiries very quickly. It provides instant replies, so no customer will feel neglected. But while AI simplifies the process, it should be accompanied by real human support to provide personal solutions tailored to each customer's needs.
When a detractor reaches out, it’s important to make them feel heard. Even if a chatbot handles the initial contact, make sure a human picks up the conversation when needed. Quickly acknowledge the issue, empathize with their frustration, and assure them you’re actively working on a resolution. Customers just want to know someone (or something) is on the case and ready to help.
Don’t forget to ask for their feedback and let them know your team will reach out shortly. Fast responses make a difference, but genuine care seals the deal and builds trust.
Set Realistic Goals and Deliver on Promises
Don’t make promises you can’t deliver. Simple.
It can be tempting to overpromise, especially when the customer is frustrated and wants an immediate solution. But it’s imperative to be honest about the magnitude of their demands and the time it will take to resolve them.
Stay true to your word and ensure the problem is resolved. If it’s not fixable, explain it to them so that you don’t lose their trust and prompt them to give a negative review.
Learn From Your Past Mistakes
Put simply: detractor feedback is your greatest way of learning.
Detractor opinions provide insights into areas you might be neglecting, which can be essential seeds for business growth. The NPS results allow you to address the issues reported by customers, close the loop, and build trust.
To start learning from your mistakes, it’s important to create a structured process that can be applied across the entire company. This includes collecting feedback, analyzing the information to identify recurring problems, and sharing insights with the right teams, such as the customer support or development team.
Having a consistent feedback circuit ensures every department learns from its mistakes and uses that information to prevent mistakes in the future.
Empower Frontline Employees to Resolve Issues
The final step is to empower your frontline workers to take action and make informed decisions that favor the customer and business at large. To achieve this, you’ll need to give them authority and provide resources to handle problems on the spot. Additionally, equip them with the right knowledge, tools, and information required to engage in conversations with customers and provide necessary solutions.
You can also encourage them to go beyond ensuring customers are happy by offering discounts, upgrades, and freebies.
Is It Possible To Convert Every Single Detractor?
Short answer: No. Not every detractor can be turned into a promoter, and that’s okay. However, you can still improve the experience for many by addressing their concerns. Sometimes, the goal is not to convert every detractor but to move the needle—turning a 2 into a 5, for example. While they remain a detractor, the experience has improved, which is a win in itself.
In the process, it’s important to focus on small victories. Check for any scores that are decreasing and investigate the cause, as those shifts matter.
A customer moving from a 2 to a 6 on the NPS scale, while still a detractor, is less upset and more likely to engage positively than before. A 2 and a 6 have the same impact on your score, but the customer’s sentiment has improved significantly.
In some situations, despite putting in your best efforts to fix the customer’s problems, a customer will eventually decide to leave. In these instances, an “elegant exit” can help minimize the negative impact. This process involves carefully managing the end of a customer relationship without enmity or damaging your brand reputation. You can do this by receiving the customer’s decision to exit respectfully and sending them a thank you message for interacting with your business.
At the very least, you can leave a memorable impression by going the extra mile to cater to unhappy customers and retain them. You never know—they might even promote via positive word of mouth, and you could end up getting new customers.
Turn NPS Detractors Into Promoters With The Right Tool
There’s no doubt managing detractors can be daunting. If their issues are not addressed on time, their negative feedback could harm your brand's reputation immensely. That said, detractors also present a great opportunity for your business to improve. Their feedback provides key insights into areas of your business or product that need improvement.
Addressing their issues quickly can help improve your services and potentially convert them into brand advocates. To achieve this, you need the right NPS survey software to collect, analyze, and act on feedback promptly. The outcome is increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and high retention rates.
It can be difficult to know where to start with NPS surveys. Fortunately, the ClearlyRated CX program allows you to collect and act on user feedback without disrupting your workflow. The platform offers world-class tools such as Detractor Alerts, Shout Outs, Issue Tracking and Support and Consultation to help you calculate your NPS score to understand customers' sentiments and views about your product or service and business.
With this information, you can get deeper insights about the customer, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and take data-driven action to preempt issues related to customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention rates, and churn rates.
Interested in seamlessly transforming NPS detractors into promoters? Schedule a demo to see how ClearlyRated can help.
