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Net Promoter Score (NPS) is one of the most widely used customer satisfaction metrics in SaaS. It asks a single question: "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" Respondents score from 0–10:
- Promoters (9–10): enthusiastic customers who actively refer others
- Passives (7–8): satisfied but unenthusiastic — not a drag, not a booster
- Detractors (0–6): unhappy customers who may warn others away
NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors
The score ranges from −100 (all detractors) to +100 (all promoters).
NPS benchmarks by industry
| Industry | Average NPS |
|---|---|
| Consumer SaaS | 30–50 |
| B2B SaaS | 30–45 |
| E-commerce | 45–55 |
| Consulting / agencies | 30–40 |
Apple, Tesla, and Netflix consistently score 70–80+. For most SaaS companies, a score above 40 is considered excellent; above 20 is good.
How to act on NPS
NPS is only useful if you close the feedback loop: 1. Detractors — contact personally within 48 hours; identify root cause; offer resolution 2. Passives — the biggest opportunity; one insight about what would push them to "9" often applies to many customers 3. Promoters — ask for referrals, testimonials, and case study participation
Frequently asked questions
How often should I survey customers? Most SaaS businesses survey every 90 days (quarterly), or trigger a survey 30 days after a customer's first meaningful usage. Avoid surveying too frequently — it trains customers to ignore the survey.
Is NPS a lagging or leading indicator? Both. It's a lagging indicator of product quality and support. It's a leading indicator of churn — detractors churn at 2–3× the rate of promoters over the following 12 months.