Understanding NPS Scores

This guide explains how NPS scoring works, what the different categories mean, and how to interpret your results.

The NPS Question

Every NPS survey asks one core question:

"On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [Your Business] to a friend or colleague?"

This single question measures customer loyalty and predicts business growth.

Score Categories

Based on their response, customers fall into three categories:

Promoters (Score 9-10)

Your biggest fans. Promoters are loyal enthusiasts who:

• Will actively recommend your business
• Are likely to become repeat customers
• Generate positive word-of-mouth
• May leave positive reviews when asked

How to engage: Thank them and ask for referrals or reviews.

Passives (Score 7-8)

Satisfied but vulnerable. Passives are:

• Generally satisfied with your service
• Not enthusiastic enough to actively promote
• Susceptible to competitive offers
• Unlikely to spread negative word-of-mouth

How to engage: Find out what would make them promoters.

Detractors (Score 0-6)

Unhappy customers. Detractors are:

• Dissatisfied with their experience
• Unlikely to repurchase
• May spread negative word-of-mouth
• At risk of posting negative reviews

How to engage: Reach out quickly to understand and resolve their issues.

Calculating Your NPS Score

Your NPS score is calculated using this formula:

NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors

Passives are counted in the total but don't directly affect the score.

Example Calculation

If you have 100 survey responses:

• 60 Promoters (60%)
• 25 Passives (25%)
• 15 Detractors (15%)

Your NPS = 60% - 15% = +45

Interpreting Your Score

NPS scores range from -100 to +100:

Score Range	Rating	What It Means
70 to 100	Excellent	World-class customer loyalty
50 to 69	Great	Strong customer loyalty, keep it up
0 to 49	Good	Room for improvement, but customers are positive
-100 to -1	Poor	More detractors than promoters, action needed

Industry Benchmarks

NPS varies by industry. For field service businesses (lawn care, cleaning, trades), an NPS of 30-50 is considered good, and 50+ is excellent.

What Affects Your Score

Common factors that influence NPS in field service businesses:

Positive factors:

• Consistent, high-quality work
• Clear communication before and after visits
• Professional, friendly crew members
• Prompt response to issues
• Fair, transparent pricing

Negative factors:

• Missed or late appointments
• Poor communication
• Work quality issues
• Billing disputes
• Unresponsive customer service

Using NPS Effectively

Track Trends Over Time

A single NPS score is useful, but trends are more valuable. YardPilot tracks your NPS over time so you can see:

• Monthly trends
• Impact of changes you've made
• Seasonal patterns

Act on Feedback

The optional feedback field often reveals specific issues:

• Read every comment, especially from detractors
• Look for patterns in feedback
• Follow up personally with unhappy customers

Close the Loop

For Detractors: Reach out within 24-48 hours. Apologise, understand their concern, and offer a resolution. Many detractors become promoters when issues are handled well.

For Promoters: Thank them and make it easy to refer others. Consider asking for a Google review.

Survey at the Right Time

Best practices for timing:

• Send surveys 7-14 days after service completion
• Allow time for the customer to evaluate the full experience
• Avoid surveying during active service issues

Survey Fatigue

YardPilot enforces a 90-day cooldown between surveys to the same contact. This prevents survey fatigue and keeps response rates high.

Related

• Sending Surveys - How to send NPS surveys
• Viewing Responses - Tracking and analysing responses