Product Management Dictionary

The Product Management Dictionary: net promoter score

Learn everything you need to know about net promoter score in product management with our comprehensive dictionary.

As a product manager, you're always seeking ways to improve your product and better understand your customers. One metric that's gaining popularity and driving meaningful change is Net Promoter Score (NPS). In this article, we'll go over everything you need to know about NPS, from its origin to calculating and interpreting the score.

Understanding Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS is a metric that has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction. It's based on a simple question: "How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague?" This question is typically included in customer surveys or feedback forms.

Customers respond on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most likely to recommend. The responses are then grouped into three categories, which are:

  • Promoters - customers who respond with a 9 or 10
  • Passives - those who respond with a 7 or 8
  • Detractors - customers who respond with a score of 0 to 6

While this may seem like a simple question, it can reveal a lot about customer sentiment and loyalty. By asking customers to rate their likelihood of recommending a product or service, companies can gain insights into how satisfied their customers are and how likely they are to continue doing business with them in the future.

The Origin of NPS

NPS was developed by Fred Reichheld of Bain & Company in 2003. Reichheld observed that companies with high customer loyalty had a strong correlation with growth and success. He hypothesized that the likelihood of someone recommending a product or service to friends and colleagues was a good indicator of customer loyalty and a strong predictor of business growth.

Since its introduction, NPS has become a widely accepted metric for measuring customer loyalty and satisfaction. It's used by companies of all sizes and across a variety of industries, from retail and hospitality to healthcare and financial services.

How NPS Works

NPS works by calculating the difference between the percentage of promoters and detractors. Passives are not included in the calculation. The final score ranges from -100 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher customer loyalty and satisfaction.

For example, if 50% of respondents are promoters and 20% are detractors, the NPS score would be 30 (50-20=30). This score indicates that the company has more promoters than detractors, which is generally considered to be a good sign.

However, it's important to note that NPS is just one metric and should be used in conjunction with other measures of customer satisfaction and loyalty. Companies should also take into account factors such as customer retention rates, repeat business, and customer feedback to get a more complete picture of how they are performing.

The NPS Scale

The NPS scale ranges from -100 to 100, with the following interpretation:

  • Score > 0: Generally considered a good score, indicating more promoters than detractors
  • Score > 50: Indicates an excellent score, with a high percentage of promoters and few detractors
  • Score < 0: A sign that there are significant issues with customer loyalty and satisfaction

While NPS is a useful metric for measuring customer loyalty and satisfaction, it's important to remember that it's just one piece of the puzzle. Companies should use a variety of measures to get a complete understanding of their customers and how they can improve their products and services to better meet their needs.

The Importance of NPS in Product Management

NPS, or Net Promoter Score, has become a staple metric for product managers across industries. It provides a clear and actionable way to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty, which is critical for the success of any product or service.

Measuring Customer Satisfaction

Measuring customer satisfaction is essential for any product manager, and NPS is a reliable way to do so. It is a customer loyalty metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend your product or service to others. This metric is based on a simple question: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?"

Customers who respond with a score of 9 or 10 are considered promoters, those who respond with a score of 7 or 8 are considered passives, and those who respond with a score of 0-6 are considered detractors. The NPS score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.

Identifying Areas for Improvement

One of the key benefits of NPS is that it helps product managers identify areas where their product or service falls short. By analyzing the responses from detractors and passives, product managers can identify common issues and work to address them. This can lead to an increase in customer loyalty and satisfaction.

For example, if several customers mention in their feedback that they find the checkout process confusing, a product manager can take steps to simplify the process and make it more user-friendly.

Tracking Progress Over Time

NPS also allows product managers to track progress over time. By calculating and comparing NPS scores over months or years, product managers can see the impact of changes they've made to their product or service. This can help them identify areas where they've seen improvement and where they still need to focus their efforts.

For example, if a product manager implements changes to the checkout process, they can track the NPS score over time to see if the changes have had a positive impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty.

In conclusion, NPS is a valuable metric for product managers because it provides a clear and actionable way to measure customer satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and track progress over time. By using NPS, product managers can make data-driven decisions that lead to increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Calculating Net Promoter Score

Calculating Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a crucial step in understanding how your customers perceive your brand and how likely they are to recommend your products or services to others. NPS is a widely used metric in the business world, and it can help you identify areas of improvement and measure customer loyalty.

