What is Quality Management Calibration?

Calibration is a quality management activity that helps ensure all evaluators are on the same page as to how they are evaluating interactions. Regardless of how well a form is crafted, there may still be differences in interpretation. Calibration validates the accuracy and usability of a form by testing it on several evaluators to see how closely they evaluate the same interaction. Some contact centers have calibration meetings, while others utilize quality management software that has calibration workflows built in.

In calibrating against an interaction, an interaction that has already been evaluated, together with the form that was used to evaluate it, is typically distributed to several evaluators. If the deviation is high across evaluators, then a conversation across the calibration team needs to occur to understand the root cause of the deviation. Do you need to refine the question itself? Or do you need to enhance standard operating procedures (SOPs) so that all evaluators know what success looks like?

Calibration doesn’t accomplish anything if it doesn’t result in action. After the calibration team identifies the root cause of the deviation, action is required to close the gap either in the form, in SOPs, or in training.