nettopromoterscore

Net promoter score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric used to gauge how likely customers are to recommend a company’s products or services. It is based on a single question presented to customers: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” The simplicity and ease of benchmarking have contributed to its widespread adoption.

Responses are categorized into promoters (9–10), passives (7–8), and detractors (0–6). The net promoter score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters: NPS = %promoters − %detractors. The score can range from -100 to +100 and is often reported alongside individual question results and segment analyses.

NPS is commonly used to monitor customer loyalty over time, compare performance across products or regions, and identify areas for improvement. It is typically collected through periodic surveys after purchases, support interactions, or product usage, and can be analyzed by customer segment, channel, or time period. A higher NPS is interpreted as greater customer advocacy, though it does not specify the underlying reasons for scores.

Limitations and criticisms include its reliance on a single question, potential for cultural or linguistic bias, and the fact that it does not directly measure satisfaction or long-term business outcomes. Critics caution that NPS should be complemented with qualitative feedback and other metrics (such as customer effort score or CSAT) for a fuller view of customer experience.

The concept was popularized in the early 2000s by Fred Reichheld, Bain & Company, and Satmetrix, and has since become a widely used, though debated, benchmark in customer experience management.