Customer Support Quality Assurance Scorecard
Build a comprehensive QA scorecard to evaluate support agent performance, ensure consistent service quality, and identify coaching opportunities.
Prompt Template
You are a customer support operations expert. Build a comprehensive Quality Assurance (QA) scorecard for my support team. Team context: - Team size: [number] agents - Support channels: [email / live chat / phone / social media] - Industry: [your industry] - Average ticket volume: [tickets per day/week] - Current QA process: [none / informal reviews / existing scorecard that needs improvement] - Main quality issues observed: [e.g., slow response, incorrect info, lack of empathy, inconsistent tone] Please create: 1. **QA Scorecard** — A weighted scoring rubric with 5-7 evaluation categories, each with specific criteria scored 1-5. Include: - Category name and weight (%) - What a score of 1, 3, and 5 looks like for each - Auto-fail criteria (issues that flag immediate review regardless of overall score) 2. **Calibration Guide** — 3 example ticket reviews with scores and reasoning to ensure all reviewers grade consistently. 3. **Review Process** — Recommended review cadence, sample size per agent, reviewer assignment, and escalation thresholds. 4. **Coaching Framework** — How to turn QA scores into actionable coaching conversations (not punitive reviews). Include a 1:1 meeting template. 5. **Reporting Dashboard** — Key QA metrics to track at team and individual level, with benchmarks for "needs improvement," "meets expectations," and "exceeds expectations." 6. **Continuous Improvement Loop** — How to use QA data to update training materials, identify knowledge gaps, and improve processes quarterly.
Example Output
# Customer Support QA Scorecard: SaaS Company (8 agents)
1. QA Scorecard
Total Score: 100 points (weighted)
Category 1: Accuracy & Completeness (30%)
*Did the agent provide correct, complete information?*
| Score | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| 1 | Incorrect information given; customer would be misled |
| 3 | Mostly correct but missing key details or caveats |
| 5 | Fully accurate, complete answer addressing all parts of the question + anticipated follow-ups |
Category 2: Empathy & Tone (20%)
*Did the agent acknowledge the customer's situation and respond with appropriate warmth?*
| Score | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| 1 | Robotic, dismissive, or defensive tone |
| 3 | Professional but generic — no personalization to the customer's situation |
| 5 | Genuinely empathetic, acknowledged frustration/situation specifically, warm and human tone |
Category 3: Resolution & Effectiveness (25%)
*Was the issue actually resolved (or properly escalated)?*
| Score | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| 1 | Issue not resolved, no clear next steps, customer left hanging |
| 3 | Issue partially resolved or resolved but required unnecessary back-and-forth |
| 5 | Issue fully resolved in minimum interactions, or properly escalated with warm handoff |
Category 4: Communication Clarity (10%)
| Score | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| 1 | Confusing, jargon-heavy, or poorly structured response |
| 3 | Clear but could be more concise or better formatted |
| 5 | Crystal clear, well-formatted (bullet points, steps), appropriate reading level |
Category 5: Process Adherence (10%)
| Score | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| 1 | Skipped required steps (tagging, internal notes, escalation protocol) |
| 3 | Most processes followed with minor gaps |
| 5 | All processes followed: correct tags, internal notes, proper categorization |
Category 6: Proactive Support (5%)
| Score | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| 1 | Answered only the literal question asked |
| 3 | Answered the question + pointed to relevant help doc |
| 5 | Answered the question + anticipated next issue + provided preventive guidance |
⚠️ Auto-Fail Criteria
These trigger immediate manager review regardless of overall score:
- Shared incorrect billing/pricing information
- Revealed another customer's data
- Made a promise the company can't keep
- Inappropriate or unprofessional language
- Closed ticket without any resolution or next steps
3. Review Process
| Parameter | Recommendation |
|-----------|---------------|
| Review cadence | Weekly |
| Tickets per agent per week | 5 (random sample across channels) |
| Reviewer assignment | Rotate reviewers monthly to reduce bias |
| Minimum passing score | 70/100 |
| Coaching trigger | Score below 70 OR 2+ weeks below 80 |
| Recognition trigger | 3+ consecutive weeks above 90 |
4. Coaching Framework
1:1 QA Coaching Meeting Template (30 min, biweekly)
1. **Wins first (5 min):** Start with 1-2 tickets the agent handled exceptionally. Be specific about what was great.
2. **Score review (5 min):** Share average scores by category. Focus on trends, not individual tickets.
3. **Deep dive (10 min):** Pick ONE area for improvement. Review a specific ticket together:
- "What was your thinking here?"
- "What would you do differently?"
- "Let me show you how I'd approach this..."
4. **Action item (5 min):** One specific, measurable goal for next 2 weeks.
5. **Agent's turn (5 min):** "What's blocking you? What tools or training would help?"
**Key principle:** QA is for growth, not punishment. Never use QA scores in isolation for performance decisions.
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Start by reviewing 3 tickets per agent per week — it's enough for trends without overwhelming reviewers.
- 💡Calibrate monthly: have 2-3 reviewers independently score the same 5 tickets, then discuss differences until alignment.
- 💡Weight empathy and accuracy highest — customers forgive slow responses but not wrong answers or cold interactions.
- 💡Share anonymized 'best of' examples team-wide every week to set the standard through positive examples, not criticism.
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