NPS is everywhere. In management reports, in team objectives, in conversations between marketers. But do you really know what this score means and how to use it effectively?
In this comprehensive guide, we explain everything you need to know about the Net Promoter Score: its definition, how it is calculated, how to interpret it, and, above all, how to use it in practice to improve your customer relationships.
The NPS (Net Promoter Score) is an indicator that measures the likelihood that your customers will recommend your company, product, or service to their friends and family.
Unlike CSAT, which measures immediate satisfaction after an interaction, NPS captures something deeper: your customers' overall loyalty to your brand.
Created in 2003 by Fred Reichheld (consultant at Bain & Company), NPS has become one of the most widely used KPIs in the world for measuring customer experience.
The NPS is based on a single question:
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [our company/product/service] to a friend or colleague?
That's it. One question. Ten seconds to answer it. And yet, this simplicity hides remarkable predictive power.
Based on their response, your customers are classified into three categories:
They are your most loyal fans. They love your product, tell others about it, and will come back without hesitation.
They are satisfied but not enthusiastic. They won't say anything bad about you, but they won't actively recommend you either.
Warning: these customers are dissatisfied and could potentially damage your reputation.
Calculating NPS is simple:
NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors
Liabilities are not included in the calculation (but they are counted in the total number of respondents).
You send an NPS questionnaire to 1,000 customers. You receive 800 responses:
NPS = 40% - 25% = +15
Your NPS is +15.
The NPS ranges from -100 (all your customers are Detractors) to +100 (all are Promoters).
The NPS varies greatly depending on the sector:
An NPS of +25 may be excellent in telecommunications but mediocre in e-commerce. Always compare yourself to your industry.
These three indicators are complementary, not interchangeable:
For a complete picture, use all three! NPS for the overall relationship, CSAT and CES after each important interaction.
The NPS score alone is not enough. The magic happens when you add:
"What explains your rating?" or "How could we improve?"
These qualitative responses give you the reasons behind the score. This is where you discover:
With AI, you can automatically analyze these verbatim comments to identify recurring themes and your customers' sentiments.
An identified detractor = an opportunity to catch up.
A well-treated detractor can become a promoter! That's the paradox of customer service.
Passives are one "wow" away from becoming Promoters. How can you create that wow?
Your promoters are your best acquisition channel!
The NPS reflects the entire customer journey. To improve it sustainably:
That's exactly what AI-powered customer service automation enables: faster, more accurate responses for happier customers.
The number alone is useless. Without analyzing the verbatim comments and taking action, the NPS is just another Excel spreadsheet.
"Give us a 10 if you're satisfied!" Avoid influencing responses. You'll skew your data and lose the value of the indicator.
A questionnaire after every interaction = customer fatigue = plummeting response rates = biased data.
Your NPS of +30 vs. Apple's +70? That comparison is irrelevant. Compare yourself to your direct competitors.
Measuring without acting is worse than not measuring at all. Customers who take the time to respond expect it to be useful.
Several solutions are available depending on your needs:
Customer service has a major impact on NPS. A Gartner study shows that:
Investing in your customer service = investing in your NPS = investing in your growth.
Above 0, you have more Promoters than Detractors. Above 50 is excellent. But always compare with your industry.
Because they are neutral: they don't harm you, but they don't help you either. NPS measures the "balance" between those who push you forward and those who hold you back.
No, they complement each other. NPS for the overall relationship, CSAT for specific interactions.
A minimum of 100 responses is required to obtain a statistically significant score. Ideally, 200+ responses are preferred.
Relational NPS: quarterly. Transactional NPS: after each key event, without over-soliciting.
The NPS (Net Promoter Score) is much more than just a number. It is a comprehensive system for:
The keys to success with NPS:
And remember: excellent customer service is the #1 lever for improving your NPS. Find out how Klark can help you.
