How scores work
Every business on RooVello shows two numbers: an overall score and a verified-only score. Both use the same formula; the verified-only score just ignores reviews we could not tie to a confirmed customer.
The formula
score = (7 × 3.5 + Σ wᵢ × ratingᵢ) / (7 + Σ wᵢ) wᵢ = 2^(−age_daysᵢ / 90) × label_weightᵢ
- Every business starts with 7 imaginary reviews at 3.5. A single glowing or furious review cannot swing the number much.
- A review's weight halves every 90 days, measured from the service date when the reviewer gives one.
- Label weights: verified customer 1, unverified 0.6, insiders (staff or owners) 0, reviews under an unresolved flag 0 until resolved.
- Scores are rounded to one decimal. Fewer than 3 counted reviews shows “Not enough reviews”.
Labels
| 1.0 – 1.7 | Bad |
| 1.8 – 2.7 | Poor |
| 2.8 – 3.7 | Average |
| 3.8 – 4.2 | Great |
| 4.3 – 5.0 | Excellent |
What never changes a score
Whether a business pays us. The only paid product is a tool that emails a business's own past customers asking for an honest review. Those emails never mention stars or a target rating, the business cannot choose who gets one based on how happy they were, and the resulting reviews are labeled “Invited by the business” and “Verified customer” so you can judge them yourself.
Review-bombing
When a business receives more reviews in 48 hours than in the previous 30 days, new reviews are held out of the score for 7 days while they are checked. They stay visible with their own labels.
Removals and appeals
Every review stores how it was collected and whether the customer was verified. Every removal records a reason code and the reviewer gets one appeal to a human moderator. Nothing is deleted silently; edits keep their history.