Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric for assessing customer satisfaction and loyalty. It measures how likely customers are to recommend a business to others, offering valuable insights into customer sentiment.
While NPS traditionally uses a 10-point scale, some companies opt for a simpler 5-point scale. The debate between the 5-point NPS scale and 11-point NPS scale centers around which provides more accurate, actionable feedback.
In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of each scale and help determine which one is more effective for capturing meaningful customer insights that drive business growth.
Understanding NPS and its Significance
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric used by businesses to gauge customer loyalty and satisfaction. It measures the likelihood of customers recommending a company’s product or service to others, providing a simple yet powerful indicator of customer sentiment.
The score ranges from 0 to 10, with customers categorized into three groups:
- Promoters (9-10): Loyal customers likely to recommend the business.
- Passives (7-8): Satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are not likely to actively promote.
- Detractors (0-6): Unhappy customers who may share negative experiences.
To calculate NPS, subtract the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters:
NPS = % of Promoters – % of Detractors.
NPS is widely used because of its simplicity and effectiveness in providing insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty. A strong NPS indicates a high level of customer loyalty, while a low score suggests areas for improvement.
Choosing the right NPS scale—whether 5-point or 11-point—ensures businesses gather meaningful data that can drive actionable insights to improve customer experience and retention.
The 5-Point NPS Scale: Overview and Benefits
The 5-point NPS scale is a simplified version of the traditional 10-point scale used to assess customer loyalty.
It asks customers how likely they are to recommend a company’s product or service on a scale from 1 to 5, where:
- 1-2: Detractors – Unhappy customers who are unlikely to recommend the business.
- 3: Passives – Satisfied but not enthusiastic customers.
- 4-5: Promoters – Loyal customers who are likely to advocate for the business.
This scale reduces the complexity of data analysis and categorization, making it more accessible for both customers and businesses.
Pros of the 5-point NPS scale include:
- Simplicity: With fewer options, it’s easier for customers to quickly answer, leading to higher response rates.
- Ease of Use: Businesses can quickly interpret responses and calculate the score without needing advanced analysis.
- Less Complexity: A simplified scale reduces the risk of overwhelming customers with too many options, ensuring quicker feedback collection.
The 5-point NPS scale is ideal for businesses looking for a straightforward, easy-to-implement tool to measure customer sentiment without diving into complex data.
The 11-Point NPS Scale: Overview and Benefits
The 11-point NPS scale expands on the traditional 10-point system by providing a more granular scale, ranging from 0 to 10.
Customers are asked to rate the likelihood of recommending a product or service using 11 distinct options, offering more detailed insights into their attitudes.
- 0-6: Detractors – Customers who are unlikely to recommend and may share negative feedback.
- 7-8: Passives – Satisfied customers who won’t actively promote the business.
- 9-10: Promoters – Loyal customers who are highly likely to recommend the business.
Pros of the 11-point NPS scale include:
- Greater Data Differentiation: The additional points allow for more precise measurement of customer satisfaction, identifying subtle differences in sentiment that a 5-point scale may miss.
- Better for Advanced Analytics: With more response options, businesses can segment data more effectively and gain deeper insights into customer satisfaction trends.
- Enhanced Segmentation: The 11-point scale helps businesses categorize customers more accurately, enabling more targeted follow-up actions based on the degree of satisfaction.
For businesses seeking more detailed insights, the 11-point NPS scale offers greater flexibility and the ability to analyze data at a finer level, ultimately supporting more tailored strategies for improving customer experience and loyalty.
Comparing 5-Point vs. 11-Point NPS Scales
When it comes to choosing the right NPS scale, businesses need to balance the trade-offs between simplicity and granularity, ease of implementation, and the depth of insights.
Let’s compare the 5-point NPS scale with the 11-point NPS scale across key factors:
1. Data Granularity
The 11-point NPS scale provides more precise feedback due to the additional points. It captures a wider range of customer sentiments, allowing businesses to differentiate between levels of dissatisfaction or satisfaction more accurately. For example, a customer who rates a product as 6 is less dissatisfied than one who rates it as 2, and the 11-point scale allows businesses to make that distinction.
In contrast, the 5-point scale is less granular, grouping similar responses (e.g., 3, 4, and 5 all fall under “Promoters”) and may not fully reflect subtle differences in sentiment. However, it still provides a clear indication of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Simplicity vs. Complexity
The 5-point scale is incredibly simple to implement and analyze, making it a great choice for businesses with limited resources or those who want to get quick, actionable feedback. Its simplicity allows for a faster turnaround on data collection and decision-making.
On the other hand, the 11-point scale can be more complex to analyze, requiring advanced tools and resources to interpret and segment the data. While it provides more detailed insights, it also demands more effort to extract actionable takeaways.
3. Response Rate
The 5-point scale is generally easier for customers to engage with, as it requires less thought and effort. This simplicity often leads to higher participation rates and quicker feedback, making it ideal for businesses looking to gather large amounts of data quickly.
