NPS
Definition
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric in customer experience and user experience (UX) research. It is designed to assess customer loyalty and satisfaction by asking a single question: "On a scale from 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?" Based on their responses, customers are categorized into three groups: Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), and Detractors (0-6).
NPS is crucial for UX professionals as it provides a straightforward and quantifiable measure of user sentiment. By analyzing the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors, organizations can obtain a score that reflects overall customer satisfaction and loyalty. This score helps inform business decisions and prioritize areas for improvement.
Moreover, NPS is not merely a number; it opens the door for deeper insights. It often serves as a starting point for follow-up questions that can uncover the reasons behind customers' scores. Understanding these factors is essential for enhancing the user experience and fostering loyalty.
Expanded Definition
The concept of NPS was introduced by Fred Reichheld in his 2003 Harvard Business Review article, and it has since become a standard in customer feedback systems. NPS is especially valuable because it correlates with revenue growth and customer retention, making it a key performance indicator for many businesses.
Over time, companies have recognized that NPS can be used not only to measure customer satisfaction but also to drive strategic initiatives aimed at improving the overall user experience. By continuously monitoring NPS, organizations can track changes in customer sentiment and adjust their offerings accordingly.
Key Activities
Conduct NPS surveys to gather customer feedback.
Analyze NPS results to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Follow up with customers based on their responses to gather qualitative insights.
Implement changes to products or services based on NPS feedback.
Monitor NPS over time to assess the impact of changes made.
Benefits
Provides a clear measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Identifies strengths and weaknesses in products or services.
Facilitates targeted improvements based on customer feedback.
Enhances customer retention and reduces churn rates.
Offers a benchmark for comparing performance against competitors.
Example
A SaaS company conducts an NPS survey after a user has subscribed for three months. They find that 70% of respondents are Promoters, while 10% are Detractors. This feedback encourages the company to maintain its current features while addressing concerns raised by the Detractors, leading to improved user experience and retention.
Use Cases
Measuring customer satisfaction in e-commerce platforms.
Assessing user loyalty in mobile applications.
Gathering feedback for service-oriented businesses like restaurants or hotels.
Tracking customer sentiment for subscription-based services.
Evaluating the impact of product changes on user experience.
Challenges & Limitations
NPS may oversimplify complex customer sentiments into three categories.
Response bias can skew results, especially if the survey is not representative.
The NPS score might not capture the full customer experience or specific pain points.
Comparing NPS across different industries can be misleading due to varying customer expectations.
Tools & Methods
SurveyMonkey for creating and distributing NPS surveys.
Qualtrics for advanced NPS analytics and reporting.
Typeform for engaging survey designs.
Zendesk for integrating NPS feedback with customer support data.
Google Forms for simple survey distribution and data collection.
How to Cite "NPS" - APA, MLA, and Chicago Citation Formats
UX Glossary. (2025, February 11, 2026). NPS. UX Glossary. https://www.uxglossary.com/glossary/nps
Note: Access date is automatically set to today. Update if needed when using the citation.