Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Definition
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric introduced by Fred Reichheld in 2003. It's calculated from responses to a single question: 'How likely are you to recommend this product/service to a friend or colleague?' on a 0–10 scale. Responses are bucketed: 9–10 are Promoters, 7–8 are Passives, 0–6 are Detractors. NPS is the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors, expressed as a number from -100 to +100. The calculation ignores Passives entirely.
Why it matters
NPS is widely used as a customer loyalty benchmark across industries, which makes it easy to compare scores over time and against competitors. It also produces an actionable segmentation: detractors need follow-up, passives are at risk, and promoters can be recruited for reviews and referrals. The single-question simplicity means high response rates and easy implementation — both reasons it became standard.
How it works
NPS programs typically involve: (1) running the survey at a defined cadence (quarterly is common, but in-app trigger-based timing produces higher response rates); (2) calculating the score and tracking it over time; (3) routing respondents to follow-up flows — detractors get a help conversation, promoters get a review or referral ask; (4) segmenting NPS by cohort, plan, or feature usage to find which user groups drive the score. The score itself is less valuable than the action that comes from it.