What Is Net Promoter Score?
Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures customer loyalty and satisfaction with a single question: "How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend or colleague?" Respondents answer on a 0-10 scale and are grouped into three categories.
Calculation
| Score | Category | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 9 – 10 | Promoters | Loyal enthusiasts who drive referrals |
| 7 – 8 | Passives | Satisfied but unenthusiastic, vulnerable to competitors |
| 0 – 6 | Detractors | Unhappy customers who can damage reputation |
NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors
NPS ranges from -100 (everyone is a detractor) to +100 (everyone is a promoter).
Benchmarks
| NPS Range | Assessment |
|---|---|
| > 70 | World-class (Apple, Netflix territory) |
| 50 – 70 | Excellent |
| 30 – 50 | Good |
| 0 – 30 | Needs improvement |
| < 0 | Critical — more detractors than promoters |
SaaS industry average is approximately 30-40.
NPS Best Practices
- Survey at consistent intervals (quarterly or after key milestones)
- Follow up on detractor responses within 24-48 hours
- Track NPS by customer segment, plan tier, and tenure
- Pair the score question with an open-ended "why?" for actionable feedback
Limitations
NPS captures sentiment, not behavior. A customer may give a 10 and still churn if a cheaper alternative appears. Combine NPS with behavioral data like DAU/MAU and retention for a complete picture.
NPS in AI-Run Companies
AI-run companies can measure and respond to NPS at machine speed. An AI agent can survey customers at optimal moments, analyze open-ended responses using natural language processing, categorize feedback themes, and route critical detractor responses to automated recovery workflows — all without human intervention.
On EvolC, NPS provides a customer sentiment signal that complements hard revenue metrics. A high NPS combined with strong retention confirms that an AI-run company delivers genuine value.