The podcast episode

Trond Gudbrandsen, Tor Kristoffersen and Frode Stenstrøm discussed NPS as a measure of customers’ willingness to recommend a company. They examined both the appeal of one comparable number and the weakness that the score alone reveals little about the reason behind an answer.

What this means for the organisation

For management, NPS should sit alongside comments, complaints, retention and actual customer outcomes. Method, sample and timing need consistency if trends are compared. Acting on the feedback matters more than the ranking itself.

The episode explained the NPS scale and grouping but focused on what disappears into a single number. The example of shorter waiting time followed by a lower score showed that an assumed cause can be wrong. Free text and direct follow-up are therefore needed to interpret movement, especially in smaller B2B samples.

Reichheld’s original NPS article presented the recommendation question as a simple indicator associated with growth in studied companies. The podcast adds criticism about lost context, sampling and causal explanation. The background source explains the method’s ambition; the conversation shows why management still needs additional signals and active follow-up.

A robust design records who was asked, where the question appeared in the journey and the response rate. Changes should be read alongside free text, complaints, repeat purchases and direct conversations. NPS can then act as a signal for investigation rather than a complete explanation of customer experience.

Sources

Primary source: ProsessPilotene, “NPS: Effektivt verktøy eller overforenklet måling?,” 8 August 2024 (Norwegian).

Frederick F. Reichheld, “The One Number You Need to Grow,” Harvard Business Review, December 2003.

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