What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used customer loyalty metric based on a single question: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?" Respondents are categorised as Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), or Detractors (0-6). Your NPS is calculated as: percentage of Promoters minus percentage of Detractors, giving a score between -100 and +100. For children's activity businesses, a score above 50 is considered excellent, and above 70 is world-class.

NPS is valuable because it is simple to collect (one question, usually sent by email or text after a term ends), easy to track over time, and strongly correlated with business growth. A high NPS indicates that your customers are actively recommending you — and in an industry where word-of-mouth is the primary acquisition channel, this is directly linked to your ability to fill classes. The follow-up question — "What is the main reason for your score?" — provides qualitative insights that explain the number.

To make NPS actionable: survey at consistent intervals (end of each term works well), segment results by class, teacher, venue, and customer tenure, follow up personally with Detractors to understand and resolve their concerns, celebrate and share Promoter feedback with your team, and track the trend over time rather than fixating on any single score.