However, the 11-point scale might experience lower response rates due to its complexity. Some users may find it more difficult to choose the most accurate rating, potentially leading to fewer responses. Despite this, the 11-point scale still offers richer insights for those willing to dive deeper into customer satisfaction.
4. Actionable Insights
Both scales provide actionable insights, but in different ways. The 5-point scale is excellent for getting a high-level view of customer sentiment and identifying areas that need attention (e.g., Promoters vs. Detractors). It works well for businesses that want quick feedback and prioritize simplicity.
The 11-point scale excels in providing more nuanced insights, helping businesses uncover specific trends and identify customer pain points with greater accuracy. By capturing a wider range of responses, it supports more granular segmentation and targeted follow-up actions.
| Feature | 5-Point NPS Scale | 11-Point NPS Scale |
| Data Granularity | Less granular, good for overall satisfaction trends | More granular, captures subtle differences in sentiment |
| Simplicity | Simple, easy to implement and analyze | More complex, requires advanced tools for analysis |
| Response Rate | Typically higher due to ease of use | Typically lower due to more complex rating system |
| Actionable Insights | Provides clear, high-level insights for quick decisions | Provides detailed insights for deeper customer understanding |
In conclusion, the 5-point scale is a great choice for businesses prioritizing simplicity, quick feedback, and ease of analysis, while the 11-point scale is ideal for those seeking deeper, more granular insights to make data-driven improvements.
The choice ultimately depends on the business’s needs, resources, and goals.
Which Scale Should You Choose?
Choosing between the 5-point NPS scale and the 11-point NPS scale depends on several factors related to your business’s objectives, resources, and customer base.
Here’s a breakdown of what to consider when making your decision:
1. The Complexity of Your Product or Service
- 5-Point NPS Scale: If your product or service is relatively simple, straightforward, or easy to use, a 5-point scale may suffice. It will help you capture the general sentiment of your customers without overwhelming them with too many options.
- 11-Point NPS Scale: For complex products or services, particularly those that cater to niche markets or have multiple features, an 11-point scale provides the granularity needed to identify nuanced customer feedback. It allows you to capture specific aspects of customer satisfaction in more detail.
2. The Size of Your Customer Base
- 5-Point NPS Scale: If you have a large customer base and need to gather quick feedback from a broad audience, the 5-point scale is more practical. Its simplicity encourages more responses and allows you to track trends over time without diving into the complexities of data analysis.
- 11-Point NPS Scale: If your customer base is smaller but more specialized, and you need deeper insights into their experiences, the 11-point scale could be more beneficial. Though it might not generate as many responses, the feedback you do receive will be more detailed and valuable for refining your product or service.
3. The Type of Feedback You’re Seeking
- 5-Point NPS Scale: Choose the 5-point scale if you are looking for high-level feedback and quick insights. It’s effective for measuring overall customer satisfaction and spotting major issues that require attention.
- 11-Point NPS Scale: If you need more granular, actionable insights that can be used for advanced segmentation, personalized customer engagement, or in-depth product development, the 11-point scale is the better option. It gives a clearer picture of customer sentiment across a broader spectrum.
4. Resources Available for Data Analysis
- 5-Point NPS Scale: If you have limited resources for data analysis, the 5-point scale is easier to manage. It requires less effort to interpret and can be analyzed quickly to derive actionable insights.
- 11-Point NPS Scale: If you have the resources (either in-house expertise or analytics tools) to handle more complex data, the 11-point scale allows for deeper analysis and better segmentation, which is useful if you want to break down customer feedback by various demographics or behavioral patterns.
5. Which Scale is Better Suited for Different Types of Businesses?
- B2B Businesses: B2B companies, especially those offering complex solutions, might benefit from the 11-point NPS scale as it allows them to capture more nuanced feedback from a smaller, specialized customer base. This granular feedback can help refine the customer journey and improve relationship management.
- B2C Businesses: B2C businesses that target a larger audience may prefer the 5-point NPS scale, as it’s easier to gather feedback from a wide customer base. The simplicity of the scale can lead to higher response rates, making it easier to assess general customer sentiment.
- Enterprise-Level Businesses: For large enterprises with diverse customer segments and a broad range of services, the 11-point scale is ideal for obtaining detailed insights into customer satisfaction across multiple facets of the business.
- Small Businesses: Small businesses or startups might find the 5-point NPS scale more beneficial due to its simplicity and ability to quickly gauge customer satisfaction without the need for advanced analytics.
In conclusion, the 5-point NPS scale is ideal for simplicity and quick feedback, while the 11-point NPS scale offers more granular insights for advanced analysis.
Both scales have their advantages depending on the complexity of your product, customer base, and available resources.
Experimenting with both scales will help you determine the best fit for your business, ensuring valuable feedback that aligns with your customer satisfaction goals.
