Without a structured approach, customer service quality assurance (QA) can feel like building an IKEA cabinet without the manual. You have a general idea of the outcome you want — consistent, high-quality customer interactions — but no real roadmap to get there.
That’s where a customer service quality assurance checklist comes in. In addition to guiding the QA process, a checklist is useful for:
- Training and onboarding: Gives reps a clear overview of expectations before they start talking to customers, reducing friction.
- Self-audit and coaching: Team members can evaluate their performance before official QA reviews and customer service coaching sessions, allowing for continuous improvement.
Now that you know why a customer service quality assurance checklist matters, you’re probably wondering how to create one. Keep reading to find out (and grab our template to get started quickly).
What is a customer service quality assurance checklist?
A QA checklist is a structured set of criteria used to evaluate customer interactions across phone, email, chat, and other support channels.
Wait a minute, you may be thinking. How is that different from a QA customer service scorecard? Great question.
- A QA scorecard is used to assess and track rep performance based on key checklist items, such as using customer service scripts for greetings, maintaining a helpful tone, and avoiding spelling or grammar mistakes. It’s typically filled out for each sampled interaction.
- A QA checklist is a reference tool that ensures interactions meet expectations. Unlike a scorecard, it’s not necessarily filled out every time — it serves as a guidepost as you build your QA process.
Customer service quality assurance checklist template + more on the elements covered
Similar to a QA scorecard, a checklist should cover the key areas that impact the customer experience. Below, we’ve included a few areas of support interactions that could apply to any business.
To help you get started, we’ve created a QA scorecard and customer service QA checklist template you can customize based on your business’s needs:
Here’s a breakdown of the elements you’ll find inside the templates:
1. Solution accuracy
Providing correct information should be a top priority. For example, if someone calls about shipping times, you want your rep to set realistic customer expectations. Even the friendliest interaction won’t matter if the customer leaves with incorrect details.
You’ll also want reps to confirm understanding before ending interactions. They can ask something like, “Does that answer your question?” If the answer is no, the rep can escalate the call or provide a more in-depth explanation.
2. Tone and communication style
You’ve probably heard the adage, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” This is true in life as well as in customer service interactions. You can instruct reps to hone their communication skills by:
- Using a friendly and professional tone: Avoid robotic or overly casual responses.
- Demonstrating active listening and empathy: Repeat concerns back to customers to show understanding of their needs.
3. Efficiency and resolution time
Customers want their issues solved quickly and clearly. The goal should be first contact resolution whenever possible.
Reps can avoid unnecessary back and forth by asking specific questions and prompting contacts to include screenshots and other necessary details to reduce the need for follow-up questions.
If further action is needed, reps should clearly explain the next steps during the interaction. Afterward, they should properly document and schedule follow-ups to ensure unresolved issues don’t slip through the cracks.
4. Compliance and security
Ensuring reps follow company policies and industry regulations isn’t just about protecting your business — it also helps build trust.
Your checklist should confirm that reps:
- Follow company policies: For example, verifying a customer’s identity before making account changes.
- Comply with industry regulations: Like including opt-out language in SMS messages where required.
Skipping these steps could lead to security risks, accidental account changes, or compliance violations.
5. Customer satisfaction and feedback
A conversation doesn’t end when the issue is resolved — gathering feedback is essential for improving customer service. Make sure reps:
- Ask if the customer’s issue was fully resolved. A simple “Did I take care of everything for you today?” helps close the loop.
- Send post-call survey links. Reps can help capture survey responses to track overall service quality.
- Note negative feedback for process improvement. If recurring issues arise, reps should flag them for further training or system updates.
For example, if multiple customers express frustration about long wait times, this data can inform staffing decisions or self-service improvements.
Related: Struggling with customer service issues? Learn proven techniques to identify customer service problems and causes.
How to measure your QA program’s effectiveness
Once you’ve built your checklist, you need a system for evaluating how well your team is meeting those quality standards. This comes down to scoring interactions and tracking metrics:
1. Scoring customer interactions
A scorecard is the best customer support QA tool for assessing rep performance based on your checklist. It allows you to track how well customer service interactions align with your quality standards and identify areas for improvement.
To maintain consistency, aim to review 4-5 interactions per rep per week. This ensures you have enough data to provide meaningful feedback without overwhelming your team.
Choosing a scoring system
Your scoring system should provide a more nuanced evaluation than a simple pass/fail system. It can combine:
- Binary scoring (Yes/No): Best for clear-cut criteria, such as “Did the rep verify the customer’s identity?” or “Was a full and accurate solution provided?”
- Rating scales (1-3 or 1-5): Useful for subjective elements like empathy or phone etiquette, where a range of quality levels can exist.
- Auto-fail items: Critical errors (like failing to verify security details) automatically result in a zero score for the entire interaction, no matter how well the rest of the conversation went.
