What is Net Promoter Score?
Definition + Examples
Definition
Net Promoter Score is a customer satisfaction metric calculated from a single survey question: 'On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?' Respondents scoring 9–10 are 'promoters,' 7–8 are 'passives,' and 0–6 are 'detractors.' NPS is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, expressed as a number from -100 to +100. The metric was developed by Fred Reichheld and Bain & Company in 2003.
Why it matters for small businesses
NPS is widely used precisely because it's simple. A single question, a single score, comparable across companies and over time. It correlates — imperfectly but meaningfully — with retention, referral rates, and growth. For small businesses, it's a way to take the temperature of the customer base quickly and identify which customers might be willing to refer, review, or advocate. The follow-up question ('what's the most important reason for your score?') often produces more useful insight than the score itself.
Examples
SaaS NPS-to-referral pipeline
A SaaS company sends an NPS survey 45 days after signup. Promoters automatically get a follow-up email inviting them to a referral program; detractors get routed to customer success. Referral signups triple.
Restaurant NPS by location
A multi-location restaurant tracks NPS by location. One location consistently scores 30 points below the others. A site visit reveals service issues; a six-week training program lifts the score and revenue.
DTC NPS as cohort filter
A DTC brand correlates NPS at month one with two-year retention. Customers scoring 9–10 retain at 71%; customers scoring 0–6 retain at 22%. They use early NPS as a churn-risk signal.
How to use net promoter score in your marketing
- 01Ask at the right moment — after value has been delivered but not so late that recall has faded.
- 02Track the score, but pay more attention to the qualitative follow-up. The 'why' is more actionable than the number.
- 03Route promoters into referral and review programs automatically.
- 04Route detractors to customer success or a recovery offer. Don't ignore them.
- 05Watch NPS by cohort and segment, not just blended. The trend matters more than the point-in-time number.
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Start freeRelated terms
A customer loyalty program is a structured rewards system that incentivizes repeat business from existing customers.
Referral marketing is the structured practice of incentivizing existing customers to recommend your business to new customers.
Cohort analysis is the practice of grouping customers by a shared characteristic — typically their acquisition date or acquisition channel — and tracking that group's behavior over time.
Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) is the deliberate effort to encourage customers to talk about your brand, product, or service to other people — in person, on social media, in reviews, in DMs, anywhere.