What is net promoter score?

Net promoter score (NPS) measures customer loyalty with one question — “how likely are you to recommend us?” on a 0–10 scale — and one formula: the percentage of promoters (9–10) minus the percentage of detractors (0–6), yielding a score from -100 to +100. Passives (7–8) count in the denominator but not the score.

NPS is most useful as a trend and a comparison, not an absolute: scores vary wildly by industry and survey method, so “is 40 good?” has no answer while “we’re up 10 points and ahead of both rivals” does. Public review ratings serve as a rough competitive proxy when you can’t see a competitor’s NPS — the sentiment behind them moves for the same reasons.