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NPS (Net Promoter Score)

Definition

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend your product or service to others. Customers rate their likelihood on a 0-10 scale and are classified as Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), or Detractors (0-6). NPS = % Promoters minus % Detractors.

How it works

NPS is calculated from a single survey question: "How likely are you to recommend [Company] to a friend or colleague?" on a 0-10 scale.

  • Promoters (9-10): Loyal enthusiasts who actively refer others
  • Passives (7-8): Satisfied but unenthusiastic; vulnerable to competitive offers
  • Detractors (0-6): Unhappy customers who can damage your brand through negative word-of-mouth

NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors (score ranges from -100 to +100)

Unlike CSAT (which measures individual interaction satisfaction), NPS measures overall brand relationship and loyalty. A customer might rate a single support interaction 5/5 (high CSAT) but still be a Detractor on NPS because of product dissatisfaction. The two metrics complement each other.

Why it matters

NPS is the most widely used loyalty metric in business, correlated with revenue growth and customer retention. For support teams, NPS reveals whether customer service is building or eroding brand loyalty, not just resolving individual tickets but shaping the overall customer relationship.

How Chatsy uses it

Chatsy helps improve NPS indirectly by ensuring every customer interaction is fast, accurate, and helpful. AI chatbots that resolve issues instantly and human agents who receive full context for complex issues create positive support experiences that move customers from Detractors to Passives and Passives to Promoters.

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What else should I know about NPS (Net Promoter Score)?

It is a relational metric (overall brand health) unlike CSAT which is transactional (per-interaction quality)

Key takeaways

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Example scenarios

  1. 01

    Post-support NPS survey

    After resolving a support conversation, the customer receives an NPS survey a few days later. Analysis reveals that customers who received AI-resolved answers within 5 seconds have an NPS 15 points higher than those who waited 2+ hours for email responses, quantifying the AI support ROI in loyalty terms.

  2. 02

    Detractor recovery program

    When a customer submits an NPS score of 0-6, the system automatically creates a priority ticket for the customer success team. A personal follow-up within 24 hours recovers 30% of Detractors, converting them to Passives or Promoters through direct attention to their concerns.

  3. 03

    NPS-driven knowledge base improvements

    NPS follow-up comments reveal that Detractors frequently mention "confusing billing" and "hard to cancel." The team creates clear billing FAQ articles and a simple cancellation flow in the AI chatbot. Six months later, billing-related Detractor comments drop by 60%.

Key takeaways

  • NPS measures overall brand loyalty on a -100 to +100 scale: Promoters (9-10) minus Detractors (0-6)
  • It is a relational metric (overall brand health) unlike CSAT which is transactional (per-interaction quality)
  • Compare NPS with your own baseline over time; averages vary widely by segment and survey method
  • Support quality directly influences NPS: fast, accurate resolution moves Detractors toward Promoters
  • NPS follow-up comments are a goldmine for identifying systemic product and service issues

Frequently asked questions

NPS varies by industry, audience, survey timing, and methodology. Compare your score with a consistent internal baseline. If you use an external benchmark, cite a current study that matches your segment and survey method.

CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction ("How was this support experience?"). NPS measures overall brand loyalty ("How likely are you to recommend us?"). A customer can have high CSAT (great support experience) but low NPS (unhappy with the product overall). Both metrics are valuable and complementary.

Most companies survey NPS quarterly or semi-annually to track trends. Avoid surveying the same customer more than once per quarter to prevent survey fatigue. Transactional NPS (sent after specific interactions) can be more frequent but should be distinguished from relationship NPS.

Yes, indirectly. AI chatbots that resolve issues instantly, provide accurate information, and offer seamless human handoff create positive support experiences. Support quality is one of the drivers of NPS, so track your score before and after launch rather than assuming a fixed lift.

NPS stands for Net Promoter Score. Customers answer one question on a 0-10 scale: "How likely are you to recommend us?" Scores 9-10 are Promoters, 7-8 Passives, and 0-6 Detractors. NPS is calculated as the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors, giving a number between -100 and +100.

In healthcare, NPS is most often the same Net Promoter Score, applied to patient experience instead of customers. Note that "NPS" can also be used as an unrelated abbreviation in clinical contexts (for example, neuropsychiatric symptoms or numeric pain scale), so the meaning depends on the document.

Related terms

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Further reading

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