Ranking Score Explained
Hi there, thanks for your interest in how we calculate an experience's ranking score. It's at the core of Rankers so I'm pleased you're curious.
The ranking score percentage is used to compare and sort experiences in ranking tables. It is not necessarily a direct measurement of the quality of a particular experience as rated by its customers. I've found it a useful tool to allow me to find the best experiences with confidence. But I've also found it important to read the customer reviews before making any final judgements!
We calculate an experience's ranking score using a multi-factor data model instead of a raw data average (mean). This model takes into account several important questions. For instance - is there a trusted body of reviews? What is the age of a review and is the review from a credible source?
Below you'll find details around some of the important factors that went into calculating the ranking score for Cougar Line.
If you have any questions or comments about our ranking score calculation please get in touch at info@rankers.co.nz. We don't believe this is perfect or complete so we're always interested in ways we might make improvements.
Nick Morrison
Rankers owner
Cougar Line
Valid Reviews
83 Valid Reviews
The Cougar Line experience has a total of 87 reviews. There are 83 valid reviews that are included when calculating the ranking score and 4 invalid reviews that are excluded from the calculation. Reviews can be excluded only when a reviewer is not verified or after an investigation by our team determines the reviewer is not genuine.
Below is the distribution of ratings for the 83 valid reviews:
| Rating | Count | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/10 | 52 |
|
63% |
| 9/10 | 15 |
|
18% |
| 8/10 | 11 |
|
13% |
| 7/10 | 2 |
|
2% |
| 6/10 | 0 |
|
0% |
| 5/10 | 1 |
|
1% |
| 4/10 | 1 |
|
1% |
| 3/10 | 0 |
|
0% |
| 2/10 | 0 |
|
0% |
| 1/10 | 1 |
|
1% |
92.41% Average
The raw data average (mean) for all the Cougar Line valid reviews is 92.41% and is based on 83 valid reviews. This value is not used to calculate the ranking score and it only provided here as a comparison to the weighted average.
Face-to-Face Reviews
31 Face-to-Face Reviews
The Rankers team meets with travellers while they’re in New Zealand and conducts face-to-face surveys. These reviews, in our opinion, are the most trusted in the industry and represent a critical control sample. To our knowledge, we are the only travel review website in the world that has gone to this extent.
More about face-to-face reviews
Within the 83 valid reviews, the experience has 31 face-to-face reviews collected during interviews by our team.
Below is the distribution of ratings for the 31 face-to-face reviews:
| Rating | Count | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/10 | 5 |
|
16% |
| 9/10 | 13 |
|
42% |
| 8/10 | 9 |
|
29% |
| 7/10 | 2 |
|
6% |
| 6/10 | 0 |
|
0% |
| 5/10 | 1 |
|
3% |
| 4/10 | 1 |
|
3% |
| 3/10 | 0 |
|
0% |
| 2/10 | 0 |
|
0% |
| 1/10 | 0 |
|
0% |
84.52% Average
The raw data average (mean) for all the Cougar Line face-to-face reviews is 84.52% and is based on 31 face-to-face reviews. This value is not used to calculate the ranking score and it only provided here for comparison purposes.
Weighted Average
94.94%
Rankers calculates a weighted mean as a base average on which we can improve. Individual review's ratings are given a weight based on several factors. The weight of a review determines the overall impact it'll have on the final weighted average.
Recent reviews have more weight as they are more relevant and reflect the experience as it currently operates. Over time reviews become less relevant and loose their impact on the ranking score.
Low rating reviews carry slightly less weight. This dampens the effect of very low ratings for every experience across the board. This is especially important when the experience has few reviews overall and a single negative rating can grossly mischaracterise an experience. Consistent poor reviews will still result in the experience receiving a comparitively low ranking score.
Credible sources provide reviews that can be trusted. If we have verified a reviewer is genuine via a face-to-face meeting then the review carries additional weight.
| Reviewer | Rating | Age | Face-to-Face | Weight | Relative Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nzthrillseekers | 10/10 | 351 days | 80.48 | 100% | |
| Sandra Wilson | 10/10 | 382 days | 76.88 | 95% | |
| Wolfgang | 9/10 | 635 days |  |
46.24 | 57% |
| Robyn Hallowell | 9/10 | 993 days | |
7.98 | 9% |
| Polly Foster | 10/10 | 1235 days | 4.81 | 5% | |
| Ben and Morgane | 9/10 | 1300 days | |
5.66 | 6% |
| Simon L | 10/10 | 1631 days | 4.27 | 4% | |
| Anthony Richards | 10/10 | 1690 days | 4.18 | 4% | |
| Yana W. | 10/10 | 1721 days | 4.14 | 4% | |
| James Wilson | 10/10 | 1782 days | 4.06 | 4% | |
| Shirley Piggott | 10/10 | 1935 days | 3.85 | 4% | |
| Howie Weir | 8/10 | 2024 days | 3.73 | 4% | |
| Nadine | 8/10 | 2068 days | |
4.4 | 4% |
| Sian Harries | 10/10 | 2086 days | 3.64 | 3% | |
| Sasha and Sandra Bonavia | 9/10 | 2086 days | |
4.37 | 4% |
| Denise Albrecht | 10/10 | 2090 days | |
4.36 | 4% |
| svenanka | 10/10 | 2116 days | 3.6 | 3% | |
| fayedoig | 10/10 | 2330 days | 3.31 | 3% | |
| voyager64 | 10/10 | 2330 days | 3.31 | 3% | |
| Jonathan Tuthill | 9/10 | 2346 days | |
3.94 | 4% |
| EmmaNewman | 10/10 | 2361 days | 3.27 | 3% | |
| Hiro1403 | 9/10 | 2361 days | 3.27 | 3% | |
| RichardClough | 10/10 | 2421 days | 3.18 | 3% | |
| Michelle | 10/10 | 2421 days | 3.18 | 3% | |
| jennyhuckstep | 10/10 | 2421 days | 3.18 | 3% | |
| AnneGrange | 10/10 | 2421 days | 3.18 | 3% | |
| Rhi | 10/10 | 2421 days | 3.18 | 3% | |
| kainga | 10/10 | 2421 days | 3.18 | 3% | |
| skphilpott | 1/10 | 2452 days | 2.67 | 2% | |
| Cornelia & Josef | 9/10 | 2464 days | |
3.75 | 4% |
| SimonPayne | 10/10 | 2482 days | 3.1 | 3% | |
| Beachfan | 10/10 | 2513 days | 3.06 | 3% | |
| calamityalex | 10/10 | 2513 days | 3.06 | 3% | |
| Brian & Di | 8/10 | 2709 days | |
3.35 | 3% |
| Janice OConnor | 9/10 | 2710 days | |
3.35 | 3% |
| W Groshops | 7/10 | 2716 days | |
3.34 | 3% |
| Richard Broughton | 9/10 | 2721 days | |
3.33 | 3% |
| nzMuppet | 10/10 | 2727 days | 2.76 | 2% | |
| Hartheib Schmid | 4/10 | 2730 days | |
3.12 | 3% |
| Katharina Dierkes | 5/10 | 2742 days | |
3.29 | 3% |
| Isbabel | 9/10 | 2753 days | |
3.27 | 3% |
| didine | 10/10 | 2755 days | 2.73 | 2% | |
| grumpy2 | 9/10 | 2786 days | 2.68 | 2% | |
| Mattie | 10/10 | 2847 days | 2.6 | 2% | |
| Bianca | 10/10 | 2908 days | 2.52 | 2% | |
| Vanessa | 10/10 | 3031 days | 2.35 | 2% | |
| letstraveltogether | 10/10 | 3061 days | 2.31 | 2% | |
| JTT | 10/10 | 3061 days | 2.31 | 2% | |
| Theresa | 10/10 | 3080 days | |
2.74 | 2% |
| bdgenge | 10/10 | 3092 days | 2.26 | 2% | |
| SB | 9/10 | 3094 days | |
2.71 | 2% |
| Helen Power | 9/10 | 3115 days | |
2.68 | 2% |
| Adriane | 8/10 | 3116 days | |
2.68 | 2% |
| chloeA | 10/10 | 3120 days | 2.23 | 2% | |
| Markus | 10/10 | 3136 days | |
2.64 | 2% |
| Duncan Fea | 10/10 | 3151 days | 2.18 | 2% | |
| Heather | 10/10 | 3151 days | 2.18 | 2% | |
| Annie | 10/10 | 3151 days | 2.18 | 2% | |
| sue pentelow | 10/10 | 3151 days | 2.18 | 2% | |
| jenny | 10/10 | 3151 days | 2.18 | 2% | |
| lizi | 10/10 | 3151 days | 2.18 | 2% | |
| judy | 10/10 | 3151 days | 2.18 | 2% | |
| ronella | 10/10 | 3182 days | 2.14 | 2% | |
| Barney_Biker | 10/10 | 3212 days | 2.1 | 2% | |
| Ruth Kinder | 10/10 | 3243 days | 2.06 | 1% | |
| NZJenJen | 8/10 | 3273 days | 2.02 | 1% | |
| Tanya | 10/10 | 3396 days | 1.85 | 1% | |
| Colleen Doherty | 10/10 | 3396 days | 1.85 | 1% | |
| penny hoyle | 10/10 | 3396 days | 1.85 | 1% | |
| Esther Craddock-Taylor | 10/10 | 3396 days | 1.85 | 1% | |
| Conrad Duden | 10/10 | 3426 days | 1.81 | 1% | |
| scottl | 10/10 | 3426 days | |
2.17 | 2% |
| BrunoS | 8/10 | 3461 days | |
2.11 | 2% |
| Eva Duessler | 10/10 | 3516 days | 1.68 | 1% | |
| Groen | 8/10 | 3539 days | |
1.98 | 1% |
| Frauke | 10/10 | 3557 days | |
1.95 | 1% |
| Caroline Cole | 8/10 | 3803 days | |
1.55 | 1% |
| Andy | 8/10 | 3869 days | |
1.44 | 1% |
| Lauren | 8/10 | 4133 days | |
1.01 | 0% |
| Cohen | 7/10 | 4152 days | |
0.97 | 0% |
| Andreas | 8/10 | 4192 days | |
0.91 | 0% |
| Elaine | 9/10 | 4204 days | |
0.89 | 0% |
| KikiNelissen | 9/10 | 4204 days | |
0.89 | 0% |
Adjustments
Several adjustments to the weighted average are added to improve relevancy and credibility. These adjustments apply equally to all experiences that meet the criteria.
Sample Size Adjustment
No Adjustment
A reasonable number of reviews are necessary in order for the average to be credible and for an experience to take a prime position within the ranking tables. As such, experiences with only a few reviews have a moderated score. This does not mean that the experience or the reviews can't be trusted. The Cougar Line experience has plenty of reviews and does not meet the criteria for any adjustment.
Recent Reviews Adjustment
-6.62% Adjustment
There may be an adjustment if an experience hasn't received any reviews within the last 60 days. However the Cougar Line experience does not meet the criteria for any adjustment.
In addition, an experience's ranking score may be adjusted for each day there is no new ranking. After 1 day the adjustment comes into effect. The maximum number of days that can be adjusted for is 364 days.
The Cougar Line experience has been adjusted for 331 days. Adjustments are according to the following table.
| Days | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| … | … |
| 328 | -6.56% |
| 329 | -6.58% |
| 330 | -6.60% |
| 331 | -6.62% |
| 332 | -6.64% |
| 333 | -6.66% |
| 334 | -6.68% |
| … | … |
Final Ranking Score
88%
The final ranking score once adjustments and rounding has been applied. This value is cached and recalculated each day. Therefore it may not be precisely accurate based on the other values presented.
If you have any questions or comments about our ranking score calculation please get in touch at info@rankers.co.nz.