Best Practices for Call Centre Quality Monitoring

Quality monitoring plays an essential role in call centres, where every interaction shapes customer satisfaction and team performance. Added to this is a well-known challenge: data quality. Forrester indicates that 42% of analysts spend more than 40% of their time validating their data, while Gartner estimates losses linked to insufficient data quality at $15 million per year [7].

In other words, having reliable indicators has become an operational imperative. But in practical terms, how do you obtain reliable data and build an effective quality monitoring program? Let’s explore best practices in the age of AI.

What does good quality monitoring in a call centre look like?

Quality monitoring is the systematic evaluation of customer interactions (whether by phone call, email, or chat) by comparing them against the company’s quality standards. This process is a fundamental pillar of effective quality management in a contact center [3].

The main objectives of quality monitoring are as follows:

• Identify each agent’s strengths and areas for improvement.
• Ensure that call scripts and company procedures are being followed.
• Improve the customer experience and satisfaction.
• Leverage conversational AI to detect training and coaching needs to help teams build their skills.

Quality monitoring is often perceived as a policing tool. Yet it is indeed a positive lever—both for skills development and for continuous improvement [4].

Key call centre quality monitoring methods

To evaluate quality, several methods can be used, often simultaneously. You already know them:

Call whispering and recording analysis

Call monitoring allows a supervisor to listen to a phone conversation in real time without the customer knowing. It’s a very effective way to assess an agent’s live performance. Advanced options like “whisper” even allow the supervisor to discreetly give the agent advice without the customer knowing.

Being able to replay recorded calls enables a calmer, more in-depth analysis. Moreover, call recordings are particularly useful for preparing training sessions, analysing complex cases, or resolving potential disputes.

Quality evaluation grids (Quality Scorecards)

The evaluation grid is a structured form used to score interactions based on objective, predefined criteria [5]. Here are examples of criteria you should include:

• Use of polite greetings and courteous language.
• Active listening and restating the customer’s needs.
• Clear identification of the issue or request.
• Relevance of the proposed solution.
• Quality of the call wrap-up and closing.

Using such a grid will help you standardise the evaluation process, so agents are consistently evaluated. There are many resources to help create these grids [6].

Direct customer feedback (CSAT, NPS)

The voice of the customer is one of the most valuable sources for evaluating quality. Two key indicators are often measured via short surveys sent right after an interaction:

• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score): Measures the customer’s satisfaction with the interaction they just had, often on a scale of 1 to 5.
• NPS (Net Promoter Score): Measures how likely a customer is to recommend your company to others.

These call centre KPIs are essential for having a clear view of the customer experience.

Quality monitoring in the age of AI

Artificial intelligence is transforming quality control. While a supervisor can only listen to a small sample of calls, AI tools can analyze 100% of interactions and collect reliable data. These technologies make it possible to:

• Automatically transcribe all calls into text.
• Perform semantic analysis of all conversations.
• Automatically detect keywords (product name, expressions of dissatisfaction, etc.).
• Verify whether scripts and compliance requirements are being followed.

For supervisors, this represents a huge time saver and provides much richer insights to identify trends and training needs.

Essential tools for effective quality monitoring

To implement these methods, you need the right tools.

You need a high-performance call centre software

Your call centre software is the foundation of your quality monitoring setup. It must natively include essential features such as call recording, an interactive voice response system (IVR) to route customers correctly, and comprehensive supervision tools. A good call centre solution also collects reliable data (recording and transcription, call volume tracking, etc.).

Use your real-time supervision dashboards

You need an overall view to monitor live activity. A supervision dashboard lets you see key indicators at a glance, agent statuses (online, on break, on a call), and access call monitoring or whisper functions immediately. It’s a key tool for managing call spikes and coaching teams day to day.

Rely on your advanced statistics and reporting tools

The goal is tracking performance over the long term. Analytics and reporting tools help analyse key metrics such as Average Handling Time (AHT), First Contact Resolution (FCR), or service level. Analysing this data is essential for making strategic decisions and optimising operations.

Implement effective quality monitoring

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6 best practices for a successful quality monitoring program

1. Define clear objectives and measurable criteria

Before you begin, you should define precisely what a “successful interaction” means for your company. A well-known method like QQOQCP (Who, What, Where, When, How, Why) can help frame your program’s objectives effectively. Evaluation criteria must be objective, clear, and, above all, understood by agents.

2. Communicate and involve agents

Transparency is the key to ensuring agents accept and support the process. They need to understand why quality monitoring is being implemented and how they are evaluated. A good practice is to involve them in creating the evaluation scorecards so they are fair and relevant. As mentioned above, monitoring should always be presented as a coaching and development tool, and certainly not as punishment.

3. Calibrate evaluators to ensure consistency

It is essential that all evaluators (supervisors, coaches) score in the same way. Calibration involves organising regular meetings where all evaluators listen to the same call and compare their scores. This exercise helps align their judgment and ensures the process is fair and reliable for everyone [2].

4. Use virtual role-playing scenarios

Virtual role-playing scenarios are a powerful lever to strengthen interaction quality, especially when solutions like Pitch Room come into play. This type of immersive environment recreates the real conditions of an exchange with a customer: objections, variations in tone, changes in context…All elements that allow agents to practice without pressure and refine both their mastery of scripts and their relational approach.

