What is a good NPS score?
Any NPS above 0 means you have more promoters than detractors. Beyond that, a good score is one that is higher than your own last score, measured the same way, by more than the noise. A single number from someone else’s survey tells you little about yours.
The short answer
NPS runs from −100 (every respondent a detractor) to +100 (every respondent a promoter). It is the share of promoters (9 and 10) minus the share of detractors (0 to 6), so the sign tells you which group is larger.
Three questions decide whether your number is good: is it above 0, is it higher than last time, and is the change larger than what chance alone would produce?
Why one benchmark number misleads
Published averages mix companies that ask different customers, at different moments, in different ways. Bain, which created NPS, separates scores asked without a trigger (relationship NPS) from scores asked right after an interaction (experience NPS) and says the two should not be compared directly.
We do not print industry averages on this page because we have no source we can stand behind yet.
How sure is your number?
An NPS from a survey is an estimate. With 100 responses, the likely range is about 15 points either way; with 400 responses, about 8. Four times the responses halves the range.
A change between two months is even less certain than each score, because both scores carry their own noise. With 100 responses a month, a move from +30 to +36 is well inside the noise. Do not report it as progress or as a problem.
The NPS calculator shows the likely range for your own counts.
| Responses | Likely range of the score | An NPS of +40 could be |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | about 15 points either way | about +25 to +55 |
| 400 | about 8 points either way | about +32 to +48 |
Likely range (95 %): 1.96 × √((p + d − (p − d)²) / n), with p and d the shares of promoters and detractors and n the number of responses. The exact width depends on your mix.
Is an NPS of 40 good?
It is clearly positive: for every detractor you have well over one promoter. Whether it is good for you depends on three things a benchmark cannot see.
What to do with the number
The score says how many customers are unhappy. It does not say why. The reasons are in the comments, and the most frequent complaint is often not the one that costs the most points.
Questions
Is an NPS of 40 good?
It is clearly positive: the share of promoters is 40 points higher than the share of detractors. Whether it is good for you depends on your earlier scores and how you ask. With 100 responses, +40 could be anywhere from about +25 to +55.
What is the best NPS score?
The maximum is +100, when every respondent gives 9 or 10. In practice, a score close to +100 from few responses more often means only your fans answered than that nobody is unhappy.
Is a negative NPS bad?
It means more detractors than promoters, so more customers would warn others than recommend you. It is a reason to read the detractors’ comments and find the reason that costs the most points, not a verdict on the business.
Why are there no industry benchmarks on this page?
Published averages mix survey types, channels and timing, and we have no source we can stand behind yet. Your own earlier scores, asked the same way, are the fairest comparison.
How many responses do I need for a reliable NPS?
With 100 responses the likely range is about 15 points either way; with 400, about 8. Use the NPS calculator to see the range for your counts.
Find out which reasons cost you points
Your score says how many customers are unhappy. Your comments say why. Leverboard measures which reason costs the most.
First analysis free. No card.
Net Promoter, NPS and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld. Sources: Bain, Measuring your Net Promoter Score and Three types of Net Promoter Scores.