Why Your Obsession With This Number Is Holding You Back

You’re not measuring loyalty. You’re measuring delusion.

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You Know What's Worse Than Getting a Low NPS Score?

Thinking a high one actually means anything.

Every day, some poor CX leader is hauled into an exec meeting and grilled over a two-point drop like it’s a stock crash.

Everyone nods solemnly and mumbles about “turning promoters into evangelists” or “mobilizing passives.”

Then, they go back to ignoring the actual problems in the customer journey.

Why?

Because managing by NPS number is easy. It’s neat. It fits on a dashboard.

But it’s not real life.

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The Cult of the Score

Let’s be honest—NPS has become the security blanket for executives who don’t want to deal with messy feedback.

It gives them a number. A trend line. A color-coded bar.

Something that looks like action without requiring any.

But here’s the thing:

• A 9 doesn’t mean they’ll stay.

• A 10 doesn’t mean they’ll buy again.

• And a 3 doesn’t always mean they hate you—it might just mean your support bot missed the mark once.

Still, companies bet budgets, bonuses, and entire customer strategies on it.

That’s not smart.

That’s lazy.

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What You Should Be Tracking Instead

If you’re serious about customer experience, forget asking if they'd recommend you.

Instead, start asking:

You want actionable insights, not polite scores.

You want moments, not metrics.

The most loyal customers don’t leave glowing NPS responses.

They’re too busy using your product and telling their friends—without being asked.

So if NPS isn’t telling the truth, what will?

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Stop Worshipping NPS. Do This.

Here are five better ways to understand—and serve—your customers:

1. Replace vanity with value.
   If you're still putting NPS in your board report—fine. But alongside it, share what actual customers said this month. Quote them. Show the transcript. Let leadership feel the friction.

2. Focus on sentiment over scoring.
   Use AI or human reviews to identify patterns in open text responses. Words matter more than numbers. Track emotional tone. Find the real pain.

3. Move from survey to service.
   Every time someone gives feedback, follow up. Close the loop. If someone says they’re a 6, call them. Find out why. Not to change their score—to change their experience.

4. Build your own health indicators.
   Mix CSAT, time-to-resolution, churn risk, account growth, and rep interaction quality. Create a scorecard that actually reflects customer reality.

5. Treat feedback like a fire alarm.
   When someone says something’s broken, act like it. Don’t just tag it in your NPS system. Create a war room. Assign owners. Set deadlines.

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Try This: Ignore NPS Numbers for 30 Days

Here’s a challenge: Shut down your NPS dashboard for one month.

Instead, track open-ended feedback, listen in on service calls, follow up with detractors, and review churn cases manually.

Debrief every week with your CX team. What came up? What changed?

Then ask yourself—did you miss the score?

Or did you finally hear the customer?

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Your Customers Deserve Better Than a 0–10 Box

Net Promoter Score had a good run. It served its purpose—for a while.

But if your idea of “listening to the customer” is boiling their complex experience down to a single number, you're not listening. You're labeling.

The best CX leaders aren’t chasing higher scores.

They’re chasing better experiences.

Want to really impress your CEO?

Don’t show them a higher NPS.

Show them a customer who churned—and came back because you listened, acted, and cared. Like this:

Actual Customer Note I Received Last Week

That’s the real metric.

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Let’s Be Honest: Most of Us Already Know

NPS isn’t helping. It’s there to make PowerPoints look good and keep the peace in budget meetings.

But it’s not moving the needle. It’s not solving the problem. And deep down? You already know that.

Let’s stop pretending it’s working—and start building something better.

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A Couple of Questions for You

Are we still pretending NPS is working—or are we finally ready to admit it’s holding us back?

Drop your answer in the comments or share how your team’s moved beyond the number. Let’s get real.

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What’s Your #1 CX Challenge Right Now?

Reply and let me know. Your challenge might be featured (anonymously, of course) in an upcoming issue—with practical solutions for the whole CX community.

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What Successful CX Leaders Do on Sundays

DCX Links: Six must-read picks to fuel your leadership journey delivered every Sunday morning. Dive into the latest edition now!

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👋 Please Reach Out

I created this newsletter to help customer-obsessed pros like you deliver exceptional experiences and tackle challenges head-on. But honestly? The best part is connecting with awesome, like-minded people—just like you! 😊

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Got feedback? Tell me what’s working, what’s not, or what you’d love to see next.

• Stuck on something? Whether it’s a CX challenge, strategy question, or team issue, hit me up—I’m here to help.

• Just want to say hi? Seriously, don’t be shy. I’d love to connect, share ideas, or even swap success stories.

Your input keeps this newsletter fresh and valuable. Let’s start a conversation—email me, DM me, or comment anytime. Can’t wait to hear from you!

— Mark

www.marklevy.co
Follow me on Linkedin

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Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next Tuesday at 8:15 am ET.

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