When you're setting up an NPS survey chatbot, the questions you ask after the initial score can make or break your insights.
The right follow-up questions help you understand not just the score, but the why behind it—and that's where conversational AI shines.
In this guide, we'll explore the best questions for each NPS segment (promoters, passives, detractors) and how AI can probe deeper to capture truly meaningful feedback.
Understanding NPS segments and their follow-up strategies
Net Promoter Score (NPS) segments responses into three clear groups based on the likelihood to recommend your product or service:
Promoters (9–10): These are your champions—focus on what delights them and how to amplify it.
Passives (7–8): They're satisfied but not enthusiastic—uncover what would push them to advocate.
Detractors (0–6): Critical feedback here—understand pain points without being defensive.
Each segment requires a thoughtful, unique follow-up approach. Without it, you risk missing the nuance that powers product growth and customer loyalty. Research shows companies that act on open-ended survey data see higher retention and satisfaction rates. In fact, organizations using dynamic NPS conversations achieve up to 37% higher response rates than static forms, and significantly faster insight cycles.[1]
AI-driven survey chatbots can adapt follow-ups in real time based on responses, making every conversation truly personalized and actionable.
Best questions for promoters (9-10 scores)
Promoters love your product—these are customers who shout about you from the rooftops. Their feedback is gold for understanding what truly works and how to nurture more fans like them.
Ask what specifically they love most: This zeros in on your strongest features, so you can double down where it matters most.
What do you love most about our product or service?
Probe about who they’d recommend to: Knowing their “perfect fit” helps refine your ideal customer profile and message.
Who do you think would benefit most from our product or service?
Explore what would make them stop using the product: This reveals hidden dealbreakers, protecting you from surprise churn.
Is there anything that could make you reconsider using our product or service?
With an AI survey, follow-ups go further. If someone mentions “speed,” the chatbot can instantly ask, “Can you describe a recent moment where our speed made a difference for you?”—bringing feedback to life.
Approach | Example |
|---|---|
Static follow-up | "Thank you for your feedback." |
AI-generated follow-up | "You mentioned enjoying our customer support. Could you share a specific experience that stood out?" |
Best questions for passives (7-8 scores)
Passives are tricky. They’re satisfied but not excited—vulnerable to competitors with a shinier offer or a better fit.
What would need to change for a 10: Directly ask what’s missing to turn their “meh” into “wow.”
What could we do to earn a 10 from you next time?
Compare to alternatives they’ve tried: Passives often weigh you against others. Find out where you win and lose.
How does our product or service compare to others you’ve used?
Ask about missing features or improvements: Passives see gaps that promoters ignore—these are your next unlocks.
What features or improvements would make our product or service better for you?
This is where conversational surveys shine. Passives often leave vague answers (“it’s fine”), so a follow-up like, “Could you tell me more about what felt just ‘fine’?” helps clarify. By using AI survey response analysis, you can spot patterns across dozens of “passive” responses—maybe a surprisingly common wishlist item or a subtle pain point you overlooked.[2]
Best questions for detractors (0-6 scores)
Detractor feedback can sting, but it’s crucial for improvement—and often the fastest route to actionable changes.
What’s the main reason for the low score: Don’t beat around the bush; surface the core issue right away.
What is the main reason for your score?
What would need to happen to improve their experience: Get beyond frustration and into their desired outcome.
What could we do to improve your experience with us?
Have they considered alternatives: This measures churn risk and can flag urgent competitive threats.
Have you considered using alternative products or services? Which ones?
AI follow-ups in a survey chatbot can probe sensitively here, avoiding canned or defensive wording. An AI survey builder lets you craft empathetic replies that acknowledge frustration and encourage honesty. When customers feel heard, they’re 45% more likely to provide detailed suggestions—even if they’re dissatisfied.[3]
Best of all, this conversational approach reduces abandonment, even among unhappy customers. People are more willing to stick with a chat that feels tailored to their answers than a rigid, one-size-fits-all form.
AI-powered probing techniques that capture the 'why'
AI adapts its probing in real time, turning basic survey replies into high-quality, narrative-rich insights. A good AI survey chatbot doesn’t just move to the next question—it asks smarter follow-ups based on your response.
Clarification probes: When things are vague, the AI asks for details, examples, or stories.
Could you provide a specific example of when you experienced this issue?
Emotional probes: The AI reads tone—if someone’s frustrated, it gently explores what hurt, what delighted, or how an event made them feel.
It seems this was frustrating for you. Could you tell us more about that experience?
Comparison probes: The AI seeks context, asking about previous experiences with other tools or services.
How does this compare to your prior experience with similar products?
For instance, if a passive shrugs with “It’s okay,” the chatbot responds, “What specific aspects made it feel just ‘okay’ instead of great?” You can customize these probes using the AI survey editor—define tone, prompt depth, and even exclude certain lines of inquiry.
That’s why these aren’t just surveys; they’re conversational surveys. Each exchange builds trust and gets you closer to the real “why.”
Implementation best practices for NPS chatbots
Timing is everything—trigger your NPS survey right after a purchase, onboarding milestone, or support interaction. You want honest, fresh memories—not faded impressions.
Practice | Example |
|---|---|
Good practice | Sending the survey immediately after a customer support call. |
Bad practice | Sending the survey weeks after the interaction, when details are forgotten. |
Manage survey frequency thoughtfully so users don’t get hit with too many requests—AI logic can ensure people only get the right prompt, at the right moment.
Response quality: Keep the initial NPS question simple. Let the AI survey builder handle complexity with smart, adaptive follow-ups, rather than overwhelming users at the start.
Language flexibility: Allow people to answer in their preferred language for more authentic, accurate feedback. Multilingual NPS chatbots show a 24% increase in response completions internationally.[1]
For stand-alone NPS campaigns, conversational survey pages work well. To catch users in context, consider in-product conversational surveys—the perfect fit for SaaS, ecommerce, or apps where timing is key.
Ready to build your NPS survey chatbot?
The right questions turn NPS from a vanity metric into a powerful source of insights. With an AI survey generator, you can easily design dynamic follow-ups that adapt to every response and probe the “why” behind every score. Specific delivers a best-in-class conversational survey experience, making feedback collection seamless and insightful—for both creators and respondents. Start creating your own survey using the techniques from this guide, and watch your feedback quality soar.