Metrics & KPIs

NPS (Net Promoter Score)

NPS measures customer loyalty and likelihood to recommend, calculated from a 0-10 survey question grouped into Promoters, Passives, Detractors.

What Is Net Promoter Score?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer experience metric that measures customer loyalty and likelihood to recommend a company, product, or service. It is calculated from a single survey question — "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" — answered on a 0-10 scale.

NPS is the most widely used loyalty metric in B2B and consumer businesses because it correlates strongly with revenue growth, retention, and word-of-mouth referrals.

How to Calculate NPS

Survey responses are categorized into three groups based on the 0-10 score:

  • Promoters (9-10): Loyal customers likely to recommend
  • Passives (7-8): Satisfied but not enthusiastic; vulnerable to competitive offers
  • Detractors (0-6): Unhappy customers who can damage brand through negative word-of-mouth

NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors

The result is a number between -100 and +100. Example: 100 responses, 60 Promoters, 25 Passives, 15 Detractors. NPS = 60% − 15% = +45.

NPS Benchmarks by Industry

Industry Average NPS Top-Quartile NPS
BPO / Contact Centers +25 +50+
SaaS / B2B Tech +30 +60+
Financial Services +20 +45+
Healthcare +15 +40+
Telecom -5 +30+
Insurance +10 +35+

A positive NPS indicates more Promoters than Detractors. Above +50 is generally considered excellent. Below 0 means more Detractors than Promoters and signals systemic CX issues.

NPS vs CSAT vs CES

NPS measures loyalty (likelihood to recommend, relationship-level). CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction. CES measures effort required to get an issue resolved. Each answers a different question, and high-performing contact centers track all three. NPS shifts slowly; CSAT shifts fast and is more diagnostic for individual interactions.

How AI QA Correlates to NPS

NPS is a relationship metric driven by hundreds of micro-interactions over time. AI-powered call analysis can identify which specific call behaviors correlate with NPS movement: average handle time, first call resolution, agent tone, dead air, and resolution clarity. By auditing 100% of calls (instead of 2-5% sampling), AI QA surfaces the behavioral patterns that drive Promoters vs Detractors at the customer-segment level. Contact centers using automated call scoring can run NPS-correlated coaching: rather than coaching every agent on the same checklist, focus coaching on the specific behaviors most associated with NPS movement in that operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good NPS score?

NPS varies widely by industry. For BPOs and contact centers, +25 is average, +40 is good, +50+ is top-quartile. SaaS averages higher (+30 to +60). Telecom and insurance trend lower. Compare against your industry benchmark, not absolute numbers.

Should NPS be measured per-interaction or at the relationship level?

NPS is a relationship metric — it should be measured periodically (quarterly or after key milestones), not after every interaction. For interaction-level satisfaction, use CSAT instead.

How is NPS different from CSAT?

NPS measures overall loyalty and likelihood to recommend on a 0-10 scale. CSAT measures satisfaction with a specific interaction on a 1-5 or 1-10 scale. NPS is relationship-level and changes slowly; CSAT is interaction-level and changes call-by-call.

Can AI predict NPS?

Indirectly. AI cannot predict whether a customer will recommend you, but it can identify the call behaviors and outcomes that historically correlate with NPS in your operation — and flag interactions that have those characteristics for follow-up.


Related Reading


Last updated: April 2026