What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?
Net Promoter Score is a customer loyalty metric developed by Bain & Company that answers one question: how likely are your customers to recommend you? Respondents rate their likelihood on a 0 to 10 scale and fall into three groups. Promoters (9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others. Passives (7-8) are satisfied but vulnerable to competitive offerings. Detractors (0-6) are unhappy customers who can damage your brand through negative word-of-mouth.
The score itself ranges from -100 (every respondent is a detractor) to +100 (every respondent is a promoter). What makes NPS powerful is its simplicity: one number that captures the overall health of your customer relationships. Companies worldwide use NPS as a leading indicator of growth because businesses with higher scores consistently grow faster than competitors in the same industry.
How to Calculate Your NPS
Start by surveying your customers with the standard NPS question. The wording matters: ask exactly how likely they are to recommend your company, product, or service to a friend or colleague, on a scale of 0 to 10. Collect enough responses to make the data meaningful. For most businesses, 100 or more responses provide a reliable snapshot.
Once you have your responses, count the number of Promoters, Passives, and Detractors. Calculate the percentage of each group relative to total respondents. Then subtract the Detractor percentage from the Promoter percentage. That is your NPS. Passives count toward the total but do not directly affect the score. They represent an opportunity: customers who could become promoters with the right experience improvements.
Our calculator handles all of this math for you. Enter your raw counts and see your score, interpretation, and industry comparison instantly. Run it after every survey cycle to track whether your customer experience investments are moving the needle.
What Is a Good NPS Score?
Context matters more than absolute numbers. Any positive score means you have more promoters than detractors, which is a healthy starting point. Scores between 0 and 30 are considered good. Scores between 30 and 70 are considered great and put you ahead of most businesses. Scores above 70 are exceptional and typically reserved for companies with cult-like customer loyalty.
Industry benchmarks provide the most useful comparison. A score of 40 in telecommunications would be outstanding, but 40 in consulting would be average. Our calculator shows you how your score stacks up against typical benchmarks for SaaS, e-commerce, healthcare, financial services, consulting, retail, insurance, and telecom.
The trend matters more than any single reading. An NPS that moves from 25 to 35 over two quarters tells you more about your trajectory than a static score of 50. Track your NPS consistently over time, correlate it with specific initiatives, and use the data to prioritize improvements that drive loyalty.