What Is NPS and How Does It Help Increase Repeat Sales?
Sales are coming in, there are enough orders, and there are almost no open complaints. Everything seems fine. But a few months later, it turns out there are fewer regular customers, while new customers rarely return for a second purchase. This problem is difficult to spot in a revenue report. The purchase was completed, so everything looks normal in the statistics. But was the customer satisfied? Will they recommend the company to someone they know? Will they return? NPS helps answer these questions. When a loyalty program is in place, collecting ratings is easier. After a purchase, the customer receives a short question, answers it in a few seconds, and the result is saved to their profile. Over time, the business gets more than a single number: it sees a clear picture of where customer attitudes are improving and where they are beginning to deteriorate.
NPS — What Is It in Simple Terms?
NPS shows how willing customers are to recommend a company to friends, colleagues, or family members.
So, in answer to the question “What is NPS?”, it is a measure of trust in a brand. Not abstract trust, but the kind a person is willing to confirm through their own recommendation.
You may also come across other names, such as the customer loyalty index, consumer loyalty index, or NPS customer loyalty index. They all refer to the same metric.
In marketing, it is used to understand how an audience feels about a company. In sales, it helps assess the likelihood of another order. This is why the questions “What is NPS in marketing?” and “What is NPS in sales?” are closely related: a satisfied customer is not only more likely to recommend the brand but also more willing to return.
What Does an NPS Survey Look Like?
The survey itself is short. Customers are usually asked one question:
How likely are you to recommend our company to friends or colleagues?
The answer is selected on a scale from 0 to 10\. That is enough to calculate the metric. However, a score alone is often not enough for a business, so another line is usually added below:"This is where the most useful part begins. The number shows the customer’s sentiment, while the comment helps explain the reason. Perhaps they had to wait too long. Or an employee solved their problem quickly, and that is what led to a high score.Why did you give this score?
With a loyalty program, an NPS customer survey can be sent automatically after an order, visit, or service. Instead of asking once every six months, when many details have already been forgotten, the business can ask almost immediately after the interaction.
How Are Responses Grouped?
After the survey, customers are divided into three groups.
| Group | Score | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Promoters | 9–10 | Satisfied with the company and willing to recommend it |
| Passives | 7–8 | Generally satisfied, but without strong attachment |
| Detractors | 0–6 | Dissatisfied or did not receive the expected result |
How Do You Calculate NPS?
The calculation takes only a few minutes:
NPS = percentage of promoters − percentage of detractors
Passive responses are not included in the formula, although they should not be ignored during analysis. Suppose 200 people completed the survey:- 110 gave a score of 9 or 10;
- 50 selected 7 or 8;
- 40 gave a score from 0 to 6.
110 ÷ 200 × 100 = 55%
Now calculate the share of detractors:40 ÷ 200 × 100 = 20%
Subtract the second value from the first:55 − 20 = 35
The resulting NPS is 35\.So, to understand how NPS is calculated, simply find the percentages of promoters and detractors and calculate the difference between them.
What Should You Do with the Results?
A score of 35, 50, or 70 will not fix anything by itself. The value appears later, when the business reviews the responses and changes what prevents customers from returning. It is best to contact detractors quickly. There is no need to offer a discount immediately. Sometimes it is more important for a person to see that their comment has been read and that the company genuinely intends to solve the problem. Promoters can be asked to leave a review or recommend the company to someone they know. A loyalty program makes it easy to set up a small reward for them, such as bonuses, early access to new products, or a personalized offer. Passives should be addressed separately. They are not dissatisfied, but they do not yet have a compelling reason to choose the company again. Their responses often reveal what the service lacks: speed, convenience, attention, or clearer loyalty program terms. It is also useful to compare NPS across branches, shifts, or sales channels. The overall score may look good even though customers at one location regularly complain about waiting, while those at another praise the staff.
How Is NPS Connected to Repeat Sales?
The connection is fairly direct. If a customer enjoyed the experience, it is easier for them to return. If something annoyed them but the company never learned about it, the next order may go to a competitor.
A loyalty program helps connect survey responses with purchase history. For example, a business can check:
- whether promoters return more often than other customers;
- how the average order value changes after a high score;
- whether detractors stop buying;
- whether solving a problem affects the next visit.
This turns a loyalty index survey into a practical tool. The business sees not only what the customer thinks, but also what they do next. Imagine a hypothetical situation. Customers at one branch often complain about long waits in the evening. The company changes the staff schedule and then compares the new scores with the number of repeat visits. If both indicators increase, the cause was probably identified correctly.
Why Is One Survey Not Enough?
A one-time check shows customer sentiment only at a specific moment. A month later, the staff, product range, delivery times, or promotion terms may change, and the previous result may no longer reflect the current situation. That is why NPS is best measured regularly and tracked over time. Noticing a sharp drop after a service update or a new offer launches is far more useful than simply knowing the average score for the year.
A loyalty program automates this work: it sends NPS customer surveys, stores responses, and connects them with repeat purchases, average order value, and retention. The NPS loyalty index then stops being just another number in a report. It shows where the business is losing customer trust and what can be changed to encourage customers to return more often.
Frequently asked questions
NPS, or Net Promoter Score, shows how willing customers are to recommend a company to friends, colleagues, or family members.
Subtract the percentage of detractors, who give scores from 0 to 6, from the percentage of promoters, who give scores of 9 or 10. Scores of 7 or 8 are not included in the formula.
Promoters give scores of 9–10 and are willing to recommend the company. Passives give 7–8 and are generally satisfied without strong attachment. Detractors give 0–6 and had a negative or disappointing experience.
NPS should be measured regularly, preferably soon after a purchase, visit, or service. Tracking changes over time is more useful than relying on a single survey.
A loyalty program can automate NPS surveys, connect responses with customer profiles and purchase history, and show how ratings relate to repeat purchases, average order value, and retention.
