The QA problem no one talks about and how AI is fixing it
Quality Assurance (QA) is supposed to drive better customer experiences, help leaders coach effectively, and identify risks. But in many organisations, QA is outdated, inconsistent, and too often disconnected from meaningful performance improvement.
The problem? Most QA processes rely on small sample sizes, subjective evaluations, and compliance-driven checklists rather than focusing on agent capability and behavioural development.
YakTrak + GRIST are fixing this.
Why traditional QA falls short
Contact centres often assume QA gives them a clear picture of agent performance. But in reality, most QA programs face fundamental flaws:
Limited sample sizes
Reviewing 1–3% of calls fails to capture an agent’s true performance, leaving coaching opportunities undiscovered.
Subjective scoring
Different QA analysts interpret conversations differently, leading to inconsistent and unreliable feedback.
Disconnected from coaching & capability building
QA should help leaders develop agents, yet too often, it’s treated as a compliance checkbox rather than a tool for growth.
Imagine being a QA analyst, listening to dozens of calls a day, only to realise that the same coaching gaps keep resurfacing. Without a way to connect QA insights to real coaching, those opportunities for growth slip through the cracks.
"When QA only measures compliance, it limits its true potential. The best leaders use QA to do more than score calls—they use it to build long-term capability." Peter Grist, YakTrak + GRIST Managing Director
For too long, QA has been a backward-looking process. The best contact centres use QA not just to evaluate the past, but to shape the future—by ensuring insights directly fuel development efforts.tact centres use QA not just to evaluate the past, but to shape the future—by ensuring insights directly fuel develop
The shift: from QA as a score to QA as a development tool
QA should do more than measure performance—it should actively help leaders develop their people. The best-performing contact centres are shifting to QA systems that prioritise coaching and capability growth.
GRIST ensures QA insights lead to long-term development by:
Embedding behavioural insights into QA frameworks, ensuring leaders can identify and reinforce the right micro-behaviours that drive performance.
Bridging the gap between QA and coaching, ensuring leaders don’t just correct issues but build long-term capability.
Developing leadership rhythms that integrate QA into daily coaching practices, so performance improvement isn’t left to chance
Future: AI-driven coaching insights won’t just surface trends—they will help leaders understand exactly where coaching efforts will have the greatest impact, allowing them to proactively address skill gaps before they affect performance.nds—they will help leaders understand exactly where coaching efforts will have the greatest impact, allowing them to proactively address skill gaps before they affect performance.
The impact: when QA feeds capability, not just compliance
When QA is connected to coaching and structured leadership practices, performance outcomes improve:
At a major Australian energy provider, QA scoring inconsistencies dropped by 35% after aligning QA with structured coaching frameworks.
Leaders who leveraged QA-driven insights saw an increase in coaching effectiveness, leading to measurable improvements in customer experience.
By integrating QA with capability-building, the provider saw improvements in FCR and CSAT, as coaching conversations became more targeted and data-driven.
For contact centres, this isn’t just about optimising QA—it’s about using QA as a tool to drive skill development and performance outcomes.
The future of QA: a leadership-driven approach to performance
The contact centres that thrive in the future won’t just measure interactions—they’ll use QA to actively improve agent capability. YakTrak + GRIST are leading this shift, ensuring QA is a development enabler, not just a compliance tool.
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