Quality Assurance Scorecard Template for Inbound Customer Service Calls
Download this free quality assurance scorecard template for inbound customer service calls to make your agents more effective and efficient.
Introduction:
Below is a Quality Assurance (QA) Scorecard Template tailored for inbound customer service calls and chats in a contact center. This scorecard evaluates key areas that impact the quality of a customer interaction, such as professionalism, resolution accuracy, compliance, and documentation.
Quality Assurance Scorecard Template – Inbound Calls and Chats
| Section | Criteria | Score (1–5) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Greeting & Identification | |||
| Greeted the customer professionally and introduced self and company | |||
| Confirmed customer’s identity and account information (if applicable) | |||
| 2. Active Listening & Communication | |||
| Allowed the customer to speak without interruption | |||
| Used empathetic, clear, and professional language | |||
| Repeated or paraphrased to confirm understanding | |||
| 3. Issue Handling & Resolution | |||
| Identified and understood the main issue quickly | |||
| Provided accurate and complete information or solution | |||
| Used internal resources or tools effectively to resolve the issue | |||
| Escalated appropriately if the issue was beyond their control | |||
| 4. Compliance & Policy Adherence | |||
| Followed authentication, security, and privacy guidelines | |||
| Adhered to internal processes and compliance standards | |||
| 5. Closing & Wrap-up | |||
| Summarized the resolution or next steps clearly | |||
| Thanked the customer and closed the interaction politely | |||
| 6. Soft Skills | |||
| Maintained a positive and calm tone throughout the interaction | |||
| Personalized the conversation (used name, acknowledged past issues if any) | |||
| 7. System & Documentation | |||
| Accurately documented the interaction in CRM | |||
| Used tools and systems efficiently without unnecessary delays |
Scoring Guide (Per Criterion)
- 5 = Excellent – Exceeded expectations
- 4 = Good – Met expectations with minor improvement needed
- 3 = Average – Acceptable but some noticeable gaps
- 2 = Needs Improvement – Several deficiencies
- 1 = Unacceptable – Major issues or non-compliance
- N/A – Not applicable to this interaction
Overall Evaluation (Optional)
- Total Score: ___ / [Maximum possible score]
- Score %: ___ %
- Final Rating: Excellent / Good / Average / Needs Improvement
Quality Assurance Scorecard Template for Inbound Customer Service Calls
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Why Contact Centers Need a Quality Assurance Scorecard Template
Inbound calls and chats are unpredictable. Customers may be calling for anything from basic information to critical billing disputes. Agents need to handle these varied interactions professionally, consistently, and efficiently.
Here’s why a QA scorecard template is vital:
1. Standardized Measurement of Agent Performance
Without a scorecard, performance evaluations become subjective. One QA evaluator may prioritize empathy, while another focuses on call handling time. A standardized scorecard ensures all agents are evaluated on the same criteria—greeting, listening skills, issue resolution, compliance, documentation, and more.
2. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Scorecards help identify areas where agents may be falling short—like failing to acknowledge the customer’s frustration or not summarizing the solution clearly. Addressing these issues results in more satisfying interactions for the customer.
3. Coaching and Development
By pinpointing strengths and weaknesses through objective scoring, team leads and managers can tailor coaching sessions to individual agents, leading to continuous improvement.
4. Compliance and Risk Mitigation
Scorecards include checkpoints for legal compliance—such as verifying the customer’s identity, disclosing call recording, or following data privacy protocols. This helps reduce risk and ensures the organization is audit-ready.
5. Data-Driven Decision Making
Aggregated QA scores across teams and time periods provide insight into broader trends. Are most agents struggling with objection handling? Is one product generating the most complaints? Scorecard data answers these questions.
Who Should Create This Template?
A quality assurance scorecard needs to be comprehensive, practical, and aligned with business goals. It should be created collaboratively by:
1. Quality Assurance (QA) Managers
QA specialists are typically responsible for designing and managing the scorecard. They understand what elements need to be scored and how to track them over time.
