Chat Rubric

Exceeds Expectations: Responds to customer inquiries within the first minute of chat initiation.

Meets Expectations: Responds to customer inquiries within the first 2-3 minutes of chat initiation.

Below Expectations: Takes longer than 3 minutes to respond to customer inquiries.

Exceeds Expectations: Provides accurate, complete, and detailed information tailored to the customer's query on the first attempt.

Meets Expectations: Provides accurate information relevant to the customer's query, with minor follow-up needed for clarification.

Below Expectations: Provides inaccurate, incomplete, or irrelevant information, necessitating multiple follow-ups.

Exceeds Expectations: Maintains an exceptionally professional and friendly tone throughout the interaction. Uses customer’s name and expresses gratitude where appropriate.

Meets Expectations: Maintains a professional and neutral tone throughout the interaction. Politeness is consistent, with occasional use of the customer's name.

Below Expectations: Displays an unprofessional or inappropriate tone. Fails to address the customer by name or express gratitude.

Exceeds Expectations: Demonstrates a deep understanding of the customer's needs and anticipates further questions, offering comprehensive support.

Meets Expectations: Understands the customer's query and provides appropriate solutions, with some need for clarification.

Below Expectations: Misunderstands the customer's needs or fails to grasp the essence of the query, resulting in irrelevant responses.

Exceeds Expectations: Provides a quick and effective solution within the first few exchanges, efficiently addressing the customer’s concern.

Meets Expectations: Resolves the customer’s issue satisfactorily within a reasonable number of exchanges.

Below Expectations: Fails to resolve the issue within the chat session, requiring unnecessary escalation or follow-up.

Exceeds Expectations: Tailors the conversation to the customer’s specific situation, preferences, and history with the company.

Meets Expectations: Makes some attempt to personalize the conversation but relies heavily on scripted responses.

Below Expectations: Uses generic, scripted responses without any attempt to personalize the conversation to the customer’s context.

Exceeds Expectations: Proactively offers to follow up on the issue if necessary. Confirms with the customer that all their concerns have been addressed.

Meets Expectations: Asks if the customer needs further assistance but does not offer proactive follow-up.

Below Expectations: Fails to confirm resolution of the issue or offer additional assistance.

Exceeds Expectations: Adheres flawlessly to all company policies and chat protocols, ensuring security and privacy standards are met.

Meets Expectations: Generally adheres to company policies and protocols with minor deviations that do not compromise security or effectiveness.

Below Expectations: Violates or overlooks key company policies or chat protocols, potentially compromising security or service quality.

Collect Data: Gather chat transcripts, customer satisfaction scores, and any relevant metrics or observations. Use the chat quality rubric to assess and grade the interactions.

Analyze Performance: Identify patterns in the agent's performance, noting specific instances where they exceeded, met, or fell below expectations according to the rubric.

Timing: Choose a time that does not conflict with the agent’s work schedule, ensuring they can focus on the feedback without being rushed.

Format: Decide whether the feedback will be given via video call, or through a written report. Video calls are generally more effective for detailed discussions.

Start with Positives: Begin by acknowledging the agent’s strengths and areas where they exceed expectations. Highlighting positives first sets a constructive tone.

Address Areas for Improvement: Clearly explain the areas where the agent did not meet expectations. Refer to specific examples from the chat transcripts and relate them to the rubric criteria. Be objective and focus on the behavior, not the person.

Encourage Self-Reflection: Ask the agent for their perspective on their performance. Encourage them to identify areas for improvement. This fosters a sense of ownership and self-awareness.

Set SMART Goals: Together, develop Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals for improvement. These should be directly linked to the areas identified in the feedback.

Offer Support: Discuss the resources, training, or tools available to help the agent improve. Ensure they know how to access these resources and understand that it is there to support their development.

Record the Feedback: Document the feedback session, including the positives, areas for improvement, examples cited, the agent’s insights, and the agreed-upon SMART goals. This record is crucial for tracking progress over time.

Schedule Follow-Up Meetings: Set dates for follow-up meetings to review progress towards the SMART goals. Regular check-ins motivate agents and provide opportunities for ongoing support and adjustment of goals as needed.

Provide Ongoing Support: Continue to offer constructive feedback, recognition for progress, and guidance. Encouraging a culture of continuous learning and improvement helps agents feel valued and engaged.

Share Best Practices: With consent, share anonymized examples of excellent interactions from various agents as learning tools. This can motivate agents and foster a team culture of learning and excellence.

Solicit Feedback on the Process: Ask agents for their feedback on the feedback process itself. This can help refine the approach to better meet their needs and improve the effectiveness of the feedback sessions.