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Net Promoter Score Explained: 12 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew

BY QDegreesPUBLISHED
May. 28, 2025

Running a business without knowing what your customers think of you is like traveling without a location. Interestingly, there are a couple of tools that can help you know what your customers think about your business, one of such tools is the Net Promoter Score.

It is simple, honest, and incredibly telling. If you’ve never heard of it before or you’ve just been ignoring it, this is your wake-up call; don’t ignore it again.

In this post, we’re going to break down exactly what a Net Promoter Score is, why it matters, how to use it, and 12 straight-up wild facts about this customer loyalty metric that’ll probably change how you think about feedback forever.

What Is a Net Promoter Score?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric that measures how likely your customers are to recommend you to someone else. With this, you can tell whether the percentage of customers who are satisfied with your product or services. It also helps you predict how likely you will get referrals from your customers.

The NPS Survey Question is Usually in This Format:

“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to your friends, families or colleagues?”

When collecting the answers, you group respondents like this:

● Promoters (9–10): These are your ride-or-die customers. They love you, and they’re not shy about it. Think of them as your brand’s biggest marketers.

● Passives (7–8): Passive customers aren’t great enthusiasts of your product or service, but they are not mad about it either. They’re neither happy nor sad about your product.

● Detractors (0–6): They’re unhappy customers, and if you don’t make amends in due time, they might be telling others why they should not patronize your business.

NPS is one of the most helpful customer experience metrics because it gives you a real, unfiltered pulse on how people feel.

Why Is NPS Important?

Feelings drive business, and if you are able to understand how your customers feel, you can control it. When people love your business, they will return and can’t be quiet about their excitement. But if they don’t, it is also quite simple. They either churn, ghost your business forever, or tell others why your company is bad.

Here’s why the NPS score is a big deal:

● It offers a simple way of measuring customer loyalty.

● It lets you know your biggest fans.

● It gives you early warnings when something is off.

● NPS survey helps you identify detractors and let you know why they are not satisfied.

● It shows you which customers are ready to become brand ambassadors.

● NPS helps you benchmark your performance against major market competitors and monitor your progress over time.

● It helps your team spot problems before they become disasters.

If you’re not using Customer Net Promoter Score to guide your decisions, you’re missing out on some game-changing insight.

How to Calculate NPS?

Don’t worry; calculating NPS surveys is simpler than it sounds, and there is no need for a math class. Here’s how calculating NPS works:

Ask the magic question: “How likely are you to recommend us?”
Tally up your Promoters, Passives, and Detractors.
Use this formula:

To Calculate NPS

Subtract the percentage of Promoters from Detractors. Then you have your NPS. Are you wondering where Passive customers stand? They don’t count in math.

For more context, let’s say:

● 70% of your customers are Promoters.

● 10% are Detractors.

Then your Net Promoter Score is 70 – 10 = 60

And that’s a great score. Most companies would kill for it.

12 Net Promoter Score Facts You Need To Know

Now, to the fun part: here are some useful and slightly underrated truths about NPS that most people overlook.

1. High NPS Companies Grow Faster

Brands with high NPS scores tend to grow 2x faster than their competition. This is a simple truth most companies have failed to come to terms with. The higher the NPS Score, the higher the chances of growing compared to competitors. NPS Survey doesn't only tell you what is happening presently; it looks deep into the future, helping you predict the growth and development of your business.

2. NPS Can Predict The Future

As stated earlier, an NPS Survey not only tells you how customers presently feel about your brand; it also helps you predict the future. By knowing the percentage of Promoters and Detractors, you can safely determine where your business will stand in the years to come. Also, because it gives insight as to what needs improvement, you can convert Detractors into Promoters, thereby securing the future of your brand.

3. Detractors Aren’t Always Haters.

Sometimes, detractors aren't always haters. Brands and businesses thrive based on the feelings of their customers. Some customers easily forget years of good experience with just one day of bad experience. So, it also doesn't mean they have never had a good experience with your brand or business. Luckily, the NPS Survey also helps you identify what's wrong through follow-up. With this, you know their pain and fix it to regain their trust.

