You learn the ranges published by Bain, the caveats of cross-industry comparison, and a practical way to read your number.
Any NPS above 0 already means you have more promoters than detractors. In the public references from Bain & Company, creator of the method, scores above +20 are generally considered favorable; above +50, excellent; and above +80, world class. Treat these ranges as starting points, not targets: a good NPS is, above all, better than your previous score, measured with the same question, scale, channel, and audience.
A retail chain measures an NPS of 42 this quarter. On its own, the number looks merely decent. Compared with last quarter’s 35, measured the same way, it reveals a real 7-point improvement — more useful information than any industry ranking.
Anything above 0 already means more promoters than detractors; from there, context decides.
Bain & Company, creator of NPS, treats +50 as excellent and +80 as world class.
An industry benchmark only holds with the same collection method, scale, and period.
The ranges cited on this page come from public material by Bain & Company, creator of the Net Promoter System. They are general references, not targets: the comparable number is always your own history, measured the same way.
No universal range replaces comparison with your own history, segment, and method. Published rankings mix different samples and collection methods.
NPS and Net Promoter Score are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Fred Reichheld, and Satmetrix Systems.
By Bain’s ranges, +50 marks the start of the excellence zone. Before celebrating, confirm the sample is representative and compare against your own history, measured with the same method.
Expectations, competition, and usage frequency differ by industry, and the collection channel also shifts the number. That is why published rankings disagree with each other and only work as rough references.
Not directly. B2B relationships have fewer respondents, contractual ties, and long cycles, all of which shift the scores. Compare against peers with the same business model and size.
First check whether the method, channel, period, or customer mix changed. If the drop is real, read recent detractor and passive comments: that is usually where the cause shows up.
The references support the definitions and assumptions. The formula used is shown on this page and covered by automated tests.
Put the learning into a real survey and track every response in NPSLab.