Customer Satisfaction
Indicator Phrasing
English: % of customers using [specify the promoted product / service] who would recommend its purchase to other people
French: % de clients utilisant [spécifiez le produit / service promu] qui recommanderaient son achat à d'autres personnes
Spanish: % de clientes que utilizan [especificar el producto/servicio promocionado] que recomendarían su compra a otras personas
Portuguese: % de clientes que usam [especifique o produto / serviço promovido] que recomendariam a sua compra a outras pessoas
Czech: % zákazníků používajících [určete daný produkt / službu], kteří by doporučili produkt/službu dalším lidem
What is its purpose?
The indicator measures the proportion of people using the promoted product / service who would recommend its purchase and use to other people – an important proxy for product / service quality, and customers’ appreciation of its benefits.
How to Collect and Analyse the Required Data
Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of users of the given service/ product:
RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTION (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)
Q1: Can you please show me on this scale how likely is it that you would recommend [specify the product/ service] to a friend or family member? Please feel free to give me an honest answer, according to your true feelings. [Show the scale provided at the bottom of this page and explain what each face means - definitely recommend / likely recommend / likely not recommend / definitely not recommend].
A1: _
1) definitely recommend (happiest face)
2) likely recommend
3) likely not recommend
4) definitely not recommend (saddest face)
5) no response
To calculate the indicator's value, divide the number of respondents who would definitely or likely recommend the purchase of the given product/ service to other people by the total number of interviewed respondents (exclude those who gave no response). Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.
Disaggregate by
Disaggregate the data based on criteria relevant to the content and focus of your intervention.
Important Comments
1) Ensure that all of your data collectors explain the meaning of the scale in the same way, for example: "The happiest face means that you would definitely recommend the [product / service] to your friends or family members. The face with the smaller smile means that ...". Let each data collector practice and ask others to observe whether s/he explains the scale correctly.
2) Consider asking people who (likely) would not recommend the product / service for their reasons (on the other hand, you can also ask people who would recommend it for their reasons).
3) If you work in a context where people are used to using numeric scales (1 to 10), consider using the well-established method Net Promoter Score – see guidance below.
4) The segregated data can show you which (types of) people are likely to be the best promoters (but also detractors) of the product / service, or which type of person the product is most relevant to.
Access Additional Guidance
- HubSpot (2018) What Is NPS? The Ultimate Guide (.pdf)
- People in Need (PIN) (2018) Visual Scale (4 options) (.pdf)