Full score distribution
Where are the customers who are almost ready to recommend us?
Beyond the NPS itself, you see the share at each score. Here, 18% gave an 8: they’re one step away from becoming promoters.
NPS research · Net Promoter Score
Your NPS gives you the score. We show you the why, and what to do next.
NPS research that takes you from measurement to analysis to an action plan, based on the score and the reasons behind it.
Detractor · score 4
I ordered on Monday and it didn’t arrive until the following week. Nobody let me know.
Passive · score 8
I almost gave a 10. They just should have told me about the delay.
NPS this quarter32
Promoter · score 10
They sorted everything out on the first call.
#delivery31% of comments
The problem
Lots of companies track NPS. Very few know what to do with it.
- Comment 01 · NPS dropping
“Our NPS dropped 8 points and nobody can tell me why.”
- Comment 02 · Unread comments
“We’re sitting on thousands of comments nobody reads.”
- Comment 03 · Targets, no action
“The score becomes a target, but it never turns into action.”
On its own, the number tells you how big the problem is. The real value is in the why, and in the analysis that connects the two.
What it is
What NPS is and how to calculate it
Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures customer loyalty with a single question, answered on a 0–10 scale.
The question
“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [company] to a friend or colleague?”
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Detractors 0 to 6 Passives 7 and 8 Promoters 9 and 10
The calculation
% promoters − % detractors
52% − 20% = 32
The score ranges from −100 (all detractors) to +100 (all promoters). Passives count toward the total number of responses but neither add nor subtract.
The 4 NPS zones
Scores are often grouped into four bands that show where you stand and what the next step up looks like.
- Critical−100 to 0
As many detractors as promoters, or more: a real risk of losing customers and reputation.
- Improvement1 to 50
Promoters outnumber detractors, but there are gaps holding recommendations back.
- Quality51 to 75
A good experience, with a few specific things to fix on the way to excellence.
- Excellence76 to 100
Customers who have become brand advocates: the challenge is to keep it that way and put your promoters to work for the business.
Knowing your zone is a start. The analysis shows what it takes to reach the next one.
These zones are a market convention widely used in Brazil, not part of the original NPS methodology. Benchmarking against your industry and your own history is more accurate.
Beyond the number
Why the number alone isn’t enough
Two identical scores can hide very different realities.
- Company ANPS 2040%40%20%
- Promoters
- Passives
- Detractors
Plenty of fans and plenty of unhappy customers: an uneven experience, with the risk sitting in the detractors.
- Company BNPS 2025%70%5%
- Promoters
- Passives
- Detractors
Few fans and few unhappy customers: a lukewarm experience, where the challenge is to genuinely delight.
- It shows the size of the gap, not the causeNPS tells you how far you have to go, but not what’s missing.
- It’s more volatile than an averageBecause it’s the difference between two percentages, small shifts between surveys can just be noise.
- Averages hide where the problem isWithout segmenting, a struggling location, channel or customer type disappears into the total.
The why question
The why question
Right after the score, customers tell you why. That’s where most of the value in NPS lies. Tap a score to see the follow-up question.
Question 1 of 2
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend Company X to a friend or colleague?
Not at all likelyExtremely likely
Question 2 of 2
Detractor
What would we need to change for you to recommend us?
Delivery timeCustomer serviceBillingPrice
Other: tell us more…
Passive
What would it take to get a 10 from you?
Order updatesProduct rangeCustomer servicePrice
Other: tell us more…
Promoter
What do you value most about us?
QualityCustomer serviceEasy to buyDelivery
Other: tell us more…
Three ways to ask why
- A simple open question“What is the main reason for your score?” Works for every group.
- A question tailored to each groupFor detractors, what would need to change; for passives, what was missing for a 10; for promoters, what they value most.
- A list of reasons plus an open fieldEasy to count, while leaving room for anything you didn’t anticipate.
Best practices
- Keep it short
- Ask right after the score
- Don’t lead the answer
Analysis and insights
The NPS analyses we deliver
Each analysis answers a business question, and they fall into three groups: what the score tells you, what the comments tell you, and what you learn by putting the two together. All examples use illustrative data.
A
What the score tells you
Distribution, segments, trends, competitors, drivers and business outcomes.
NPS by segment
Which channel, location or profile is the problem?
By region, location, channel, product, profile and customer tenure. Here, the call center is dragging the total down.
Trend with significance testing
Is this quarter’s drop real or just chance?
The test shows whether a change between surveys is real, so you avoid false alarms and celebrating too early.
Competitive benchmarking
Is our NPS good for our market?
Your NPS compared with others in your market, using the same question and the same yardstick.
What drives your NPS
Delivery time, service or price: which one matters most for recommendation?
We cross the score with attribute ratings to show which ones have the biggest impact on recommendation.
Link to business results
What is a promoter worth compared with a detractor?
PromotersDetractors
- Repurchase within 12 months74%29%
- Churn within the year5%23%
- Average annual spendR$ 1.380R$ 640
When you share customer data, we link NPS to repurchase, churn and spend.
