In a recent episode of The CX Iconoclast podcast, Richard Owen and Brian Curry asked the blunt question: is NPS dead? Their answer—no, but it’s on life support. The discussion reflects a broader theme in the Customer AI Masterclass: traditional survey-centric CX programs cannot guide modern organizations without predictive and prescriptive AI.

The Original Value of NPS

NPS was revolutionary when it launched in 2003. It simplified measurement into a single question and became the world’s most widely adopted CX metric. But as customer bases scaled, survey response rates shrank. Even in well-run programs, NPS surveys capture maybe 5–10% of customers. That leaves 90% of revenue invisible, and in today’s competitive environment, invisibility equals risk.

From Survey to Segmentation

In the Customer AI Masterclass Lesson 1.3, NPS is explained not as a survey but as a segmentation model. Promoters, Passives, and Detractors map directly to economic behaviors: renewal, churn, and advocacy. This framing is critical, because it highlights that NPS is useful only when tied to financial outcomes, not just survey scores.

Extending Coverage with AI

The real challenge is coverage. In the Customer AI Masterclass Lesson 3.9, attribution and predictive models extend NPS beyond surveys. By using operational and attitudinal data, AI can estimate NPS segments across 100% of accounts. This creates predictive NPS: a dynamic model that doesn’t just classify customers after the fact but identifies risks and opportunities in real time.

Practical Accuracy vs. False Precision

In the Customer AI Masterclass Lesson 3.8, learners see why being right seven to eight times out of ten is sufficient for strategic action. The stakes of being wrong—such as over-servicing an account that isn’t at risk—are often low compared to the stakes of missing churn signals. Even at 75% accuracy, predictive NPS delivers more actionable coverage than surveys.

The Career Imperative

Leaders who modernize NPS into a predictive framework tie customer metrics directly to revenue and create forward-looking management systems. This evolution has career implications: CX, CS, and RevOps professionals who understand predictive NPS move from being survey managers to strategic advisors who can link customer attitudes to Net Revenue Retention.