Pitch Room plays a key role here. Thanks to its customizable scenarios, instant feedback, and the ability to closely analyse performance, the solution provides a structured and repeatable training environment. Supervisors can therefore identify strengths and areas for improvement, and measure how skills evolve from session to session.

5. Provide constructive, personalised feedback

An evaluation only has value if it is followed by feedback. Feedback should be regular, timely, and personalised. We recommend always starting with strengths before discussing areas for improvement. The debrief should be a real exchange, where the agent can ask questions and share their point of view.

6. Analyse trends and take action

The ultimate goal of quality monitoring is continuous improvement. Analyse the collected data to spot overarching trends. For example, is a product issue being mentioned by many customers? Are several agents struggling with a new procedure? These insights should lead to concrete actions–updating training, adjusting call scripts, and so on.

Toward more strategic and effective quality monitoring

Often confined to a simple evaluation ritual, quality monitoring is actually the nervous system of a modern call centre. When well-structured, it provides a detailed reading of interactions, supports team upskilling, and reveals the weak signals that influence the customer experience.

By combining proven methods, real-time supervision tools, and AI-enhanced analysis, you finally gain a precise view of what’s happening in every exchange.

This approach becomes even more strategic as interaction complexity increases: higher customer expectations, new channels, fluctuating volumes…All of these factors make continuous monitoring essential–one that anticipates rather than simply corrects. Virtual role-playing, shared scorecards, constructive feedback, and trend analysis then form a coherent set designed to support teams and streamline the customer journey.

Ringover unifies supervision, AI, advanced analytics, and coaching and helps call centres gain precision, peace of mind, and service quality. If you’d like to go further and structure a sustainable quality monitoring program, our experts can support you and walk you through the options best suited to your business. If you’d like to get started immediately, sign up for a free trial.

Quality monitoring in call centres FAQ

What is quality monitoring in a call centre?

Quality monitoring (also called call centre QA) is the structured evaluation of customer interactions—calls, emails, chats, and sometimes social messaging—against predefined quality standards. The goal is to ensure consistent customer experience, verify compliance with processes, and identify coaching opportunities to improve agent performance over time.

How to measure quality in a call centre?

Quality is typically measured using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including:

• QA scorecards (scoring criteria like greeting, discovery, accuracy, empathy, compliance, resolution, and closing)
• Call monitoring and recordings (live monitoring, whisper/coaching, replay analysis)
• Speech analytics/AI QA (keyword and sentiment signals, script adherence, compliance flags, conversation structure)
• Customer feedback (CSAT, NPS, post-interaction surveys)
• Operational metrics linked to outcomes (repeat contacts, escalations, refunds, churn indicators)

The most effective programs combine scorecards, customer feedback, and analytics, then turn insights into coaching and process improvements.

What are the top 5 KPIs in BPO?

While KPI priorities vary by industry and contract, five commonly tracked BPO contact centre KPIs are:

• Service Level (e.g., % of contacts answered within X seconds)
• Average Handle Time (AHT) (talk + hold + after-call work)
• First Contact Resolution (FCR) (issues solved without follow-up)
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) (post-interaction satisfaction score)
• Quality Assurance (QA) Score (internal evaluation via scorecards/QA reviews)

Many teams also track Abandonment Rate, Occupancy/Utilisation, and Transfer/Escalation Rate depending on staffing and customer experience goals.

What is the QA process in a call centre?

A typical QA process follows a continuous loop:

• Define standards (what “good” looks like) and build a scorecard
• Select interactions to review (sampling or 100% analytics-based QA)
• Evaluate interactions consistently (calibration sessions to align reviewers)
• Share feedback quickly (strengths first, then improvements with examples)
• Coach and train (targeted coaching plans, role-play, refreshers)
• Track progress (QA scores + customer outcomes + behavioral changes)
• Improve the system (update scripts, processes, and knowledge base based on trends)

What is the 80/20 rule in call centres?

In call centre operations, the “80/20 rule” is used in two common ways:

• Pareto principle: roughly 80% of issues may come from 20% of root causes (e.g., a few recurring product problems driving most contacts). QA helps identify those drivers so you can fix the right things first.
• Service level target: many teams reference a service level like “80/20” = 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds. It’s a common benchmark, but the right target depends on channel mix, customer expectations, and staffing model.

What is the role of QA in a call centre?

QA’s role is to protect and improve both customer experience and operational performance by:

• Ensuring consistent service and adherence to standards
• Supporting compliance and risk reduction (scripts, disclosures, data handling)
• Identifying coaching and training needs at the agent and team level
• Surfacing trends and root causes (process gaps, product issues, knowledge gaps)
• Driving continuous improvement through measurable feedback loops

In short: QA turns everyday conversations into actionable insights that improve outcomes.

Citations

• [1]https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2625303/
• [2]https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-quality-monitoring-techniques
• [3]https://calabrio.com/
• [4]https://insight7.io/quality-assurance-monitoring-and-evaluation-methods/
• [5]https://j4.cerpeg.fr/images/famille_MRC/louise-ardeche/BacProMCV_LouiseArdeche_Evaluation-AppelTelephonique.pdf
• [6]https://cyf.com/fr/renforcez-votre-centre-dappels-avec-12-modeles-gratuits-de-grille-devaluation-de-la-qualite/
• [7]https://www.forrester.com/report/Build-Trusted-Data-With-Data-Quality/RES83344

Published on January 26, 2026.