Passive customers can represent a major unknown for companies. These are customers who may be satisfied with our services or products but not enough to recommend them to others. Furthermore, with this type of customer, we run the risk of them turning to the competition since they are not loyal. Given these characteristics and the fact that they are a less expressive and more complex audience, it is necessary to take several things into account to properly manage their cases and try to convert them into promoter customers.
What is a passive customer?
Within the NPS® (Net Promoter® Score) customer satisfaction measurement system, detractors are considered those customers who are not satisfied with the service or product, passives are those who are satisfied but would not necessarily recommend our company, and finally, promoters are those who are satisfied and would recommend our service to others. Thus, a passive customer is the designation we give to those customers who find themselves in the limbo between loving us and hating us. They are an audience very susceptible to forgetting our brand and turning to the competition, even though they have not been left dissatisfied and will not speak negatively about us.
How important are they?
We often tend to focus on our promoter customers, to know what we are doing well, and on our detractor customers, to know what to improve. We omit the figure for passives since they do not pose a direct threat, but in doing so, we fail to realize that passive customers represent a potential source of loyalty that we are wasting. It requires much less effort than converting a detractor customer and can have a major impact on our NPS Score. Additionally, there is always the risk that the passive customer will end up becoming a detractor if their situation is not addressed.
What should we know about passive customers?
It is important to know what characterizes them in order to determine how to manage them. Our job involves knowing what prevents them from being 100% satisfied with our products or services so that we can fix it.
They tend to be price-sensitive
This type of customer is usually vulnerable to the competition, as they do not differentiate one brand’s products from those of the competitors. Leaving only one variable for decision-making: price.
They are not loyal customers
Carefully analyze their ratings through the NPS® and their comments to better understand what they think and feel, and thus be able to take action to improve their experience. These measures will allow brand loyalty to increase, making recommendations more likely and ultimately improving the profitability of your business.
How should we manage them to convert them into promoter customers?
Understand why they are dissatisfied
Recognizing the level of satisfaction will allow you to focus on improvement priorities and act accordingly, increasing the willingness to recommend your company.
Build a better relationship with them
It is necessary to implement a set of strategies to improve buyers’ perception of how their questions are answered, their orders are processed, or their potential complaints are resolved. All of this is aimed at maintaining the highest possible customer satisfaction at all times.
Promote an interdisciplinary action plan
In accordance with the previous point, improving customer satisfaction will be a team effort, so it is imperative that all departments take measures to resolve the problem.
As we have seen, passive customers constitute a potential source of revenue that we might be overlooking and that could be resolved with little effort. By following the points outlined, you will be able to convert them into promoter customers and grow your business and its network of loyal customers. At Opinat, we are experts in the NPS® methodology and we help many companies achieve loyalty processes like the one described. Do not hesitate to contact us if you also want to know how to build customer loyalty.