---
title: "NPS Touchpoints: When to Survey Customers and How to Follow Up with Detractors"
description: When to send NPS surveys across the customer journey, how to calculate NPS, and how to follow up with promoters, passives and detractors so feedback turns into loyalty.
---

[CXChronicles Blog](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog)

# [NPS Touchpoints: When to Survey Customers and How to Follow Up with Detractors](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/nps-touchpoints-when-to-survey-customers-and-how-to-follow-up-with-detractors)

 Written by [Adrian Brady-Cesana](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/author/adrian-brady-cesana) | Nov 12, 2026, 1:06:51 PM

**The short answer:** Net Promoter Score (NPS) asks customers one question: "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" on a 0–10 scale. Send it at moments that reflect the overall relationship, such as after onboarding, at regular intervals and before renewal, and always follow up, especially with detractors. A detractor who feels heard can become one of your most loyal customers.

## How NPS works

- **Promoters (9–10):** loyal enthusiasts likely to recommend you.
- **Passives (7–8):** satisfied but not excited, and open to competitors.
- **Detractors (0–6):** unhappy customers who may churn or speak negatively about you.

**NPS = % promoters − % detractors.** The score runs from −100 to +100. For example, with 50% promoters, 30% passives and 20% detractors, your NPS is 50 − 20 = **30**.

Always include a follow-up question: "What's the main reason for your score?" The comments are often more valuable than the number.

## The best touchpoints for NPS surveys

| Touchpoint | Why it works |
| --- | --- |
| **30–90 days after onboarding** | Shows whether customers reached early value |
| **Regular relationship survey** (every 6–12 months) | Tracks loyalty over time across your customer base |
| **60–90 days before renewal** | Leaves time to fix problems before the decision |
| **After a major change** (new product, pricing or process) | Shows how the change landed |

For individual interactions, like a support ticket, CSAT or Customer Effort Score is usually a better fit than NPS. See [the CX metrics that matter](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/).

### Survey tips

- Keep it short: the NPS question plus one open question.
- Survey the right people: decision-makers and day-to-day users may see you very differently.
- Don't over-survey: it lowers response rates and annoys customers.
- Never ask customers for a high score. It makes the data meaningless.

## Why you must follow up with detractors

A detractor is giving you a warning and a chance to fix things. Ignore them, and they're likely to leave and tell others. Follow up well, and you can win them back and fix the root cause for everyone else.

### A simple detractor follow-up process

1. **Respond quickly,** ideally within one or two business days, personally rather than with an automated email.
2. **Thank them** for their honesty.
3. **Listen and ask questions** to understand what went wrong.
4. **Fix what you can,** and be honest about what you can't.
5. **Close the loop:** tell them what you changed.
6. **Look for patterns:** share common themes with product, support and leadership.

## Don't forget promoters and passives

- **Promoters:** thank them, and invite them to leave a review, join a case study or refer a peer.
- **Passives:** ask what would make the experience a 10. They're often the easiest to move up, and the easiest to lose.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a good NPS?

Anything above zero means you have more promoters than detractors. Scores vary widely by industry, so the most useful comparison is your own trend over time.

### How often should we run NPS?

A relationship survey every six to twelve months, plus surveys at key journey moments like onboarding and pre-renewal.

### What's the difference between NPS and CSAT?

NPS measures overall loyalty. CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction. See [CX vs. CSAT](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/).

## Want feedback that drives action?

CXChronicles designs NPS and voice of the customer programs and builds the closed-loop processes in your CRM. [Book a consultation](https://www.cxchronicles.com/contact-us/).

[View full post](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/nps-touchpoints-when-to-survey-customers-and-how-to-follow-up-with-detractors)

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