Professional Services
Professional services firms continue to post loyalty scores well above the cross-sector benchmark, with recent disclosures from Verito (95), Embark (93), and Spencer Fane (88) demonstrating the high-touch nature of advisory relationships. The sector's median of 80 reflects consistent client retention across consulting, accounting, staffing, and real estate advisory practices.
The headline
Professional services firms logged 138 canonical Net Promoter Score disclosures through late September 2026, recording a median of 80 and a mean of 75.3. That median runs six points above the NPS Intelligence corpus benchmark of 74, a margin consistent with the relationship-intensive economics of the sector. Scores cluster in the 70–90 range, with notable concentration among consulting and advisory practices that rely on recurring engagements and partner-level account stewardship.
The distribution skews positive: fifteen firms reached the 100 ceiling, while only a handful fell below 40. The spread reflects segmentation between high-touch advisory boutiques and volume-driven practices in accounting and staffing, where standardization can dampen individual client sentiment.
NPS evolution
Sector performance has stabilized in the low eighties after earlier volatility. The median climbed from 40.6 in 2017 to 86 in 2021, then settled back to the 80–83 range through 2026 as disclosure volume broadened beyond early-adopter firms. The 2026 cohort of 35 disclosures—matching the prior two years combined—suggests maturation of loyalty tracking as a standard operating metric.
Disclosure volume
Annual disclosure counts have grown steadily from single digits in the mid-2010s to 35 in 2026 year-to-date, with the steepest gains occurring in 2024 and 2025. Staffing and accounting practices now publish scores alongside client-satisfaction awards, while consulting boutiques cite NPS in partnership announcements and fundraising materials.
Company stories
Ceiling scores and repeat performers
EPC Group hit 100 twice in 2026—once in March for technology consulting and again in April for business intelligence—underscoring its niche in data-driven advisory work. JLL and its APAC division both posted perfect scores in January 2025, reflecting the commercial real estate giant's investment in client feedback infrastructure. Wellington-Altus reached 100 in two separate waves (2020 and 2021), a rare repeat at the ceiling that signals sustained process discipline in financial advisory.
Recent standouts
ESOP Partners disclosed in August 2026 that its rolling twelve-month average recently touched the low 90s, with client turnover below 1 percent annually—a combination that positions the firm well above typical wealth and benefits consultancies. SHAPE reported 86 for fiscal 2026, attributing the result to repeat business that now represents the majority of its project pipeline. Both firms illustrate how advisory practices translate NPS into retention economics.
The bottom quartile
mbaMission logged 9.94 in April 2026, the lowest score of the year and one of the sector's weakest on record. Education consulting appears especially vulnerable to single-transaction dynamics, where applicants engage once and often lack ongoing relationship depth. A 2017 Deloitte study of corporate learning and development recorded an NPS of –8 among HR professionals, a reminder that even marquee brands face headwinds in commoditized or compliance-driven service lines.
Fresh in 2026
The past quarter brought a cross-section of advisory and professional-service disclosures, many tied to industry awards or tenure milestones:
- SPM Communications at 82, cited as 39 percent above industry average in September
- Sensiba at 70.6 in August, well above the 30–50 band common in accounting
- Blackstone Talent Group at 76.2, earning its fifth consecutive Best of Staffing recognition
- Allen Voor Vart (firm) at 88, described by experience professionals as world-class
- Aberdeen Group Plc adviser arm at 53, highlighting faster onboarding in client feedback
Older nuggets worth a second look
- Jolt Consulting Group disclosed 91 in February 2016, framing the metric as a core measure of client value and engagement.
- AcctTwo posted 70 in June 2016, tying the score to its customer-success commitment in cloud accounting.
- Perceptive Group announced 72 in July 2017, positioning itself as the most-loved marketing services firm in New Zealand.
- Rehmann earned 79 in August 2017—quadruple the accounting industry average—alongside an Inavero Best Of award.
- Keane recorded 47 in October 2014, claiming the highest client loyalty score in shareholder services for the fifth consecutive year.