Text Science: Turning NPS Open-Ended Comments into Actionable Intelligence
- Renato Silvestre
- May 9
- 2 min read
Most companies collect open-ended feedback. Few truly listen to it.
We get many customer comments, NPS surveys, chat logs, call center transcripts, and reviews. Yet, the full value of these comments often goes unrealized.
At STRATEGENCE, we challenged a simple idea: What if brands could truly understand customer feedback—not just score it?
That's the goal of Text Science, our proprietary method for transforming open-ended comments in market research surveys into clear, strategic insights that reveal what customers truly mean and what drives or damages loyalty.
We applied this to a client’s NPS study. While we didn’t rewrite the NPS question, we enhanced it to deliver real, actionable insights using the following Text Science–powered approach.
Brand and Product Usage: Participants shared the brands they use and the specific products they've experienced.
Recommendation Rating: They answered the classic 0–10 question: "How likely are you to recommend this brand?"
Open-Ended Feedback: Respondents shared the reason behind their rating in their preferred format, whether typed text, audio, or video.
Perception Statements: A short series of statements followed to capture deeper attitudes and perceptions toward the brand.
What Makes Text Science Different?
This isn't NLP theater or a "black box." It's a conversational mapping system. It analyzes how words connect, not just how often they show up.
It reveals:
Semantic clusters – Shows how ideas naturally group
Sentiment strength – Scores each term on a –100 to +100 scale
Polarization – Identifies words that divide opinions (like "fees") and the extent
Verbatim drilldowns – Link each term to actual responses and their context
What We Found Relative to Category and Brand Level NPS
Across the telecom, financial services, and insurance sectors, the insights were highly actionable, revealing which specific words, phrases, and contexts had the most significant impact on consumer behavior. Here are just a few examples:
"Helpful" = ladders up to high trust. It strengthens customer service and advisor ties.
"Fees" = polarizing. It has slightly positive sentiment but stirs strong emotions.
"Reliable" = mixed. Some praise it, while others feel frustrated. In telecom, "outages,"
"price hikes," and "dropped calls" created a red zone of dissatisfaction.
In financial services, we found that Promoters emphasized retirement, advisors, and trust, while Detractors focused on credit cards, checking accounts, and fees.
We then applied Bayesian Network Analysis to identify driver pathways or the strongest links between specific words or themes and high or low NPS scores. It wasn't only their words; it was how those words shaped their view of the customer journey.
So What?
Many NPS programs stop at the number. They miss the story. Text Science helps you:
Understand the emotional landscape of your customer experience
Identify loyalty drivers and causes of churn
Focus on solutions using real customer language, their meaning, and intent
Our approach turns passive listening into actionable intelligence.
Let's Talk
If your VOC analysis relies on word clouds, basic tags, or clunky dashboards, you’re missing important details. Words can build brands or break them. Let’s make sure you’re hearing what matters and turning it into action.
Want to turbocharge your NPS study? Contact me at rsilveste@strategence-us.com or book a consultation today here.
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