Net Promoter Score is everywhere because it’s simple: one question, one number, easy to track over time. That simplicity is also its trap, a single figure invites over-reading. Here’s what NPS is, what counts as “good,” and how to keep it honest.
How NPS is calculated
Ask one question (“how likely are you to recommend us: 0 to 10?”), and bucket the answers:
- Promoters (9-10): loyal enthusiasts.
- Passives (7-8): satisfied but unenthusiastic.
- Detractors (0-6): unhappy, and a churn and word-of-mouth risk.
NPS = % promoters − % detractorsPassives count toward the totals but not the score, so the result ranges from −100 (everyone a detractor) to +100 (everyone a promoter).
What counts as good
The commonly-cited heuristic bands:
- Above 0: more promoters than detractors. The minimum bar.
- 30+: generally considered good; most customers are happy.
- 50+: excellent; a strong base of advocates.
- 70+: world-class, the territory of the most loved brands.
These bands vary a lot by industry (sectors with naturally low goodwill score lower across the board), so the useful comparison is within your own sector and, above all, against your own trend over time.
Why to read it as a direction, not a verdict
NPS compresses a whole distribution into one figure, drops the passives entirely, and shifts with who you ask and when. A score with no context (sample size, segment, timing) is easy to misuse. Two honest habits help: segment it (new vs long-tenured customers can differ sharply) and prefer transactional NPS (asked right after a specific interaction) over a single relational number, because it ties sentiment to a concrete moment you can act on.
Where NPS fits with analytics
NPS is stated sentiment; product analytics is revealed behavior. The two are strongest together: a detractor who also shows declining usage and rising churn risk is a different, more urgent story than a detractor who’s still highly active. Putting a survey score next to a unified profile turns an abstract number into a person you can understand.
Calculate yours
Use the free NPS calculator to turn promoter and detractor counts into a score. Then don’t stop at the number: segment it, watch the trend, and read it alongside what those customers actually do. For related targets, see what a good retention rate is.