How we rate and badge water cooler companies

All companies on WaterModo will have a star rating out of 5. We only allow companies that have a rating of 3.8 or above. This rating will consist of mainly web reputation. So what is said about that company on the web from customers and others on all review sites we can find and what they offer. Below is how we rate and what each badge stands for.

See the rating factors What the badges mean
Rated out of 5 4.6 to 5.0 Excellent  ·  4.0 to 4.5 Very good  ·  3.8 to 3.9 Fair. Below 3.8 we do not list. Badges are earned, never bought.
Our approach

Ratings you can actually trust

Finding a reputable bottleless water cooler company can be difficult. There are so many reviews out there. On google, better business bureau, water cooler directories, social media and so on.

WaterModo takes all of that into account. We look at a companies web reputation, reviews and what is said about them on all platforms we can find. As well as what the company offers.

We then give that company a star rating out of 5. Making it easier for you to compare and contact a company. If a company does not meet our standard of 3.8 they will not be on our directory. No company can pay to increase their star rating or be listed if they don't meet our criteria.

What goes into a rating

The factors we score

Web Reputation will play a major factor in each companies rating. What a company offers will also be taken into consideration. Along with some other factors that we use to give you an accurate star rating on each listing.

Primary factor

Web reputation

This will be the biggest factor when rating a company. We will look at what customers and others have to say about that company on the web.

  • Ratings across every platform - Google, Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot, water cooler directories and any other review sites we can find.
  • Volume and consistency of reviews - If a company has a good rating with a large amount of reviews it will have a higher rating.
  • Recency and trend - Are they improving or declining? We will take recent reviews into account.
  • What people actually say - Common themes about installation, filter changes, call out times, billing and contracts. How they handle complaints.
  • Wider web presence - BBB accredited and complaints. News articles, forums and anything else that we can find about that company.
Supporting factor

What they offer

Having a good reputation is great but can they provide what you need? We will look at what each company can offer your workplace.

  • Range of coolers - Freestanding, counter top and under counter coolers. Bottle filling, sparkling and hot water. High capacity dispensers.
  • Filtration - sediment and carbon stages, uv and reverse osmosis. Also if the media is NSF and ANSI approved.
  • Service coverage - what areas they cover. This can range from office buildings to warehouses, schools, fitness facilities and medical.
  • What is included - installations, filter changes, sanitizing, repairs and callouts. All of which should be included in your monthly rental and not tacked on as an extra.
  • Flexibility and support - How long the contract is for, notice period and response times. How easy the company is to deal with.

More signals we weigh into every score

Years in business

How long the company has been in business. The longer the better as they will have more experience and have the parts and service to support your cooler for the duration of your rental.

Website quality

How professional their website is. Do they have up to date information about their services and prices. Is it easy to contact them.

Brand popularity

How popular the company is. Do they have a good online presence and following.

The scale

What each star rating means

These will be out of 5 and to 1 decimal place. All companies listed on our directory will fall under one of these categories.

Excellent
4.6 to 5.0

Great reputation online with many positive reviews on multiple platforms. They offer a wide variety of coolers, filtration, service and coverage. We would suggest contacting them.

Very good
4.0 to 4.5

Good reputation online with positive reviews. They offer a good range of coolers and service.

Fair
3.8 to 3.9

Positive reputation but may have some common themes in their reviews. Not as many reviews or a smaller range of coolers and service. We would suggest getting a few quotes and asking questions about their service and filter changes.

No rating
Below 3.8

This is our minimum. Any company below a score of 3.8 will not be listed on our directory. If a company is listed with No rating it means we could not find enough reviews to give them a fair rating at this time.

All ratings will be to 1 decimal place. Our minimum rating is 3.8 and if a company falls below this on our next review they will be removed.

How we vet listings

What our badges mean

All companies on WaterModo have been vetted by us. These badges will tell you what we have verified about the company.

Verified

Verified

We have verified that the company is a legitimate business that covers the areas listed. Every company will have this badge if we can not verify that the company exists and provides bottleless cooler service they will not receive this badge.

What we check

  • Business name and trading information matches public records.
  • Phone number, email address and website are valid.
  • Company provides bottleless cooler service.
  • Areas listed are covered by the company.
Verified Blue

Verified Blue

Top badge we give out. All Verified points are manually checked by a human who will also look at the companies service pages, price and contract information. If both of these pass then we will award this badge.