B
What the why question tells you
Themes, reasons by group, the cost of each theme, tone, emerging themes and real quotes.
Most mentioned themes
What do customers talk about most?
% of comments
Comments sorted into categories, with how often each one comes up.
Reasons for detracting and promoting
Are the things that drive customers away the same as the things that win them over?
Detractors
Promoters
They’re usually different themes: fixing what drives people away isn’t the same as doubling down on what wins them over.
How many points each theme costs you
Which themes take the most points off your NPS?
NPS points lost
We compare the NPS of customers who mention a theme with the overall NPS. The bigger the gap, the more that theme is costing you.
Tone and intensity
Are the comments praise, mild criticism or serious complaints?
46%33%21%
- Praise
- Mild criticism
- Serious complaint
Intensity separates a minor annoyance from a problem that could lead to churn.
Emerging themes over time
What topic is starting to come up?
Mentions of in-app billing rose from 1% to 9% in six quarters: a problem growing before it shows up in the score.
Representative comments
How do you bring the numbers to life in a presentation?
- Detractor · score 4“I ordered on Monday and it didn’t arrive until the following week. Nobody let me know.”
- Passive · score 8“I almost gave a 10. They just should have told me about the delay.”
- Promoter · score 10“They sorted everything out on the first call.”
Real quotes that help leadership see the customer behind every number. Illustrative examples.
C
What you learn by combining the two
Priorities, estimated gains, detractor profiles and the action plan.
Priority map by theme
Where do we start?
How often each theme is mentioned versus how many NPS points it costs. Circle size shows how many customers raised it.
Gain simulation
How much could NPS go up if we fix each problem?
Estimated NPS32Current NPS
Select the problems you’d fix. The estimate is based on the NPS of customers who mentioned each theme. Illustrative data.
Detractor profiles
Who are they, what do they complain about and which channel do they use?
- New app customerShare of detractors32%ComplaintsDelivery and order trackingChannelApp
- Small businessShare of detractors25%ComplaintsBilling and invoicesChannelPhone
- Long-time store customerShare of detractors18%ComplaintsPrice and wait timesChannelStores
Groups of detractors with a similar profile, so each can be addressed directly.
Action plan
Who does what, and how will we know it worked?
| Team | Action | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Logistics | Proactive delay alerts and revised delivery times by region | On-time deliveries and NPS among customers who mentioned delivery |
| Financial | A simpler invoice that explains each item | Billing mentions in comments |
| Customer service | Empower agents to resolve issues on first contact | First-contact resolution rate |
| Digital product | Order tracking inside the app | App channel NPS |
Recommendations by responsible team, each with a metric to track.
Ways to apply it
Ways to run NPS
Relationship NPS
Measures the overall relationship with your brand, in quarterly, twice-yearly or annual waves.
Transactional NPS
Measures a specific interaction, right after a purchase, a service call or a delivery.
Competitive NPS
Market research that includes your competitors’ customers, using the same yardstick.
eNPS
The same approach applied to employees: how likely they are to recommend your company as a place to work.
Channels
- Text message
- QR code
- Phone
- In person
Closing the loop
Closing the loop with customers
The survey doesn’t end with the score. The customer who gave it deserves a response, too.
- Alert
Every detractor triggers an automatic alert, so your team can follow up fast.
- Follow-through
Customers hear back about what changed because of their feedback.
- Tracking
We track how many contacted detractors moved to a different group in the next survey.
120 detractors contacted after wave 1
38%30%32%
- Became promoters
- Became passives
- Still detractors
How it works
How it works
The six steps of the first wave. In later waves, the cycle starts again at data collection.
- 01Discovery
Goals, touchpoints and, where available, a review of the NPS you already track.
- 02Design
Questionnaire, the why question, supporting questions, sample and frequency.
- 03Fieldwork
Data collection through the most suitable channel, with quality control.
- 04Analysis
Analysis of the score, the comments and the two together.
- 05Reporting
Dashboard, report and presentation with the action plan.
- 06Follow-up
Following up on the actions and preparing the next wave.
What you get
What you get
The numbers on the dashboard match the deliverables listed here.
- 1Online dashboard with NPS, trends, segments and themes.
- 2Executive report with the findings and the action plan.
- 3Organized comments by theme, with real examples.
- 4Detractor alerts for quick follow-up (optional).
- 5Raw data and presentation for your team and for leadership.
- 6Full interviews audio and transcript for every response, when recorded with consent.
Done! The dashboard has been sent to . Demo only: no email is actually sent.
NPS32▲ 4 pts vs. previous wave
Promoters52%scores 9 and 10
Detractors20%scores 0 to 6
Responses4,862this period
NPS trend
Detractor reasons (%) 3
- Late deliveries41
- Issues left unresolved27
- Confusing billing15
- Price9
- Other8
What promoters praise 3
- Product quality412
- Friendly service268
- Easy to buy117
Detractor alerts 418customers to contact today
Full interviews 6Listen to the audio and read the transcript of every response.
0:00
- 0:05Interviewer
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend Company X to a friend or colleague?
- 0:11Customer
Honestly, I’d give it a 4.
