What Is a Good NPS Score and How Should You Use It in Customer Success?

You’ve probably been asked, “What’s our NPS score?” more times than you can count. And even when you have the number in hand, the next question usually follows: “Is that good?” As a Customer Success Manager (CSM), you’re expected to know what the number means, how it compares to others, and what to do with it next. But the truth is, NPS can be hard to pin down. 

A 45 might feel solid—until someone points out that another team is celebrating a 60. Without context, NPS can feel more like a guessing game than a clear performance indicator.

This blog breaks down what a “good” NPS score really looks like, why it varies, how to track the right trends, and how to turn feedback into something you can actually use.

What is NPS and how is it calculated?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a simple metric that asks customers one key question: “How likely are you to recommend our product or service to a friend or colleague?” 

They respond on a scale from 0 to 10, and based on that score, customers are grouped into three categories:

• Promoters (9–10): Loyal customers who are enthusiastic about your product.
  
  
• Passives (7–8): Generally satisfied, but not enthusiastic enough to promote.
  
  
• Detractors (0–6): Unhappy customers who are unlikely to recommend you—and may even dissuade others.

The formula is straightforward: % Promoters – % Detractors = NPS.

It’s easy to focus on the number, but NPS alone doesn’t offer the full picture. Context—like your industry, customer expectations, and product maturity—matters just as much. Let’s dig into what actually makes an NPS score “good.”

What is considered a “good” NPS score?

Not all NPS scores are created equal. A score that’s considered strong in one industry might be average in another. That’s why using global benchmarks can be helpful—but only if you treat them as a reference, not a target.

Global benchmarks to set context

Here's a rough breakdown of what different score ranges typically indicate:

• 0 to 30: Average
• 30 to 70: Good
• 70+: Excellent

These numbers aren’t about setting a gold standard—they’re more about helping you understand the playing field you're in.

Different industries come with different customer expectations. A healthcare provider might score higher because the stakes are more personal, while a SaaS tool might get tougher feedback even when it performs well—simply because buyers expect more support, flexibility, or outcomes.

Things like pricing models, product complexity, and user base size also influence how customers respond to the NPS question. That’s why it’s more helpful to use your own score as a baseline for growth rather than comparing it to a benchmark that doesn’t reflect your business.

Which brings us to the real question CSMs should be asking: are your NPS scores improving?

The real question: is your NPS improving over time?

If you’re only checking your NPS against an industry benchmark, you’re probably missing the bigger picture. Tracking how your score changes over time is much more telling—especially if you’re testing new onboarding processes, product improvements, or support workflows.

Say your NPS went from 25 to 35 in the last quarter. That’s progress. It means more customers are willing to recommend your product, which likely reflects better engagement, support, or value delivery.

You can take this even further by breaking NPS into segments or cohorts. For example, compare scores from customers who’ve been with you less than 3 months vs. long-time users. Or by plan type, product usage, or renewal stage. 

This adds more clarity to your overall score and gives your team real indicators of where things are working—or not.

Now that we’ve covered how to track the score itself, let’s talk about how to get more meaning from it.

How to analyze NPS to get useful insights

The number is only the surface. To get something actionable out of NPS, you have to dig deeper. That means looking at what people are actually saying, not just what they scored.

Dig into qualitative feedback

The follow-up question—“Why did you give us this score?”—is just as important as the score itself. You can use this feedback to find patterns across comments. Are people mentioning slow onboarding? Lack of features? Great customer support?

This is where text analysis and tagging comments by theme can help. Group them by product area, onboarding, pricing, or support experience so you know where to focus.

Segment your NPS data

Instead of looking at one average number, break your NPS into smaller views. Try segmenting by:

• Customer lifecycle stage
• Industry or vertical
• Company size
• Geography

This helps you identify where certain groups are happy and where others might be slipping through the cracks. You’ll likely find insights you’d miss in the overall score.

Add contextual metrics for deeper understanding

NPS gets even more powerful when you combine it with other signals. For example:

• Customer health score
• Product usage frequency
• Support ticket volume
• Time-to-value

If a customer gives a high NPS but hasn’t logged in for two months, something doesn’t add up. On the other hand, if someone’s NPS is neutral but they’re using your product every day, you’ve got an opportunity to engage more and turn them into a Promoter.

Understanding is just the first step. The next one is putting that understanding to work.

Turning NPS feedback into action

NPS feedback only adds value if it leads to something tangible. Whether it’s following up with a Detractor or activating a Promoter, the key is to act quickly and consistently.

Close the loop with detractors

When someone gives a low score, they expect you to care—and maybe even reach out. A short, personalized email asking for more context or offering help can make a big difference.

Some CSMs use automated email sequences using platforms like Velaris, triggered the moment a low score is submitted, to make sure nobody falls through the cracks.

Celebrate promoters through advocacy

Promoters can become your biggest advocates, but only if you give them the chance. Ask them to leave a review, share a testimonial, or participate in a customer case study. NPS is often a strong early indicator of potential champions—use it to your advantage.

Standardize follow-up processes

One of the best ways to keep NPS follow-up consistent is by building it into your Customer Success workflows. Create playbooks for how to respond to Detractors and Promoters, with clear steps for your team to follow.

You can fix this by standardizing follow-ups and playbooks within Customer Success software like Velaris, which lets you build playbooks with checklists and set up automated alerts tied to NPS feedback.

Common mistakes CSMs make with NPS

Most Customer Success teams understand the value of NPS, but it’s easy to slip into habits that limit how useful the metric really is. If you're using NPS in your workflow, here are a few common pitfalls to watch out for.

Focusing only on the score, not the “why”

It’s tempting to zero in on the number—especially if leadership asks for it in every QBR. But without looking at the qualitative feedback behind each score, you won’t know what’s actually driving sentiment. The score tells you what’s happening; the feedback tells you why.

Ignoring Passives—these customers are at risk too

Many CSMs focus solely on Detractors and Promoters. But Passives, those who score a 7 or 8, often fly under the radar. They're not unhappy, but they’re not loyal either. A competitor with the right offer could easily pull them away. These are the customers who need proactive engagement.

Surveying too frequently or at the wrong touchpoint

Timing matters. Sending out NPS surveys too often—or at moments that don’t make sense, like right after a support ticket—can lead to skewed results or survey fatigue. Make sure you’re choosing touchpoints where customers have had enough experience to give meaningful feedback.

Not following up with detractors promptly

When a customer takes the time to leave negative feedback and hears nothing back, it reinforces their poor experience. Following up—even if it’s just to acknowledge their comment—shows that you’re listening. A timely response can often turn a frustrated user into a more loyal one.

Treating NPS as a one-time initiative rather than a continuous process

NPS isn’t a checkbox. It works best when it’s baked into your Customer Success strategy—something you monitor, discuss, and act on regularly. If you only check in quarterly or yearly, you miss out on real-time feedback that could drive improvements faster.

Avoiding these mistakes doesn’t require a complete overhaul. Small shifts in how you collect, analyze, and respond to NPS can make the score far more valuable.

Conclusion

NPS can be a helpful metric—but only if you use it the right way. It’s not just about chasing a higher number or hitting an industry average. What matters more is understanding what your score reflects, how it’s changing over time, and what actions you’re taking based on customer feedback.

As a Customer Success Manager, your job isn’t just to report on sentiment—it’s to act on it. That means closing the loop with Detractors, engaging your Promoters, and building repeatable processes that your team can rely on.

If you're looking for a simpler way to manage NPS surveys, analyze responses, and take action without adding more work to your plate, Velaris can help.

Book a demo today to see how you can turn customer feedback into meaningful outcomes.