# What is a Net Promoter Score (NPS)? > Net Promoter Score is a one-question survey of how likely customers are to recommend you. Learn how it is scored and why the follow-up matters most. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/net-promoter-score · Updated 2026-10-02 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [Business](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#topic-business) · [AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) Updated October 2, 2026 · By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) Net Promoter Score, or NPS, comes from one question: "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" answered from 0 to 10. Subtract the percentage of detractors (0 to 6) from the percentage of promoters (9 to 10) to get a score from minus 100 to 100. ## Why it matters for a small business Satisfaction surveys can be long and vague. NPS keeps it to one question plus an optional "why?", so more people answer and the result is easy to track. Because the same question is asked the same way, you can compare this quarter with the last and see whether customers are becoming more or less enthusiastic. The score is not the point. The comments are. A detractor who writes "nobody told me the date changed" has handed you a specific fix, and a promoter's praise tells you what to protect. Reaching back to detractors quickly turns the survey into a service tool instead of a vanity number. A score also means little with only a few responses, so note how many people answered. ## In a real lesson: Reply Faster: Turn a Messy Customer Email Thread into a Clear, Friendly Reply The [Reply Faster: Customer Emails lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-to-customer-emails) has no survey. But it shows the moment that NPS tries to catch. Dana Whitfield, a customer of Cedar Lane Bakery, a made-up bakery, writes "Hello??" after the bakery's own email gave Sunday as the pickup day when her party is on Saturday. She would likely be a detractor if surveyed that day. The lesson walks through the recovery. The facts list says the Sunday date "was our mistake," that the owner approved 10% off the $80 balance, and that $72 is due at pickup. ChatGPT drafts a warm reply, then checks every promise against the facts, and one allergy line is rewritten before Jess sends it. That is how a good team treats a low-score customer: apologize once, fix the problem, be exact about what you will do and have a person approve the message. Asking for a rating afterward would be a separate step that this lesson does not teach. [Try this lesson free](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/chatgpt-reply-faster) or [read the step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-to-customer-emails). ## Common confusions ### NPS vs customer satisfaction (CSAT) CSAT asks how satisfied someone was with a specific moment, like a support chat. NPS asks about overall loyalty, whether they would recommend you. CSAT suits individual interactions, and NPS suits the whole relationship. ### NPS vs online reviews Reviews are public and written by whoever chooses to post. NPS is a private survey you send to a defined group. Use NPS to learn, and reviews to build trust with strangers. ## Tips - Always add one open question, such as "What is the main reason for your score?" and read every answer. - Reply personally to low scores within a day or two. Speed matters more than polish. - Survey at consistent moments, like 30 days after purchase, so the scores are comparable. ## Related terms [Service recovery](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/service-recovery) · [Customer churn](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/customer-churn) · [Sentiment analysis](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/sentiment-analysis) · [Candidate experience](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/candidate-experience) · [Follow-up email](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/follow-up-email) ## Where you use it: free lessons - [Reply Faster: Turn a Messy Customer Email Thread into a Clear, Friendly Reply](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-to-customer-emails) (ChatGPT, 9 min) - [Build an n8n AI Agent That Writes Deal Follow-Ups](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-sales-deal-follow-ups) (n8n, 12 min) ## Frequently asked questions **What is a good NPS?** A positive score is a start and a high one is rare. Because industries differ, compare your own trend over time and focus on the comments behind each score. **Can AI analyze NPS comments?** It can group comments by theme and summarize them, which saves time. Read a sample yourself to confirm the themes are right, and keep customer details private according to your company policy. [All AI glossary terms, A to Z](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) · [Free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts)