For Businesses
The Transparency Score
A score out of 5, computed from public ratings and published details. The formula is here in full, because a score nobody can recompute is just an opinion with a number on it.
How the 5 Points Are Made Up
Half of the five points reflect things you can improve — your reviews, your track record and the detail you publish.
- 2.5pts
Customer rating
The average of every star rating the company holds — Google, Yelp, Trustpilot and Houzz carry one when the company is listed there — weighted by how many reviews sit behind each, so 500 reviews count for more than four. A BBB letter grade is not a star rating, so it does not enter this average. RugRate’s own reviews join the average as one more source once the company has 5 published RugRate reviews; below that, only the other platforms count.
- 1pt
Weight of evidence
How many reviews stand behind that average, on a log scale: the tenth review tells a customer far more than the three-hundredth. Around 300 reviews earns the full point, and RugRate’s own reviews count toward it once they join the average above.
- 0.75pts
Track record
Years in business, as the company states them. Twenty-five years earns the full amount. A company that publishes no founding year scores nothing here.
- 0.75pts
Listing completeness
Five checks worth 0.15 each: a street address, where rugs are actually cleaned, at least four services listed, a presence on more than one review platform, and something specific said about how the company works.
What the Bands Mean
Shown to customers next to the score itself, so nobody has to guess what a 4.2 means.
- 4.5–5.0
Excellent
Strong ratings, plenty of reviews and a listing a customer can check.
- 4.0–4.4
Very good
Well rated, with one input still thin — often the published detail.
- 3.25–3.9
Good
Solid ratings, but fewer reviews or little published about the work.
- 2.5–3.2
Fair
Enough to compare, but most of the picture is still missing.
- No score
Not scored yet
No star rating on any platform and fewer than 5 published RugRate reviews, so the first component cannot be calculated.
Practical
Six Ways to Raise Your Score
Every one of these is free, and most take an hour.
- Claim your listing and publish a street address customers can check
- Say where rugs are actually cleaned — in the home, or at your plant
- List the full range of services you offer, not just the headline two
- Keep your profile on more than one review platform, with the details matching
- Ask real customers for reviews; volume is a component, and honest reviews raise the average
- Publish the year you started — a track record you never mention earns nothing
Score FAQs
Is the score the same as a star rating?
No, and they are shown separately. A star rating is one platform’s average. The score combines every rating a company has, how many reviews back them, how long it has traded and how much it publishes — so a single five-star review barely moves it.
Can I pay to raise my score?
No. Advertising does not touch it, and no part of the score is for sale. Every input is either a public rating or a detail you publish yourself, both of which are free.
Does having low prices raise the score?
No. Price is not an input at all. A company at the top of the market can score 5.0, and a cheap one can score 3.0 — what counts is the rating customers gave it and how much it publishes.
How often does the score update?
Published pricing and verification update as soon as the listing changes. The review-based parts move as new reviews come in.
What if a customer misremembers the quote?
One review does not move a score much, and a written quote settles it. Reply publicly with the facts — that reply is visible to everyone reading the review.