Customer-oriented companies are committed to their clients and always want to offer them optimum service. This is best achieved by knowing how customers experience the company and its services. The Net Promoter Approach (NPA) is a targeted concept which, besides customer satisfaction, determines the willingness to recommend the company via the Net Promoter Score (NPS).
Net Promoter Approach for a Better Performance
At DHL Freight, everything is about our customers and their freight. It is not just about getting it from A to B as quickly as possible; our logistics service should meet our customers’ expectations in every respect. The NPA is designed to find out more about our customers’ satisfaction and their willingness to recommend us to others. We want to know how customers really rate our services. This is the only way we can become even better – and our customers can learn that we value them and their feedback.
NPA as a Cycle of Optimization
NPA is an instrument for continuously improving the customer experience on an individual level and thus positively influencing the company’s success – this individual approach distinguishes NPA from CSS (Context-sensitive solutions), for example, in which strategic measures are developed for all customers. Improvement succeeds by using NPA as a strategic tool to make processes and optimization needs transparent in all countries and enable targeted measures.
First, customer feedback is collected systematically and continuously via customer surveys. Dissatisfied customers in particular are contacted personally by a manager. In direct exchange, the negative feedback is understood in detail and a solution can be found as early as possible. In the final step, concrete measures are derived from the individual analyses to sustainably improve what is perceived as deficient: in product development, in sales, or in customer service. Ideally, these improvements are reflected positively in the next feedback – and the cycle begins again.
The Net Promoter Score Indicates a Company’s Status
The NPS is the key figure in the NPA system for the willingness to recommend the company to others. This score is determined by asking customers about crucial aspects of the company’s service. Customers rate the company on a scale of 0 to 10. Values of 7 to 8 are the neutral range (“passives”), 9 to 10 are the positive evaluators who would recommend the company (“promoters”). Finally, those who rate a service between 0 and 6 are the “detractors”. It is unlikely that they would recommend the company.
How to Calculate the NPS
When calculating the NPS, the “passives” are not taken into account and the percentage of “detractors” is deducted from the percentage of “promoters”. This difference value results in the NPS, which can thus be a maximum of plus 100 (with 0 “detractors”) or, at the other extreme, as low as minus 100 (with 0 “promoters”).
The NPS brought to a formula:
NPS = promoters (in percent of respondents) - Detractors (in percent of respondents)
For example: If 55 percent of respondents give 9 or 10 points and 17 percent 6 points or less, the equation is: 55-17=38. According to this calculation, the company’s NPS is 38 – and should be improved. The NPS can be calculated for an individual category or in summary for the company’s overall performance.
NPA at DHL Freight
Logistics is a complex field of business. To design a transport logistics service so that both consignor and consignee can be fully satisfied with our performance, the interlocking process steps in a multi-link supply chain must merge smoothly. Capacity, resources, routing, flexibility – paving the way for your freight requires careful planning and the right decisions. To aid us in this effort, we want to ask you through NPA. Your feedback helps us identify your priorities and ensure a smooth process flow.
An NPA survey is not anonymous at DHL Freight. There is a good reason for this: We are committed to contacting every person within two weeks who gives us a maximum of only 6 points and thus a negative rating. In this way, we want to get closer to the customer’s needs and ensure that the reason for dissatisfaction is identified and eliminated. The survey is conducted by the representations in the respective countries. They contact the customer the first time by phone or e-mail. The second contact is always by a personal call.
Conclusion
We want your freight to reach its destination as quickly, efficiently, safely, and sustainably as possible, now and in the future. That is why we at DHL Freight are continuously working on our performance. With your help and via the Net Promoter Approach, we can continue to improve our logistics services.
