NPS
net promoter scoreNPS (net promoter score) measures how likely your customers are to recommend you, on a 0–10 scale. Respondents split into promoters (9–10), passives (7–8) and detractors (0–6), and NPS is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors.
Good to know
NPS is a blunt but comparable signal of relationship health, and it predicts churn reasonably well. The most valuable part of the survey is the open follow-up question, why did you give this score: the numbers give direction, the answers give the reason.
Timing colours the result: right after a successful delivery the score peaks, right after a problem it bottoms. Comparability requires sending the survey at the same point of the relationship every time. In B2B, also separate the scores of decision-makers and daily users: they experience the service differently and churn for different reasons.
FORMULA
How NPS is calculated
NPS is the share of promoters minus the share of detractors, expressed as a whole number between −100 and +100.
NPS = promoters % − detractors %
Passives do not affect the score but are counted in the respondent total.
EXAMPLE
An NPS of +40 is a good result in most industries. Anything above zero means promoters outnumber detractors.
PITFALLS
Two ways to misread NPS
The survey only goes to the happy
If the survey is sent only to active customers, detractors never answer. The number improves, reality does not.
The score is stared at without the reasons
NPS without the open follow-up question is just a thermometer. Only the answers tell you what to fix.
A small sample is declared the truth
An NPS from twenty respondents swings tens of points by chance. Numbers below a hundred answers are direction, not results.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
What is a good NPS?+
Above 0 is reasonable, above +30 good and above +50 excellent. Industries differ widely, so compare primarily against your own previous score.
How often should NPS be measured?+
Continuously on a small sample, for example after a purchase or a service touchpoint, and across the whole base once or twice a year.
What does NPS not tell you?+
It does not tell you why the score is what it is, or whether an individual respondent will buy. Without open answers, NPS is just a number.
When should the NPS survey be sent?+
Tie it to a stage of the relationship: for example two weeks after onboarding or right after a service touchpoint. The same timing every round keeps scores comparable.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
