Connect to Intercom— Operations —
Agent Coaching
— Definition —
Agent Coaching is the structured process of using performance data — IQS scores, CSAT feedback, DSAT conversations, handle time, and FCR — to give support agents specific, actionable guidance on improving their handling of customer interactions. Effective coaching is not a periodic performance review; it is a recurring, data-driven conversation that identifies specific skill gaps, sets improvement targets, and tracks progress. Teams with strong coaching programs consistently outperform on CSAT and IQS versus teams that rely solely on hiring and onboarding.
— Common mistakes —
- 1Coaching based on CSAT alone — CSAT reflects the customer's perception, which is influenced by product issues and policies outside the agent's control. Use IQS for behavior-based coaching and CSAT as directional context.
- 2Holding coaching sessions too infrequently — monthly coaching sessions produce slower improvement than bi-weekly or weekly sessions for agents who are developing. High-performing agents can be coached less frequently.
- 3Coaching on patterns without showing specific examples — telling an agent "your empathy scores are low" is unhelpful without a concrete example of a conversation where empathy was missing and a model of what it should have looked like.
- 4Using coaching primarily as a negative feedback mechanism — coaching sessions should reinforce what agents do well as much as what to improve. Agents who only hear about failures disengage from the feedback process.
— Related metrics —