Diagnose and act on a weak Net Promoter Score at Walmart's physical stores

The net promoter score (NPS) for Walmart's offline business, its physical stores, is low. Suppose you are the product manager asked to look into it. Explain how you would approach the problem: how you would work out what is behind the score and how you would decide what to do about it. ```hint Check the ruler first Before looking for causes inside the stores, confirm what "low" is being compared against and whether anything about how, when or from whom the survey is collected could explain the score. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Low compared with what: Walmart's own past scores, its online business, or competing retailers? Has it fallen recently or been low for a long time? - How is the score collected (a receipt or app survey, an email after the visit, an in-store prompt), and has the method or the sample changed? - Which parts of the offline business are in scope: in-store shopping only, or also pickup, returns, the pharmacy and other in-store services, and which store formats and countries? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - What "low" means against a stated baseline, with the NPS calculation stated correctly - A check of how the score is measured and who answers, before any business explanation - Segmentation of the score to locate where detractors are concentrated - Hypotheses covering the in-store journey and outside factors, each paired with the data that would confirm or rule it out - Actions prioritized by the drivers found, with a way to prove they moved the score and the business outcomes behind it ### Follow-up Questions - If customer comments point to checkout waits but store labor budgets are fixed, what would you do? - How would you tell whether a change raised the score rather than changed who answers the survey? - If the score is low but in-store sales are still growing, how urgently would you act, and how would you make the case?