A good loyalty score is generally any score above 0, meaning you have more promoters than detractors. As a rough guide, scores above +30 are considered strong, above +50 excellent, and above +70 world-class. Because benchmarks vary widely by industry and region, the most reliable benchmark is your own score over time. The loyalty-score method discussed here is based on the Net Promoter Score framework; "Net Promoter Score" and "NPS" are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Satmetrix Systems, and Fred Reichheld, and SegmentOS is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. SegmentOS refers to its own feature as the Loyalty Score question.

What the score ranges mean

Loyalty scores run from -100 to +100. A useful way to read a score:

  • Below 0 — you have more detractors than promoters; treat this as a warning sign.
  • 0 to +30 — acceptable; there is real room to improve.
  • +30 to +50 — good; customers are generally loyal.
  • +50 to +70 — excellent; strong word-of-mouth potential.
  • Above +70 — world-class; rare and usually reserved for category leaders.

These bands are interpretive guidelines, not strict cutoffs. A +20 in a low-scoring industry can outperform a +40 in a high-scoring one.

Why industry context matters

Loyalty scores differ enormously by sector because expectations and competitive dynamics differ. As broad, approximate ranges seen in published industry studies:

  • Consumer tech and software often sit in the +30 to +50 range.
  • Retail and consumer goods commonly land +30 to +60.
  • Financial services, insurance, and utilities frequently fall 0 to +30, sometimes lower.
  • Airlines, telecoms, and ISPs often score below +20 and can be negative.

Treat these as orientation only. Methodology, question wording, sample, and region all shift the numbers, so comparing your score to a competitor measured differently can mislead.

How to set your own benchmark

The most actionable benchmark is your own trend. Measure on a fixed cadence (for example monthly or quarterly) with the same question wording and the same audience definition, then watch the direction. A score moving from +18 to +27 over two quarters is more meaningful than how it compares to an industry average measured under different conditions. A common rule of thumb: a sustained change of about 5 points or more is worth investigating; smaller wobbles are usually noise, especially on smaller samples.

Worked example

Your Q1 loyalty score is +22 and your Q2 score is +31. The 9-point rise is above the ~5-point noise threshold, so it is likely a real improvement. Before celebrating, confirm the sample sizes are comparable and segment the result to check whether the gain is broad-based or driven by one group. See statistical significance in surveys for deciding whether a change is real.

How to do this in SegmentOS

When you add a Loyalty Score question (a 0-10 recommendation question), SegmentOS calculates the score on the results page as % promoters (9-10) − % detractors (0-6) and color-codes it: amber for positive scores and green at the strong end, so you can see at a glance where you sit. To benchmark fairly over time, keep the question wording and audience consistent across studies, and use segmentation to compare scores across customer groups. To understand what is driving the number, run driver analysis.

Frequently asked questions

Is a loyalty score of 30 good?

Yes, a score of +30 is generally considered good and indicates you have substantially more promoters than detractors. Whether it is competitive depends on your industry, so compare it to your own past scores and to peers measured the same way.

Can a loyalty score be negative?

Yes. A negative score means detractors outnumber promoters and can range as low as -100. Negative scores are common in some sectors such as telecoms and airlines, but they still signal real dissatisfaction worth addressing.

How often should I measure my loyalty score?

A fixed cadence such as monthly or quarterly works well for relationship tracking. Consistency matters more than frequency: keep the question wording, scale, and audience definition the same each time so the trend is comparable.

Why shouldn't I compare my score directly to a competitor's?

Different organizations use different question wording, samples, channels, and timing, all of which shift the score. Unless the methodology matches, a head-to-head comparison can be misleading; your own trend is a more reliable benchmark.