4. Passives Are a Secret Goldmine.

Do not ignore the passive customers. They are not inconsequential. They are just doubters sitting on the fence. One slight push can turn them into loyal customers. Based on their responses, find out how you can improve their experience and introduce new schemes. This should turn them into loyal fans.

5. Promoters Talk For Free.

While you are happy with positive reviews and comments from promoters, do not stop at that. Utilize their mood and always ask for testimonials or reviews. The truth is that promoters simply can't be silent about their experience. They unknowingly become an unpaid brand ambassador for your business. Ask for testimonials or reviews from them that can further convince prospects about your business. They'd be more than willing to do that for you.

6. Timing Matters More Than You Think.

Timing is very important when sending out NPS surveys. Sending a Net Promoter Score survey right after a positive interaction can increase engagement. Learn to utilize happy moments. Happy customers can't ignore surveys when the experience is still fresh.

7. People love Simple Surveys.

If your surveys are too complicated, you may not get responses even from happy customers. Always learn to keep them short and simple. This will increase your chances of getting higher response rates.

8. NPS is Great For Spotting Trends.

Want to spot trends? Use Net Promoter Score surveys. You can track them monthly or weekly. You will notice new trends that will help you make better decisions next time.

9. It's Not Just For Customers.

Net Promoter Score surveys aren't only for external use; you can use them for internal measurements, too. Most brands focus only on external players (customers) so much that they forget internal players (employees). A good business is one that has learnt how to keep not only the customers but also the employees happy. You can use NPS to know if your employees are happy.

10. NPS Isn't Enough

Yes, you read that right. Don't set your gaze only on NPS, as you fail to test other tools. According to Forbes, there are three types of customer loyalty, they are:

● Purchasing

● Advocacy

● Retention

Meanwhile, NPS only helps you measure customer loyalty based on advocacy, leaving the rest unattended to. That's why you need to integrate NPS with other metric tools like CSAT, and CES to get more accurate results.

11. Timing and International Events Can Influence The NPS Score

People's needs and desires can change based on timing, and major international events can influence and affect the NPS Score. For instance, the outbreak of COVID-19 caused doom for brands in rental or travel services. With the outbreak, people can no longer travel, leading to a decline in demand for travel products or services.

Understand that sometimes customers churn is not your fault, but it is also a good thing to know why, and that explains why the NPS Survey is perfect.

12. NPS is like Your Business Heartbeat

NPS Survey is the heartbeat of your business. While it may not solve all your problems, be assured that if your score is high, you are doing something right. And you will see the impact of that high score on the growth of your business.

Also Read: Top 5 Alternatives to Net Promoter Score

How to Run a Net Promoter Score Survey and Collect Customer Feedback?

Now that you’re sold on the idea, here’s how QDegrees can help you run a solid Net Promoter Score survey and collect helpful feedback.

● Identify Your Audience: The first thing you need to do is identify your audience. Do you want feedback from your entire audience or from only a specific segment?

● Write the NPS Question: Ensure to keep the question simple. Usually it takes this format: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us to others? Then follow it up with an open-ended question like: Tell us the main reason for your score.

● Choose the Right Platform: This is where QDegree does its magic. It has an amazing user interface that allows you to design NPS surveys with higher response rates.

● Send the Survey: Distribute the survey using different means. Can send it via email or embed it in your website. You may also share them through social media. QDegrees have multiple channels of distribution that help you reach your audience on every platform they may be on.

● Analyze the Results: Once you have collected the responses, use QDegrees to analyze the results. With this, you are able to spot trends, insights, and interpret results faster and more accurately.

● Act on the Feedback: It is important to act on the feedback that you have received. This may require you to address certain complaints or improve your services. By all means, make an effort to improve customer loyalty.

● Close the Loop: Don't be silent about the efforts you are making. Notify the customers, let them know the action you have taken to resolve their complaints.

Read More: Net Promoter Score Calculation

Wrapping Up

At the end of the day, your Net Promoter Score isn’t just a number; it’s a reflection of your relationship with your customers. Are they happy or frustrated? Are they telling their friends about you? If you don’t know, that means you’re just guessing. But with the right approach and tools like QDegrees, you get answers.

Start with one survey, use QDegrees. Run your Net Promoter Score survey consistently. And watch how this simple customer experience metric transforms the way you do business.