How to Build an NPS Survey in Under 5 Minutes

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is one of the most widely used metrics for measuring customer loyalty. The concept is simple: ask customers "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?" on a 0-10 scale, then categorize responses into Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), and Detractors (0-6).

Your NPS score is the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors. A score above 0 is decent, above 50 is excellent, and above 70 is world-class. Companies like Apple and Amazon consistently score in the 60-70+ range.

Step 1: Choose the Right NPS Question

The classic NPS question is: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend [Company/Product] to a friend or colleague?" Keep it exactly this way — it's standardized so you can benchmark against industry averages.

Step 2: Add a Follow-Up Question

The score alone doesn't tell you why. Always follow up with an open-ended question: "What's the main reason for your score?" This is where the actionable insights live. Detractors will tell you what to fix, and Promoters will tell you what to double down on.

Step 3: Use Conditional Logic for Targeted Follow-Ups

Here's where your NPS survey goes from basic to powerful. Use conditional logic to show different follow-up questions based on the score:

• Detractors (0-6): "We're sorry to hear that. What could we do better?"
• Passives (7-8): "What would make you more likely to recommend us?"
• Promoters (9-10): "That's great to hear! Would you be willing to leave a review?"

This creates a personalized experience that respects the respondent's sentiment and extracts the most useful feedback from each group.

Step 4: Keep It Short

An NPS survey should take less than 60 seconds to complete. The ideal structure is 2-4 questions total: the NPS score, one or two follow-ups, and optionally a "Can we contact you about your feedback?" question. Anything longer and response rates plummet.

Step 5: Distribute at the Right Moment

Timing matters. Send your NPS survey after meaningful interactions: after a support ticket is resolved, after a purchase, after onboarding, or at regular intervals (quarterly works well). Avoid surveying customers during frustrating moments — you'll skew the results and annoy people.

Building Your NPS Survey

With Typerson, you can build this entire NPS survey in under 5 minutes. The NPS question type is built in with the standard 0-10 scale, conditional logic lets you branch based on the score, and the conversational one-at-a-time layout keeps response rates high.