Understand what your TrustIndex score means, how it's calculated, and how to improve it.
Your TrustIndex is Hellopeter's proprietary trust metric that quantifies how credible your business is in the eyes of consumers. It's a score between 0 and 10 that combines multiple reputation signals into a single indicator. Hellopeter uses your TrustIndex to rank your business in your industry.
How TrustIndex is Calculated
Your TrustIndex is recalculated every time a new review is written about your business. The formula takes four variables into account:
Star Rating Value
Every review has a star rating chosen by the reviewer (1-5 stars). Each star is assigned a value:
• 1 Star = Value of 2
• 2 Stars = Value of 4
• 3 Stars = Value of 6
• 4 Stars = Value of 8
• 5 Stars = Value of 10
Time to Reply
How quickly your business responds to reviews matters. Each review is assigned a weighted contribution based on your reply speed:
• Under 8 hours = 100%
• 8-18 hours = 96.5%
• 18-36 hours = 93.5%
• Over 36 hours = 90%
• No response = 70%
If your business has more than 30 reviews and more than 67% of your replies are within 8 hours, an upward value adjustment is applied to your final TrustIndex. The more reviews you have and the quicker you reply, the better it is for your score.
Bayesian Average
The Bayesian Average ensures that new businesses aren't given an unfairly high or low TrustIndex. It works by automatically including 7 reviews with a TrustIndex score of 4.0 in every business's calculation.
The Bayesian Average is always included, but it becomes less of a factor the more reviews you collect.
Review Depreciation
Recent reviews are more relevant to consumers, so only reviews from a rolling 12-month period are included in the calculation. Reviews older than 12 months are excluded.
Your Overall TrustIndex
Every time a new review is written, all four variables are applied to recalculate your score. Your TrustIndex is calculated to 7 decimal places, which means it's extremely unlikely that two businesses will have the same score.
Minimum Reviews Required
Your business needs at least 10 reviews in the last 12 months before a TrustIndex score is calculated. This minimum, alongside the Bayesian Average, ensures businesses with a low number of reviews aren't ranked unfairly high or low in their industry.
The Four Score Bands
TrustIndex uses four bands to categorise your performance:
Poor (0-3.9)
Your online reputation needs work. This band indicates low trust or limited review activity. Focus on implementing a review collection strategy and responding promptly to all feedback.
Fair (4-5.9)
You've started building your reputation. Keep collecting reviews, respond to feedback quickly, and address common complaints. Small wins here compound into bigger improvements.
Good (6-7.9)
Your reputation is in good shape. Customers see you as trustworthy. Continue engaging with your community and maintain your response pace. This is where most successful businesses operate.
Excellent (8-10)
Exceptional performance. You're among the top-performing businesses on Hellopeter. Your reputation is a competitive advantage - use it in your marketing and nurture it by maintaining high standards.
Tip: Once you reach "Good" or above, focus on staying consistent rather than chasing perfection. Small, regular improvements matter more than occasional big efforts.
Tracking Changes Over Time
Navigate to Insights > TrustIndex to see your score trend across your selected period. Use the date range presets (1 month, 6 months, 12 months) to spot patterns:
• Upward trend - Your reputation investments are paying off
• Flat trend - You've plateaued - refresh your collection strategy
• Downward trend - Address issues immediately; check recent negative feedback for themes
The percentage change badge shows your progress versus the previous period, helping you measure the impact of your actions.
How TrustIndex Influences Your Business
Customers checking your Hellopeter profile see your TrustIndex score before reading individual reviews. A higher score:
• Builds credibility - Customers are more likely to choose you over competitors
• Increases conversions - Trust shortens the decision cycle
• Improves visibility - Higher-ranked businesses feature on industry pages
• Attracts more reviews - Confidence encourages people to engage
Improving Your TrustIndex
TrustIndex doesn't move overnight, but consistent action compounds. The backbone is great customer service.
Collect more reviews - Volume reduces the impact of any single negative review. Use WhatsApp, email, and SMS invitations to gather feedback systematically.
Reply to every review within 8 hours - This is the sweet spot for maximum TrustIndex contribution. Faster replies also mean happier customers.
Maintain fresh content - Only reviews from the last 12 months count. Stay active so your score reflects your current performance.
Address negative themes - If reviews consistently mention slow delivery or poor customer service, fix the root cause. TrustIndex will improve as feedback improves.
Focus on great customer service - TrustIndex ultimately reflects the experience you deliver. Positive experiences lead to positive reviews, which lead to a higher score.
Note: Reported reviews that are removed from Hellopeter do not count towards your TrustIndex or average star rating.
Empty State
If your business has fewer than 10 reviews in the last 12 months, the TrustIndex page shows an empty state. Click Collect your first review to start the WhatsApp invitation flow. Once you reach 10 reviews, your TrustIndex will calculate automatically.
Still need help? Use the live chat inside your portal to get in touch with our customer success team.