NPS in Software Development: How It Helps Choose a Reliable Tech Partner?

Hiring a technology partner is a bit like hiring a mountain guide for a long and challenging trip. You don’t just look at their high-tech gear or the glossy photos on their website. You look for the group that just came down from the peak and ask them the only question that matters: "Would you trust them to lead you again?".

In software development, your project is that high-altitude journey. You aren't just buying code, you’re betting your product’s future on a team’s reliability. While marketing brochures offer a nice view from the base, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) is the raw trail report from those who have already made the climb.

Reputation: The hardest currency in B2B IT

In B2B, we often get distracted by technical stacks and hourly rates. But at the summit, the most critical currency is trust. This is why we recently conducted a comprehensive NPS survey among our all active clients. The results are strong, but the story behind the numbers is what truly matters for anyone looking for an end-to-end tech partner who won't disappear when the terrain gets rough.

But before we move on, it’s fair to ask:

What on earth is NPS and why should you care?

Let’s explain it briefly, just to be on the same page.

Net Promoter Score is a common customer loyalty metric built around one simple question: "How likely are you to recommend working with our company to a friend or colleague?". Respondents answer on a scale of 0 to 10, categorizing them into:

• Promoters (9-10): Loyal enthusiasts who act as active ambassadors.
• Passives (7-8): Satisfied but unenthusiastic customers vulnerable to competitive offerings.
• Detractors (0-6): Unhappy customers who can damage a brand's reputation.

NPS measures loyalty, and in business, reputation is a derivative of loyalty.

We asked Piotr Sadowski, an NPS & customer experience expert, why these numbers actually matter for IT decision-makers. "B2B clients rely on peer recommendations within their industry. NPS serves as a proxy for a company’s reputation and the level of trust it has earned in the market" - he explains.

When you ask for a partner's NPS, you are doing your due diligence. You are verifying if their previous clients would put their own reputation on the line to vouch for them.

Enough theory, let's give our customers a voice.

Cards on the table. Here is our NPS survey score

To give you a clear view of our own path, we invited every one of our 19 active clients to share their perspective in late fall of 2025. To us, the 100% response rate we achieved is more than just data. It is a humbling reminder of the time and trust our clients invest in our relationship.

What does it mean for a potential partner?

A high response rate provides a more accurate, transparent view of a company's performance. For a potential partner, this means the data represents a complete picture of our current operations rather than just a selection of our most satisfied voices.

Now, let’s move back to the results.

TLDR:

• Our current NPS is 73
• Detractor rate: 0%

What is a "good" NPS for a software house?

Time to put those numbers into perspective.

In the IT services sector, the average benchmark typically hovers around 55 (source: ClearlyRated). While any score above 50 is considered excellent, reaching 70 or higher is often categorized as "World-Class" performance. Reaching 73 is a great honor that we view as a profound commitment to the standards our partners deserve.

When interpreting NPS results, the most valuable insights often come from looking closely at both passives and detractors, because that’s where the real signals about the health of a client relationship tend to appear.

As Piotr Sadowski points out, the number of detractors is a vital risk-management indicator: "In B2B, one must analyze the number of detractors, because it allows us to determine who is at risk of leaving. The risk of leaving in B2B is the risk of losing a contract".

In B2B, detractors often signal projects where the relationship is under significant strain. Achieving 0% detractors in this study suggests that we currently have no structural dissatisfaction signals among our clients. While this doesn't mean challenges never arise, it indicates that we have the communication channels in place to resolve issues before they threaten the project's success.

Why passive respondents are also important?

At the same time, the expert emphasizes, it’s worth paying close attention to passive respondents. In B2B, passives are not necessarily unhappy - but they’re not enthusiastic either. And indifference, in any relationship, rarely leads to long‑term loyalty.

A passive client may simply not feel enough value to become an advocate, or may be quietly comparing alternatives. These are relationships that need attention and thoughtful engagement.

Looking at both detractors and passives gives us a fuller picture of where we stand and where we should focus our efforts to keep clients not only satisfied, but genuinely committed to working with us.

Good NPS in IT is not a trophy - it’s ownership

A score is just a signal; the real story is in the "why." When we looked at specific ratings for engineering and delivery (we asked a couple of follow up questions to understand respondent’s NPS score), our partners highlighted Technical Quality and Responsiveness.

But beyond the data points, they talked about Ownership. They described experienced engineers who don't just "fix bugs" but care deeply about the product as if it were their own. This ownership narrative goes deeper than just "caring", it means our engineers proactively ask "why" questions to ensure every technical decision aligns perfectly with your business KPIs and strategic goals.

By understanding the "why" behind a feature, they ensure that we don’t just write code, but build the right business value. This is the difference between a guide who just follows a map and one who truly understands the mountain.

"At SoftwareMill, we see this score not as a trophy, but as an ongoing commitment. It’s a promise that when you trust us with your business goals, we will act as true partners for the entire journey" - says Paweł Torój, Head of Value Management Office (VMO) at SoftwareMill.

We listen to what our clients have to say

Even the most experienced guides must sharpen their skills. We proactively asked our clients where we could improve to raise their satisfaction even further. Based on their feedback, we are raising the bar in three key areas:

• Work efficiency: Clarifying priorities more frequently to ensure we focus on your highest-value tasks first.
• Predictability: Communicating risks and trade-offs explicitly before they become project-ending storms.
• Business proactivity: Encouraging our teams to ask "why" more often than "how," bringing a stronger proactive business perspective to every technical decision.

This feedback is more than a statement of how we’re doing today, it’s a compass that guides our ongoing growth. Each team uses it to define clear, meaningful steps to strengthen the way we work with our clients.

However, does a high NPS mean a partner is perfect?

Not at all. The real value of NPS isn't the score itself, but the roadmap it provides for improvement. We view these results as a motivation to keep earning our clients' trust every day.

Never take clients’ trust for granted

NPS provides a snapshot in time. Surpassing industry benchmarks is only meaningful if we continue to listen and respond to the areas where expectations are highest.

Consistency is vital for tracking trends and ensuring that quality doesn't dip as a company grows. We plan to conduct these surveys twice a year to measure continuous improvement and maintain an open, honest dialogue with all stakeholders. This ongoing feedback loop helps us align our technical decisions with our clients' evolving business goals.

Let’s reach that summit together

Choosing an IT partner is a multi-year capital decision. You are choosing the companions who will lead you through the complexity of the digital world. We are honored that our current clients trust us to lead the way, and we are committed to earning that trust every day on the trail.

Ready to start your next adventure with a partner you can rely on?

Contact us today to discuss your project and reach the summit together.