2. Operations and Contact Center Managers
They bring insights into key performance metrics and ensure the scorecard aligns with the center’s goals—such as average handling time (AHT), first call resolution (FCR), and customer satisfaction (CSAT).
3. Training Teams
They help ensure that the criteria are trainable and that the scoring methodology is easy to explain during onboarding and upskilling.
4. Compliance Officers
They ensure that legal and regulatory standards are reflected in the template—for example, protocols for verifying identity or handling sensitive information.
5. Top-Performing Agents
Involving high-performing agents in reviewing or refining the scorecard adds practical perspective. They know what actually happens on the floor.
How Should Agents Be Trained on This Template?
An effective QA scorecard doesn’t just live in the hands of supervisors—it’s a tool agents themselves should understand. Here’s how to train them:
1. Introduction During Onboarding
New agents should be introduced to the QA scorecard during initial training. They should understand what criteria they will be evaluated on and why it matters.
2. Use Real-Call Examples
Show agents real or simulated calls that scored high, medium, and low. Break down what went right and what didn’t, referencing specific scorecard sections.
3. Self-Evaluation Exercises
Encourage agents to evaluate their own calls or chats using the scorecard. This fosters self-awareness and builds alignment with QA expectations.
4. Roleplay and Coaching
Simulated scenarios, followed by QA evaluations and immediate feedback, help reinforce learning in a practical setting.
5. Ongoing QA Calibration
Hold periodic “calibration” sessions where agents, supervisors, and QA analysts listen to calls together and score them. This ensures shared understanding of what constitutes quality.
How Should the QA Scorecard Template Be Made Available to Agents?
The scorecard should be easily accessible to agents—not hidden in a folder or buried in a slide deck. Here are a few options:
1. Integrated in Agent Dashboards
If you use a contact center platform or CRM (like Zendesk, Freshdesk, Salesforce), embed scorecard access within the agent interface for reference.
2. Knowledge Base or Internal Wiki
Host the scorecard in your knowledge base under a clearly labeled QA section. This also allows linking to related training resources or performance improvement plans.
3. Printed Desk Cards
For environments where agents work on-site, provide laminated desk cards summarizing key QA criteria.
4. QA Software Integration
Use QA tools like Observe.AI, Scorebuddy, or Playvox that automatically score calls and display feedback with the scorecard built in.
How Can Contact Centers Use the QA Scorecard to Improve Customer Service?
A scorecard is only as good as how it’s used. Here are ways to drive real value:
1. Agent Coaching and 1:1 Reviews
Use scorecard data during regular coaching sessions. Highlight what the agent is doing well and where they need to improve. Set specific goals (e.g., “Improve wrap-up summaries from 3 to 4 out of 5”).
2. Performance Benchmarking
Compare agent performance across teams and time periods. Use scorecard results to identify top performers, who can mentor others.
3. Trend Analysis
Review scorecard data to detect recurring issues (e.g., agents struggling with technical issue resolution). Use this insight to update FAQs, scripts, or knowledge base content.
4. Feedback Loop for Training
Feed QA insights back to the training team. For example, if agents consistently miss a compliance checkpoint, update the training curriculum accordingly.
5. Incentive Programs
Tie QA performance to recognition and reward programs. Celebrate agents who consistently score above 90% on their scorecards.
6. Customer Experience Improvement
When correlated with CSAT or NPS scores, QA results can reveal which behaviors contribute most to customer satisfaction—empowering data-driven experience design.
How Frequently Should the Template Be Updated?
To remain effective, the QA scorecard should evolve with your business, your customers, and your contact center operations.
Recommended Update Frequency:
- Quarterly Reviews: Revisit criteria every 3 months to ensure they’re still relevant and aligned with business goals.
- Immediate Updates for Policy Changes: If legal or operational guidelines change (e.g., new data privacy laws), update the scorecard immediately.
- Post-Product Launch: If your product or service offering changes significantly, adjust the resolution criteria and resources.
- Agent and QA Feedback Loop: Encourage agents and evaluators to suggest improvements. Make minor updates continuously and document version history.
By treating the scorecard as a living document, you ensure that it reflects real-time business needs, customer expectations, and industry regulations.
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