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Customer Experience

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a loyalty metric based on one question, how likely a customer is to recommend you from 0 to 10, and calculated as the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors.

Definition

NPS asks customers a single question: “How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?”, answered on a scale from 0 to 10. Answers are grouped into three categories: promoters (9 or 10), passives (7 or 8) and detractors (0 to 6). Passives are counted in the total but do not enter the score.

The formula is simple: NPS = % of promoters minus % of detractors. The result is not a percentage but a number between -100 and +100. It is usually followed by an open question, “What is the main reason for your score?”, because the number alone does not tell you what to fix. Survey it regularly, for example after onboarding or every quarter, and always compare it with your own previous results.

NPS is popular because it is quick to answer and easy to follow over time. Its limits are just as real: it summarises a relationship in one number, it says little about a specific interaction, and benchmarks between industries and countries are fragile. Use it as an entry point to conversations with promoters and detractors, not as a target to be reached at any cost.

Key points

  • Formula: percentage of promoters (9-10) minus percentage of detractors (0-6); passives (7-8) are ignored.
  • The score ranges from -100 to +100 and is not a percentage.
  • Always add an open question: the reason behind the score is where the value is.
  • Compare your NPS with your own history and segments rather than with other companies.
  • Contact detractors quickly: the score only improves if someone acts on the answers.

Example

A software company with 200 customers sends an NPS survey and receives 200 answers: 110 customers answer 9 or 10, 50 answer 7 or 8 and 40 answer 0 to 6. Promoters are 55%, detractors 20%, so NPS = 55 - 20 = +35. The team then calls the 40 detractors to understand what went wrong.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good NPS?

It depends on your industry, your market and how you collect answers, so there is no universal threshold. A positive score means you have more promoters than detractors. The most useful comparison is with your own previous scores and between your customer segments.

What is the difference between NPS and CSAT?

NPS measures overall loyalty and willingness to recommend, usually at relationship level. CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific moment, such as a support ticket or a delivery. Many teams use both: CSAT to fix interactions, NPS to follow the relationship.

How often should I send an NPS survey?

Often enough to see trends but not so often that customers get tired of answering. Many teams survey once a quarter or twice a year, and some add a survey after key moments such as onboarding. Whatever you choose, keep the same method so results stay comparable.

Related terms

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) is a metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a specific interaction, product or service, calculated as the share of satisfied answers among all survey responses.Customer Effort Score (CES)Customer effort score (CES) is a metric that measures how easy it was for a customer to get something done, such as solving a problem or completing a purchase, usually on a scale from very difficult to very easy.Voice of the Customer (VoC)Voice of the customer (VoC) is the practice of collecting, analysing and acting on what customers say about their needs, expectations and experience, through surveys, conversations, reviews and support exchanges.Closed-Loop FeedbackClosed-loop feedback is a process in which a company collects customer feedback, acts on it, and then goes back to the customer to say what was done, so that the loop between listening and action is closed.

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What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)? Definition and examples | Passisto