Why Is Apple’s NPS the Best In the Industry?

Are you looking to take your customer satisfaction up a notch and stand out from the competition? Apple is one of the best companies to look to for inspiration. 

Known for its uncompromising commitment to customer service and excellent quality products, the company sets unsurpassed customer experience standards. 

Sales volumes and revenue growth aside, one of the key metrics that reflects the brand’s quality is the Net Promoter Score. In 2022, it was reported to rise to 72, way above the consumer electronics industry average of 54.

Why is Apple’s NPS so high? Read on to discover some of the reasons and implement the lessons in your business. 

Want to start measuring your own NPS? Sign into your Survicate account and use this template for free:

What is Net Promoter Score?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a popular metric that can help you measure customer loyalty and gauge overall customer satisfaction with your brand. 

The NPS formula is simple: ask your customers to rate, on a scale from 0 to 10, how likely they are to recommend your product or service to others. 

To find out more about what NPS is and how to calculate it, head to our dedicated blog post "Net Promoter Score: What Is It and How to Calculate It."

Remember that you can add a follow-up question to your NPS survey to get your respondents to elaborate on their answer. Dive deep into your score with this survey template:

Why is Apple's Net Promoter Score higher than the industry average?

Apple's above-average NPS didn’t materialize out of a vacuum. It’s been steadily growing over the years as the company kept delivering on customer expectations. 

Customer-centric approach

Apple has absolutely mastered the customer-centric approach, meaning it focuses on the customers’ needs first and formost. From the design of its products to its customer service, everything is tailored with user experience in mind.

Apple's products are valued for their sleek design, ease of use, and reliability. This customer-centric approach has helped Apple build a loyal customer base that is more likely to recommend the company’s products to others.

Innovation and quality

Ever since its inception, Apple has been constantly pushing the boundaries of technology and introducing new products designed to make our lives easier. 

Apple's products are known for their reliability and durability, which means that customers can trust that their investment will last them for years. This commitment to innovation and quality has helped Apple build a reputation as a brand that customers can trust.

To be able to consistently release innovative products that prioritize customer experience, Apple relies on a company structure that centers on functional expertise. It’s based on the belief that those with the most expertise in a given domain should make decisions in their area. 

Another reason Apple consistently scores highly on NPS is the fact that it adheres to the “sell an experience, not a product” rule and harnesses creative stories that enhance those experiences. 

Brand image and reputation

Apple has not always enjoyed the same reputation it does today. However, it’s cultivated its distinctive brand image through clear and relevant messaging and consistent identity seamlessly woven throughout all aspects of its business. 

Apple has kept a consistent brand image since its early days in the 1970s. Even though its imagery, including logo and designs, has understandably changed throughout the years, in the minds of customers Apple has always been associated with youthful, creative, intuitive, and cutting-edge tech solutions. 

Although Apple’s clean and minimalist logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the US, its first version in 1976 looked very different: 

The logo has evolved throughout the decades to reach its current form, used in black, white and grey (or silver) depending on the application. Its sleek and minimalist design perfectly captures the company’s spirit and the products it offers.

Marketing and advertising

Apple's marketing and advertising campaigns are also a factor in the company’s above-average NPS score. Its ads are known for their simplicity and creativity, and they often focus on the benefits of its products rather than their features. This approach helps customers immediately grasp the value that Apple's products can bring to their lives. 

Apple's marketing campaigns are also highly targeted. The company understands its target audience, the premium end of the market, and creates marketing campaigns that resonate with its customers. 

The company’s marketing campaigns also leverage the power of social proof, including testimonials from satisfied customers. The company has also mastered the skill of turning customers into brand ambassadors.

Attention to detail

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One of the many things that make Apple legendary is its attention to detail. Here are just some examples of it based on its current and previous products:

• On MacBooks, you need to hold the “CapsLock” key slightly longer to activate the function. This is to prevent accidental keystrokes. 
• Apple guides new users in the left-to-right motion to unlock their iPhone by making the text instruction shine from left to right.
• When someone calls you and your phone is locked, you will see a slider to unlock your phone and answer the call at the same time.

Attention to detail is what can set you apart from your competition, too. You can, for instance, ask your users what they like and dislike about your product and what features they’d like to see how to improve their user experience, using this free survey template:  

Focus on employee satisfaction

Apple was one of the first companies to start measuring eNPS, which stands for Employee Net Promoter Score. It recognized early on that its own employees need to be its promoters for it to remain competitive. At the end of the day, a company cannot serve its customers well if its staff is burnt out or disengaged. 

In 2022, Apple’s eNPS score was 19. Even though it might not seem impressive in comparison to its NPS, it’s still a good score given that employees tend to be harsher critics than customers.  

One of the factors that contribute to Apple's high employee satisfaction is its focus on employee development. Apple provides its employees with numerous opportunities to learn and grow in their careers. The company offers various training programs, including the Apple University, which provides employees with courses on business strategy, management, and creativity.

To achieve business success, take care of your employees: it will pay off in the long run. Companies with highly engaged employees outperform their competitors with less satisfied employees by up to 20% and experience significantly reduced staff turnover. 

Start by asking your colleagues for feedback with this employee satisfaction survey template:

Customer feedback and improvement

Apple takes a proactive approach to addressing customer feedback. The company has a dedicated team of customer support agents who are available 24/7 to help customers with any issues or concerns they may have. Apple also uses customer feedback to guide future product development, ensuring that new products and features meet the needs and preferences of its customers.

Apple uses its own internal feedback system, known as Apple Feedback Assistant. This is an application that is pre-installed on every Apple device, allowing users to report any issues or concerns they may have directly to the company.

The feedback assistant allows customers to provide detailed information about any problems they are experiencing, such as bugs, crashes, or other technical issues. This information is then sent directly to Apple's engineering team, who can use it to identify and fix problems.

In addition to its internal feedback system, Apple also collects feedback through various other channels, including social media, email, and phone. For example, customers can contact Apple's customer support team directly to report issues or ask for help, and these interactions are logged and analyzed by the company.

Apple also conducts customer surveys to gather feedback on specific products or services. These surveys are typically sent out to a random sample of customers, and ask questions about their experience using the product or service, as well as their overall satisfaction. Apple analyzes the results of these surveys to identify areas for improvement and to guide future product development.

Once Apple has collected customer feedback, the company employs a variety of tools and strategies to analyze this data. One of the key tools used by Apple is machine learning.

‍Apple has developed sophisticated algorithms that can analyze large amounts of data in real time, allowing the company to quickly identify patterns and trends. For example, if multiple customers report the same issue with a particular product, Apple's machine learning algorithms can quickly identify this as a priority issue and escalate it to the appropriate team for resolution before customers leave negative reviews online. 

You too can make sure you never miss any customer insights. On top of NPS, try the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) survey to understand your customers’ needs and discover how to change and improve for them. Use the CSAT template below for free: 

Measure NPS with Survicate

Apple has been surpassing all customer experience standards for decades, which has aided the company’s meteoric growth since its humble beginnings almost 50 years ago. 

The good news is that you too can exceed your customers’ expectations, and you don’t need a huge budget. 

In fact, all you need to get started is to send a survey to your customers asking them what they appreciate about your brand and what they dislike. 

With Survicate, you can launch an NPS or any other survey in a matter of minutes using our intuitive survey builder. Join Survicate and revolutionize your approach to customer feedback analysis. Start with a free account and enjoy a 10-day trial with essential features. Don't forget to review our pricing.