Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a survey-based measure of customers' stated willingness to recommend a company, calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.
How NPS is measured
The survey asks customers how likely they are to recommend the company, product, or service. Responses are grouped into promoters, passives, and detractors according to the chosen methodology. Passive responses count toward the response base but not toward either side of the subtraction.
The question, audience, timing, and channel should remain consistent across reporting periods. A relationship survey sent to the customer base measures something different from a transactional survey sent after a support call. Mixing the two makes changes difficult to interpret.
NPS is an aggregate signal, not a diagnosis. A follow-up question asking why the customer chose the rating often produces more useful operational information than the score alone. Segmenting responses by customer type, journey stage, or recent issue can also show where perceptions differ.
Why NPS matters for AI phone calls
An AI phone call can influence a customer's broader view of a company, especially when it is part of support, scheduling, or account service. NPS can help track that relationship-level perception, but it is usually too broad to evaluate one call flow by itself. CSAT and Customer Effort Score are more direct measures of a specific interaction.
For an AI phone operation, compare NPS feedback with concrete call outcomes such as resolution, transfers, repeat contacts, and escalations. A change in recommendation intent may follow several experiences, not just the most recent call. Avoid attributing movement to an agent configuration unless the survey design and supporting evidence justify that conclusion.
Response bias also matters. Customers who answer the survey may not represent the full customer base, and survey fatigue can change who responds. Track coverage, keep outreach consistent, and read open-text explanations alongside the score.
NPS is most useful as one layer of a measurement system. It describes advocacy, while operational metrics explain what happened during calls and direct interaction surveys describe how that experience felt.