Most companies find out that something is wrong when a customer complains. The problem is that some customers don’t complain, they don’t cancel, they don’t leave a bad review. Their relationship with the brand is neutral, but cold; they like what they receive, without committing to it.
This type of customer is more difficult to read than an unsatisfied one, precisely because they do not express what they lack. And therein lies the risk: by not being really loyal, they are among the first to leave as soon as a better alternative appears, without prior notice.
Within the NPS® (Net Promoter® Score) methodology, this profile is known as a passive customer. In this article we see what characterizes it, why it should be paid attention to and how to turn it into a promoter.
What is a passive customer?
In the NPS,® a passive customer is one who scores 7 or 8 to the question:
“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company (or product/service) to a friend or colleague?”
This score indicates that the customer is satisfied, but not satisfied enough to actively recommend the brand. NPS® classifies customers into three groups based on their response:
- Promoters (9-10): satisfied and willing to recommend.
- Passives (7-8): satisfied, but indifferent to the brand.
- Detractors (0-6): dissatisfied and at risk of speaking negatively about the company.
The passive customer, therefore, is somewhere in between: he doesn’t hate the brand, but he wouldn’t defend it if asked.
Why are passive customers important?
It is common for companies to focus their attention on the two extremes: the promoters, to know what they are doing well, and the detractors, to know what to correct. The liabilities are left in the middle, without generating alarm or recognition, so almost no one acts on them.
This is a mistake, for two reasons:
- Turning a liability into a promoter requires much less effort than converting a detractor.
- An unattended liability does not stand still: if no one works on their loyalty, they tend to get closer and closer to the detractor’s territory, or simply go with the competition.
Liabilities do not generate noise, but they do represent a silent flight of customers.
What characterizes a passive customer?
They are sensitive to price. By not perceiving a clear difference between your brand and the competition, price becomes the main decision criterion. They are not loyal. Their satisfaction is real, but superficial: there is no emotional or trust bond that will hold them back if a better alternative appears. They are usually not very expressive. Unlike the detractor, they do not usually leave negative comments or complaints. Their silence can give a false sense that everything is fine.
How to turn a passive customer into a promoter?
- Understand what they’re missing, not just what they have. Review their open-ended answers in the NPS® to identify what’s preventing them from giving a score of 9 or 10. Many times it’s not a serious problem, but a specific detail of the experience.
- It strengthens the relationship, not just the transaction. Improving response times, incident resolution and personalized attention helps to build the bond that this customer profile lacks.
- It involves the entire organization. The loyalty of a liability rarely depends on a single department. Customer service, product and sales must work on the same information so that the change is noticeable in the real experience.
- Ask direct questions, with no room for neutrality. Generic questions don’t work with this profile. Ask them explicitly what’s preventing them from recommending you, what they’d expect from an ideal product or service, or what they’d change from their experience. A direct question forces a concrete answer, and that answer is what tells you exactly where to act.
Listen also to those who say nothing
Promoters confirm that you’re doing well. Detractors point out what’s wrong. Passives, on the other hand, are the group that quietly decides whether your company grows or stagnates — and so deserves the same attention as the other two.
At Opinat we are experts in the NPS® methodology and we help companies identify their passive customers and turn them into real promoters.
