If you run a SaaS business, you’ve probably heard about Net Promoter Score (NPS). It’s the “would you recommend us?” question that everyone loves to ask—but just dropping it into your product isn’t enough. If you want to actually learn something about your users (and not just collect vanity metrics), you need to set up your survey right and know how to read the results. This guide walks you through building NPS surveys in Qualaroo and, more importantly, how to make sense of what you get back.
Let’s get practical.
Why Bother With NPS (and Why Most People Get It Wrong)
NPS is simple: ask users how likely they are to recommend you, score them from 0-10, and crunch the numbers. Promoters (9-10) are supposed to love you, detractors (0-6) are ready to leave, and passives (7-8) are—well, passive.
But here’s the thing: NPS is only useful if you:
- Ask at the right time (hint: not right after signup)
- Add a follow-up question so you know why people score you as they do
- Actually use the feedback, not just chase a higher number
If you just want a pretty dashboard for your next board meeting, you can stop here. If you want real insights to drive your SaaS business, keep going.
Step 1: Set Up Your NPS Survey in Qualaroo
Qualaroo is built for in-app surveys, which is exactly where you want to catch SaaS users. Here’s how to get your NPS survey up and running.
1. Start a New Survey (“Nudge”)
- Log into Qualaroo.
- Click “Create New Nudge.”
- Pick “NPS” from the template list. If it’s not there, choose a blank survey and add your own NPS question:
“How likely are you to recommend [Your Product] to a friend or colleague?” (0 = Not at all likely, 10 = Extremely likely)
Pro tip: Don’t overthink the wording. The original NPS question is simple for a reason.
2. Add a Follow-Up Question
The real gold is in the “why.” Add a question after the score, like: - “What’s the main reason for your score?” - “What could we do to improve your experience?”
Keep it open-ended. Don’t lead the witness—just let people talk.
3. Target the Right Audience
This is where most SaaS teams blow it. Don’t show your NPS survey to every user the moment they log in. Instead: - Target active users (e.g., those who’ve used your product at least 3-5 times) - Exclude people who just signed up—they don’t know you yet - Time it for after a key action, like finishing a workflow or hitting a small milestone
In Qualaroo, use the targeting rules to set these conditions. If you’re not sure, start with your best guess, then adjust as you learn what works.
4. Control Frequency
Don’t spam people. Set your NPS nudge to show once every 90 days, max, to each user. Trust me, nothing tanks your NPS faster than annoying the people you’re asking for feedback.
5. Test Before You Launch
Preview the survey yourself. Make sure: - The scale runs from 0 to 10 - Follow-up question appears only after a user answers - The branding looks like your product, not a random pop-up
Launch when it feels right—not perfect. You can (and should) tweak later.
Step 2: Collect Responses—And Avoid Common Traps
Once your survey’s live, responses will trickle in. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Low response rates: Normal for SaaS. If you get 10-20% of targeted users replying, you’re doing fine.
- Weird spikes: If you suddenly get a bunch of 0s or 10s, check if you changed something—timing, UI, or just annoyed users with a bug.
- Internal bias: Don’t have your team fill out the survey “just to see what it’s like.” Their scores will skew things.
Don’t obsess over every response. Let a few weeks go by so you have enough data to start seeing trends.
Step 3: Calculate Your NPS (the Right Way)
Ignore the marketing fluff—NPS is just math:
- Count the % of responses that are promoters (9-10).
- Count the % that are detractors (0-6).
- Subtract detractors from promoters.
Example:
- 100 responses: 40 promoters, 50 passives, 10 detractors
- Promoter %: 40%
- Detractor %: 10%
- NPS = 40% - 10% = 30
Your NPS can range from -100 (everyone hates you) to +100 (everyone loves you). Most SaaS companies land somewhere between 10 and 40. Don’t panic if you’re not above 50—very few are.
What’s “good”?
Benchmarks are all over the place. Use your own trend over time, not someone else’s vanity number.
Step 4: Make Sense of the Results (Beyond the Score)
This is the step most teams skip. Don’t just watch the NPS number—dig into the why.
How to Actually Use the Feedback
-
Group responses by theme:
Use Qualaroo’s tagging or export to a spreadsheet. Tag feedback so you can spot patterns—pricing, bugs, missing features, support, etc. -
Look for repeat issues:
If five users mention confusing navigation, don’t ignore it. If only one person does, don’t drop everything to fix it. -
Don’t chase every detractor:
Some users just aren’t your audience. Focus on feedback you can act on. -
Read promoter comments too:
They tell you what to double down on. If fans love your onboarding, don’t go “fixing” it just because you’re bored. -
Share highlights, not every detail:
Bring the best (and worst) verbatims to your team. Nothing cuts through “we’re doing fine” quite like a real user quote.
Pro tip:
If you see the same “why” popping up for passives, that’s usually your best shot at turning more users into promoters.
Step 5: Take Action—But Don’t Overreact
It’s tempting to drop everything and chase the last angry comment. Resist. Instead:
- Prioritize fixes or improvements that show up for multiple users
- Use NPS as a pulse, not a roadmap—combine it with usage data and support tickets
- Close the loop (when possible): Let users know when you make a change based on their feedback. Even a “Thanks, we’re working on it” goes a long way
What NOT to do: - Don’t tie team bonuses to NPS. It’ll get gamed. - Don’t spam users asking for higher scores. - Don’t expect NPS to tell you exactly what to build next—it’s a signal, not a spec doc.
What Actually Matters (And What Doesn’t)
Matters: - Clear, honest follow-up questions - Targeting users who actually know your product - Looking at trends over time, not one-off numbers
Doesn’t matter: - Comparing your NPS to someone else’s. Their user base, pricing, and product are different from yours. - Chasing a “perfect” NPS. There isn’t one. - Freaking out over every negative comment. Some users will never love you.
Keep It Simple and Keep Going
NPS isn’t magic, but it’s a decent pulse check—if you use it right. Set up your survey in Qualaroo, focus on the why, and don’t drown in the numbers. Iterate on your questions, tweak your timing, and most of all, actually do something with what you learn.
You’ll never make everyone happy. But you will get better at listening to the folks who matter most—your users.