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One question that measures loyalty, not satisfaction
Net promoter score asks a customer a single question: "How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?" The answer is a number from 0 to 10. A 9 or 10 makes a promoter. A 7 or 8 is passive and drops out of the sum. A 0 to 6 is a detractor.
That measures something other than satisfaction. A customer can be satisfied and still tell nobody; a promoter does tell. For a small company that word of mouth is often the cheapest source of new business. In a sales funnel it is the stage after the sale: strong there, and new leads flow in at the top for free.
Frederick Reichheld, a consultant at Bain & Company, proposed the question in Harvard Business Review in December 2003. His claim: of all the questions in a customer survey, this one predicted growth best. Net Promoter Score is a trademark of Bain, Satmetrix and Reichheld, but anyone may use the method.
A hundred answers, one number
“How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?”
- Detractors (0 to 6)18
- Passives (7 and 8)30
- Promoters (9 and 10)52
52 percent promoters minus 18 percent detractors =NPS+34
Passives do not count in the score, but they are the easiest group to turn into promoters.
The subtraction, step by step
- Count your answers. Say 100 customers replied.
- Count the 9s and 10s: 52 promoters, so 52%.
- Count the 0 to 6 scores: 18 detractors, so 18%.
- Subtract: 52 minus 18 gives an NPS of plus 34. The 30 passives leave the sum.
What a score of plus 34 tells you
| NPS | What it says | What you do first |
|---|---|---|
| Below 0 | More detractors than promoters: more people speak against you than for you | Call the detractors and find the pattern in their complaints |
| 0 to 30 | Customers are reasonably happy but rarely enthusiastic | Ask passives what would turn their 8 into a 9 |
| 30 to 70 | A solid base of fans | Make recommending easy: a review link, a referral reward |
| Above 70 | Exceptional, often with a small, loyal customer base | Protect what you do and grow carefully |
Compare mostly with yourself, quarter after quarter. Scores differ widely by sector: a utility at plus 10 may be doing better than a hair salon at plus 40. Make a higher NPS a key result in your OKR and it gets attention every quarter.
NPS, CSAT or CES: which measure when
| Measure | The question | Scale | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPS | How likely are you to recommend us? | 0 to 10 | The relationship as a whole, once or twice a year and after a large job |
| CSAT | How satisfied are you with this delivery or call? | 1 to 5 | A single contact: a repair, a support ticket, a delivery |
| CES | How easy was it to get your issue handled? | 1 to 7 | Processes with friction: a return, a billing question, booking an appointment |
The Customer Effort Score comes from a 2010 Harvard Business Review article that found customers leave over effort far more than over a lack of delight. A small company rarely needs all three. Start with NPS after every job and add CES to the one process customers complain about.
A solar installer who added a text message
Take a solar panel installer who emails the NPS question two weeks after every installation, together with an open question: "What is the main reason for your score?" After six months he has the 100 answers above, an NPS of plus 34. Almost every detractor writes the same thing: nobody told them when the grid operator would come to inspect the system. An automatic text at three moments fixes it. Promoters get a link to leave a Google review right away, so their enthusiasm reaches people who do not know him yet.
The number itself fixed nothing. The open question did.
Measuring costs an email, following up costs time
A free form and an email after every job are enough to start. If you want it automatic, let the question go out from your CRM or your own client portal at a fixed moment after each job. Budget half an hour a week to call detractors and read answers; that is where the value sits. Promoters who leave reviews also strengthen your Google Business Profile. What it earns in money you work out with the ROI of whatever you improve.
Three ways to make the number meaningless
Surveying only happy customers flatters the score: ask everyone, at a fixed moment. Skipping the open question leaves you guessing why someone gave a 4. And tying NPS to bonuses makes staff ask for a 9 or 10, after which the number measures nothing.
About the score itself
What is a good NPS?
Anything above 0 means more promoters than detractors. Above 30 is solid, above 70 exceptional. More important than any threshold is whether your score rises quarter after quarter.
Why do the 7s and 8s not count?
Because they are satisfied without actively recommending you. They leave the sum, but they are the customers you can most easily turn into promoters: ask them what was missing.
How many answers do I need?
From about 50 the score becomes stable enough to track. With 20 or 30 answers, a single customer moves your score by 3 to 7 points.
When should I ask?
At a fixed moment after a finished job or delivery, for instance two weeks later, and once or twice a year for regular clients. Not right after a complaint, and not only with the customers you know best.