Beyond the Net Promoter Score
Why Businesses Must Engage Customers for Deeper Insights
For years, businesses have relied on the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a primary measure of customer satisfaction. The question, “How likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?” has become a staple metric across industries. While NPS offers a quick pulse check, it lacks the depth, context, and real-world insights that businesses need to make meaningful improvements.
As customer expectations continue to rise, leading companies are realizing that quantitative scores alone are not enough. They are shifting their focus from static surveys to human-centered research—engaging real customers in the field to uncover pain points, motivations, and opportunities for innovation.
The Limitations of NPS
While NPS provides a high-level view of customer sentiment, it has significant drawbacks:
Lacks Context – A score doesn’t explain why customers feel the way they do. Two customers might both give a score of 7, but for completely different reasons.
Doesn’t Capture Emotional Nuance – Customer experiences are deeply emotional and complex, which a single number cannot reflect.
Relies on Self-Reported Data – Customers may overestimate or underestimate their true satisfaction due to memory bias or the phrasing of the question.
Lagging Indicator – By the time businesses act on NPS trends, customer experiences may have already deteriorated, causing churn or missed opportunities.
Fails to Identify Actionable Next Steps – Businesses often struggle to translate NPS data into clear, practical strategies for improvement.
The Case for Human-Centered Insights
Instead of relying on post-transaction surveys and broad sentiment scores, companies are increasingly turning to in-field customer research—observing, listening, and engaging with customers in real-world settings. This approach brings businesses closer to their customers’ actual experiences, allowing them to identify pain points and opportunities in real time.
Here’s why human-centered insights are the future of customer experience improvement:
1. Uncover the “Why” Behind Customer Behavior
Observing customers in their natural environments reveals pain points they may not even articulate in a survey. For example, a retail company might discover that customers abandon purchases not because of price (as an NPS survey might suggest), but because of a confusing checkout process.
2. Capture Real-World Frustrations and Delights
Field research allows businesses to witness unspoken frustrations—like a mobile app feature that users repeatedly struggle with or a store layout that confuses shoppers. These insights go beyond survey responses and provide clear evidence of what needs fixing.
3. Detect Patterns That NPS Misses
NPS gives an average score, but averages can mask nuances across different customer segments. By engaging with diverse customers directly, businesses can identify specific needs across demographics, locations, and usage behaviors.
4. Improve the Customer Experience Proactively
Instead of waiting for negative scores or complaints, businesses can proactively refine their products, services, and experiences based on live observations and direct interactions with customers.
5. Drive Actionable Innovation
Real-world engagement sparks innovative solutions. Companies that actively listen to customers in the field often discover new service models, untapped opportunities, and creative ways to delight their audience.
How Companies Can Move Beyond NPS
Transitioning from an NPS-heavy approach to a human-centered customer research strategy requires a shift in mindset and methodology. Here’s how businesses can start:
Invest in Ethnographic Research – Observe customers using your product or service in their daily lives to uncover real pain points.
Host In-Person Customer Immersion Sessions – Engage customers in interactive feedback sessions where they can voice concerns and demonstrate challenges.
Leverage Mystery Shopping and Usability Testing – Experience your business from a customer’s perspective by walking through the full journey.
Embed UX and CX Researchers in the Field – Empower teams to go beyond digital analytics and interact directly with customers.
Incorporate Qualitative Insights into Decision-Making – Supplement traditional metrics with human stories to drive empathetic, customer-centric business strategies.
The Net Promoter Score, while useful as a broad sentiment metric, is no longer sufficient for businesses seeking real, actionable customer insights. The future of customer experience lies in direct, human-centered research—understanding customer frustrations, behaviors, and needs in the field.
By moving beyond NPS and embracing real-world engagement, businesses can create deeper connections, drive innovation, and build experiences that truly meet customer expectations.
The key question isn’t just “How likely are customers to recommend us?”—it’s “How can we serve them better?” And the answer starts by listening, observing, and learning from real customers in the real world.