- 0:15Interviewer
And what would need to change for you to recommend ABC?
- 0:19Customer
I ordered on Monday and it didn’t show up until the following week. And nobody told me it was running late.
- 0:31Customer
If they’d just sent me a quick message, I wouldn’t have been this annoyed.
- 0:04Interviewer
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend Company X to a friend or colleague?
- 0:09Customer
I’d say an 8.
- 0:12Interviewer
What would it take to get a 10 from you?
- 0:16Customer
The staff at the store are great, but the checkout line on Saturdays is way too long.
- 0:27Customer
If they opened more registers, I’d give them a 10, no question.
- 0:03Interviewer
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend Company X to a friend or colleague?
- 0:08Customer
A 10, definitely.
- 0:11Interviewer
What do you value most about us?
- 0:15Customer
I had an issue with my bill and they sorted it all out on the first call.
- 0:24Customer
The agent was really friendly and walked me through every line item.
- 2Executive report
- 5Raw data and presentation
What sets us apart
Why Checon
- The why
Comments included
Comment analysis is part of the project, not an add-on.
- Analytics
Significance testing
Differences between waves and segments are tested, so you don’t chase random swings.
- Drivers
What drives your NPS
The attributes and themes that weigh most on recommendation, ranked by impact.
- Action
A plan for each team
Recommendations with an owner and a metric to track each action.
- Trust
Since 1992
More than 30 years in research and over 500 projects in Brazil and abroad.
- ISO
Quality and data protection
Processes certified to ISO 20252 since 2010, and data protection in line with Brazil’s LGPD.
Case studies
Real case studies
Clients are identified by industry only, as in all our case studies.
-
Financial services · Public sector
A low score warns that something is wrong. It doesn’t say what.
- Challenge
Understand why public-sector clients of a financial institution were giving low satisfaction scores.
- Solution
Online in-depth interviews with public-sector clients and with the teams that serve them.
- Result
An improvement agenda built around what clients and staff both saw as priorities.
2sides of the same relationship heard: clients and staffRead the full case study → - Challenge
-
Consumer services · Lost customers
Before asking why customers stopped, confirm that they stopped
- Challenge
Understand why customers of a digital reordering service had stopped placing orders.
- Solution
Phone survey of inactive customers, first confirming each customer’s actual status.
- Result
Fixes to the customer journey and different win-back actions for each type of inactive customer.
6points in the journey examined, from technology to billingRead the full case study → - Challenge
Frequently asked questions
NPS research: common questions
Question 01
What is a good NPS?
Market zones give you a first reference point: above 75 is excellence, 51 to 75 is quality, 1 to 50 is improvement, and 0 or below is critical. These zones are a convention widely used in Brazil, not part of the original NPS methodology. The most accurate comparison is with competitors in your industry and with your own track record.
Talk to a specialist
Question 02
What’s the difference between NPS and a satisfaction survey?
NPS is a single metric: it measures, on a 0–10 scale, how likely a customer is to recommend you. A satisfaction survey is the broader study, covering service, price, delivery times, quality and every touchpoint. The two go hand in hand: NPS is usually one of the metrics tracked in a satisfaction program.
Learn about satisfaction research
Question 03
How many responses do we need for a reliable NPS?
It depends on how scores are spread and how many groups you want to compare. As a rule of thumb, about 400 responses give a margin of error of 7 to 8 NPS points, and about 1,000 responses bring it down to around 5 points, at 95% confidence. To compare locations or channels, each group needs a large enough sample.
Open the sample size calculator
Question 04
We already track NPS with our own tool. Can you analyze that data?
Yes. Send us your file with scores and comments and we’ll run the same analyses: distribution, segments, period-over-period tests, comment themes and the impact of each theme on the score. It’s a great starting point for a diagnostic before you change how you measure.
Talk to a specialist
Question 05
How often should we measure NPS?
Transactional NPS works well on an always-on basis, right after each interaction. Relationship NPS is usually measured in quarterly, twice-yearly or annual waves. What matters is keeping the same interval and the same question, so results stay comparable.
Talk to a specialist
Question 06
How is customer data protected?
The data you share is used only for the research, with access limited to the project team, and handled in line with Brazil’s data protection law (LGPD). Results are reported in aggregate, and a customer is only identified to you with their consent, as with detractor alerts. Our processes follow the ISO 20252 standard.
Talk to a specialistFurther reading
See all articles →Articles on metrics and customers
Management · 6 min readMetrics to manage and improve your businessPeter Drucker, still regarded as the father of modern management, continues to offer valuable lessons…Read the article →Management · 4 min readWho are your customers, and how well do you know them?The basic requirement for the success of any venture is knowing and monitoring its market and, more specifically, the expectations…Read the article →Quantitative · 8 min readMargin of error and sample size: a practical guideHow the margin of error works, how many interviews you need and why population size matters less than you might think.Read the article →
From score to plan
Turn your NPS into an action plan.
Request a proposal or, if you already track NPS, send us your data for a diagnostic: you’ll get a sample of our analyses run on your own data. A specialist will get back to you within one business day.
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