Here are the steps to follow when calculating NPS:

Gathering Customer Feedback

The first step in calculating NPS is to gather customer feedback. There are several ways to do this, including surveys, email requests, or in-app requests. It's essential to reach out to a representative sample of customers to ensure that your results are accurate and representative of your customer base.

When gathering customer feedback, it's important to ask the right questions. The NPS question is simple and straightforward: "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our products/services to a friend or colleague?"

By asking this question, you can get a clear understanding of how your customers perceive your brand and how likely they are to recommend you to others.

Categorizing Respondents

Once you have gathered customer feedback, the next step is to categorize the respondents into promoters, passives, and detractors. Promoters are customers who gave a score of 9 or 10, passives are customers who gave a score of 7 or 8, and detractors are customers who gave a score of 0 to 6.

Categorizing respondents into these three groups is essential because it allows you to calculate the NPS score accurately. By identifying the number of promoters and detractors, you can get a clear understanding of how your customers perceive your brand and how likely they are to recommend you to others.

Determining the NPS Formula

Once you have categorized the respondents, the final step is to calculate the NPS score. To do this, you need to subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. For example, if 50% of respondents are promoters, 30% are passives, and 20% are detractors, the NPS score would be:

NPS = (50% - 20%) = 30

The NPS score ranges from -100 to +100, with a higher score indicating higher customer loyalty and satisfaction. A score of 50 or above is considered excellent, while a score of 0 or below is considered poor.

By calculating your NPS regularly, you can track changes in customer loyalty and satisfaction over time. This information can help you identify areas of improvement and make data-driven decisions to improve your products or services.

Interpreting NPS Results

Interpreting NPS results can provide valuable insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty. Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a popular metric used by businesses to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction. It's a simple metric that asks customers, "How likely are you to recommend our product or service to a friend or colleague?" Customers respond on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being "not at all likely" and 10 being "extremely likely."

Once you have collected responses from your customers, you can calculate your NPS score by subtracting the percentage of detractors (customers who gave a score of 0 to 6) from the percentage of promoters (customers who gave a score of 9 or 10). Passives (customers who gave a score of 7 or 8) are excluded from the calculation.

Analyzing the NPS Score

The NPS score gives you a straightforward, quantifiable measure of customer satisfaction. However, it's essential to look beyond the number to understand what's driving it. Analyze the responses from promoters, passives, and detractors to understand the root causes of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. This will help you identify areas where you can improve your product or service.

For example, if you notice that many detractors are unhappy with your customer service, you can focus your efforts on improving your customer support. On the other hand, if you see that many promoters are happy with the ease of use of your product, you can continue to prioritize making your product user-friendly.

Benchmarking Against Industry Standards

It's also helpful to benchmark your NPS score against industry standards or competitors. This can give you a sense of how well you're doing compared to others in your industry and where you need to focus your efforts. However, it's important to keep in mind that benchmarks vary by industry and that what's considered a good score in one industry may not be in another.

For example, a score of 50 might be considered excellent in one industry but average in another. It's important to do your research and understand what's considered a good score for your industry.

Understanding the Limitations of NPS

Finally, it's essential to understand the limitations of NPS. While it is a useful metric, it doesn't provide insights into specific issues or problems experienced by customers. It's crucial to collect and analyze feedback in a variety of ways to ensure you're addressing all of your customers' concerns.

For example, you could use surveys, focus groups, or customer interviews to gain a deeper understanding of your customers' experiences. This can help you identify specific pain points and areas for improvement that may not be captured by the NPS score alone.

In conclusion, interpreting NPS results can provide valuable insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty. However, it's important to look beyond the number and analyze the responses from promoters, passives, and detractors to understand the root causes of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Additionally, benchmarking your NPS score against industry standards can give you a sense of how well you're doing compared to others in your industry. Finally, it's important to understand the limitations of NPS and use other methods to collect feedback and gain a deeper understanding of your customers' experiences.

Conclusion

Net Promoter Score is a valuable metric for product managers seeking to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. By asking one simple question, product managers can gather valuable insights and take action to address issues that impact customer satisfaction. By keeping in mind the key factors that impact NPS, product managers can unlock the full potential of this important metric.