What we check

  • All Verified points are checked by a human not an auto matching program. It will include checking the companies service pages, price and contract information.
  • Reviews from all sources. We will look at how many reviews a company has and how recent they are.
  • How a company deals with negative reviews. If a company has a long history of dealing with bad reviews we are more likely to award this badge.
  • Does the company live up to what they advertise. If they advertise something that their contract does not agree with we will not award this badge.
Established Provider

Established Provider

How long the company has been in business. This will be verified by public information. The longer a company has been in business the more likely they are to provide good service and have parts available when you need them over your rental period.

10+ years 15+ years 20+ years

What we check

  • Will look at public information on when the company was incorporated.
  • Will look at how long the company has been trading.
  • Other information that backs up the length of time they have been in business. Such as domain age, first reviews and any other public information.
  • Will award the highest badge that we can verify information for.
Coverage Area

National, Regional or Local

How wide of an area this company covers. If you have multiple sites spread across the country national may be best. Regional may cover more area and have a better knowledge of the area. Local may provide quicker service. There is no right answer to this it will depend on where your sites are located.

National Regional Local

What we check

  • National - Nation wide installs and service. Will usually have branches across the country or work with accredited partners to service your sites. Can cover most of the US on one contract.
  • Regional - Will cover multiple states or a wide area of metro areas.
  • Local - Will only cover one metro area or surrounding area.
  • We will look at branch locations and service area to determine coverage.
WaterModo Rating

WaterModo Rating

Star rating out of 5. Based on the providers web reputation. We will look at all public reviews and round this out with what the company has to offer. We want to give you one number to go by instead of looking at multiple websites. Our lowest star rating is 3.8 if a company does not meet this they will not be listed on our site.

4.6 to 5.0 Excellent 4.0 to 4.5 Very good 3.8 to 3.9 Fair

What we check

  • Reputation on the web. We will look at all review sites and weight this by amount of reviews and how recent they are.
  • What type of coolers and services the company provides.
  • Other information that will help round out a star rating. Such as years in business, website and how popular the company is.
  • We need to be able to verify reviews before we can give a company a star rating. If we can't they will show up as No rating.
  • More information on each factor can be found above under Rating Factors and Star Rating.
Our method

How we award badges

As stated above badges can not be purchased. Below is how we review companies and keep our listings up to date.

Step 01

We gather the evidence

We collect public business data, reviews, certifications and service information provided by the company itself. We then cross reference this information.

Step 02

We score and award

This score is based on the information above. If we can't give a company a 3.8 or higher they will not be listed. We will only display badges that we can back up with information and if we can't verify something it will not be displayed.

Step 03

We keep it current

We check our listings at least once a year or if something major changes. Scores can decrease just as they can increase. If a company falls below a 3.8 they will be removed from our directory. Badges can also be removed.

A badge is not a promise. It is only based on what we could verify when we checked the company. Please make sure you ask about price, contract, filtration and service before signing with any company.

If you notice something that is incorrect or you are a company that would like to be checked please contact us. Provide us with your information and we can check your company out or list your company.

Good to know

Rating and badge FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the WaterModo star ratings mean?
Ratings run out of 5 and are shown to one decimal place. 4.6 to 5.0 is Excellent, 4.0 to 4.5 is Very good, and 3.8 to 3.9 is Fair. 3.8 is the lowest score we will list. See the full scale.
What is the lowest rating you will list?
3.8. We don't list companies that we can't give a score of 3.8 or higher. There is no way to pay for this score or have it lowered. If a company falls below a 3.8 they will be removed from our site.
Why does a listing show No rating?
You may see some companies that have no score. This could be due to them being a new company or we don't have enough information to give them a fair score. We would suggest getting a couple quotes before signing with a company that has No rating.
Can a company pay for a badge or a higher WaterModo rating?
No. Our badges are achieved by meeting the criteria we have listed above. Our scores are also based on information we collect. No company can pay to receive a badge or score.
How often are ratings and badges updated?
We will check our listings at least once a year. If there is a major change to a company we will check them sooner. This can include a high amount of complaints, change in ownership, service area or filtration certifications. Companies that fall below a 3.8 will be removed from our directory. Badges can be taken away as well.
What if a company thinks its rating is wrong?
Yes any company can request us to check their listing. If you feel that something on your listing is incorrect please contact us with your information. We can then check your company and update your listing if needed. Contact us today.
Is a badge a guarantee or an endorsement?
No. Our badges are only based on what we can verify about a company. Please make sure you ask about price, contract, filtration and service before signing with any company.

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