The question and the formula
People are asked, on a scale from 0 to 10, how likely they are to recommend the business to a friend or colleague. Those answering 9 or 10 are promoters; 7 or 8 are passives; 0 to 6 are detractors. NPS is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, ranging from ?100 to +100.
Example: 100 responses, 55 promoters, 25 passives and 20 detractors. NPS = 55 − 20 = +35.
What is a good NPS?
Any positive value indicates more promoters than detractors. Above +30 is usually considered good and above +50 excellent, but it varies considerably by industry: B2B software and professional services tend to score higher than telecommunications or insurance. Compare yourself month to month before comparing against external averages.
Be careful with small samples: with 8 responses, one score changes NPS by more than 12 points. Until you have 30 or 40 responses, focus more on comments than the number. That is why PosRank displays the aggregate result on the public profile only after 10 responses, and recommends reading the trend rather than a single day's figure.
The question that really matters: why
The number does not tell you what to change. That is why every NPS survey should ask for a comment: what low scorers disliked and what high scorers liked most. Patterns emerge after just 30 or 40 comments. In PosRank, the comment is required, and low scorers may leave a voice note, which is often more candid than text.
How to measure it on your website without annoying visitors
Simple rules that improve the response rate:
- Ask after the experience, not before (after a purchase, session or resolved support request).
- Show only one question; ask for the comment after the score is selected.
- Do not repeat the survey for someone who has already answered or said “not now” in the past month.
- If the customer is signed in, identify them through their account so you do not need to ask for their email.
NPS and public reviews: two different things
On PosRank, a business can incorporate NPS into its public rating once it has 10 customer responses: scores are converted into stars and combined with reviews, with equal weight per response. Comments remain private unless their authors authorize publication; in that case, they appear anonymously alongside reviews on the profile and widgets. Identity and voice notes remain private. After the survey, users may also be invited to leave an opinion on other platforms, optionally and regardless of their score.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I measure NPS?
Continuously, after each relevant experience, while reviewing the monthly trend. An annual survey comes too late to make corrections.
Can NPS be used for employees?
Yes. It is called eNPS and uses the same scale, asking whether they would recommend the company as a place to work. Measure it separately from customers.
Published by the PosRank team. Each platform's policies change; always check the current version before requesting reviews.