Here’s an example scorecard with these elements:
| Criteria | Description | Rating scale |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting and closing | Did the rep start and end with a professional greeting script? | Yes/No |
| Compliance and security | Did the rep follow company guidelines for compliance and security (e.g., verifying identity, obtaining necessary consent, following required protocols)? | Yes/No |
| Empathy | Did the rep acknowledge the customer’s issue and empathize with their concerns? | Yes/No |
| Tone | Was a professional and helpful tone used throughout the conversation? | 5-point scale |
| Effectiveness | Did the rep identify the customer’s issue properly? Were they able to resolve the issue (if possible)? | Yes/No |
| Spelling and grammar | Were responses clear and free from grammar and spelling errors? | 5-point scale |
| Solution and follow-up | Did the rep offer a complete and accurate solution? If follow-up was required, did the rep create a note to do this? | Yes/No |
| Timely responses | Did the rep send responses in a timely fashion? | Yes/No |
2. Key customer service QA metrics to track
QA scores are most valuable when combined with benchmark customer service metrics to identify patterns and areas for improvement. Here are four key KPIs to track:
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT) score: Measures how happy customers are with their support experience, usually through a post-interaction survey (e.g., “How satisfied were you with this support interaction?”).
- Net Promoter Score® (NPS): Gauges customer loyalty and willingness to recommend your company, typically collected via a survey as well.
- First response time (FRT): Tracks how quickly your team responds to customer inquiries. Faster responses typically lead to higher customer satisfaction.
- First call resolution (FCR): Measures how often issues are resolved in a single interaction without requiring follow-ups. Higher FCR rates indicate a more efficient support process.
By regularly reviewing QA scores and these key performance metrics, you can refine your approach and ensure your team is delivering the best possible service.
How to implement your QA checklist in your small business
Creating a customer service quality assurance checklist is just the first step. To see real improvements in customer interactions, you need to integrate it into your team’s workflow. Here’s how to put your QA checklist into action:
Step 1: Document your checklist in a shared tool
Start by making your QA checklist easily accessible to your team. Store it in a shared tool like Notion or Google Docs so everyone can reference it anytime. A centralized document ensures consistency and allows for real-time updates as your processes evolve.
👉 Download our customer service QA checklist template
Step 2: Train your team on expectations
Your team needs to understand what’s expected of them before they start using the checklist. Create training programs and employee onboarding on quality standards and how reps will be evaluated.
You can use tools like Quo’s text message templates (snippets) to set expectations for greetings, closings, and handling common customer inquiries. Pre-written responses help ensure consistency while allowing room for personalization.
Another great training method is reviewing successful customer service call recordings and transcripts to see what “great” looks like in practice.
Step 3: Start tracking interactions using QA scorecards
Once your team is trained, begin tracking and assessing their interactions using a structured QA scorecard. This helps measure rep performance based on the checklist criteria.
Set a review cadence that works for your team — ideally, evaluate 4-5 interactions per rep each week to maintain a consistent feedback loop.
👉 Download our QA scorecard template
Step 4: Hold regular QA reviews to give feedback and improve processes
Ongoing feedback is key to ensuring your team keeps improving. Schedule weekly or monthly QA reviews to go over results and discuss areas for growth.
- 1:1 meetings: Use these sessions to review individual rep interactions, highlighting strengths and opportunities for improvement.
- Team-wide QA meetings: As your customer service team grows, hold group sessions to analyze great customer interactions. Recognize standout performances by name to reinforce positive behaviors, but keep negative examples anonymous to maintain morale.
Step 5: Iterate and improve
Your QA checklist isn’t static — it should evolve as you identify areas for improvement. Here are a few ways to spot trends:
- Try Quo call tags that use AI to analyze calls to track common customer issues. If multiple customers struggle with a particular topic, such as understanding billing, consider creating additional training or updating FAQs.
- Monitor team and customer feedback. If reps frequently struggle to answer a specific question (e.g., “How do I reset my password?”), develop a clear script or internal knowledge base article to help them respond confidently.
As your business grows, consider handing off QA oversight to a dedicated customer service manager or knowledge base manager. They can fine-tune training materials and enhance self-service options for reps and customers.
Start using your customer service QA checklist with Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
Building a strong customer service quality assurance process is much easier when you have the right tools in place. With Quo (formerly OpenPhone), you can seamlessly implement and automate QA without adding extra work for your support team using:
- AI call tagging: Automatically categorize customer interactions with call intelligence by topics and customer sentiment, making it easy to track trends and identify common customer support issues.
- Call views: Search your call records by call tags, rep, or date to get a clear overview of what to review.
- Call transcripts and summaries: Review entire conversations without manually listening to calls, helping you assess tone, solution accuracy, and compliance at a glance.
- Snippets (text message templates): Ensure reps consistently use the right greetings, closings, and responses for common questions, reducing errors and improving efficiency.
Ready to streamline your customer service QA process? Try a free seven-day trial of Quo today.
