- Support Leaders Newsletter
- Posts
- Prevention-First QA to Rocket Your Team to 97-Plus-Percent CSAT
Prevention-First QA to Rocket Your Team to 97-Plus-Percent CSAT
Your Inside Look at Exceptional Customer Experiences
Jen Weaver
September 02, 2025
🦸 This newsletter is brought to you by Supportman.io
Most teams fix quality after something breaks. Chloé Koers-Bourrat shows how to prevent the break in the first place. As Process and Productivity Manager, Support Operations at Smartly, she built a system that catches issues early, links support to product, and keeps CSAT above 97 percent.
Want to skip ahead? Watch now →
The Problem:
Most QA programs are reactive. They spot mistakes after the customer has already felt the pain. Agents get demoralized, leaders get stuck in damage control, and trust erodes.
The Solution:
Here is how Chloé’s team runs QA so it prevents issues instead of just tracking them.
1️⃣ Lead with negative CSAT conversations first
Chloé starts every QA session with the toughest cases. This not only addresses the most urgent customer pain points but also creates opportunities to fix root issues before they spread.
“Whenever I see a negative rating and it’s during my working time zone, I can just jump in the support chat and talk to the customer. I’ll say, ‘Hey, I’m part of the QA team. I reviewed the chat and I see my colleague helped you with this.’ Then I’ll ask what we could do better. Sometimes the issue isn’t about the person who helped in support but more about the platform because it’s a limitation on our end.”
2️⃣ Review ten to twenty chats weekly
Instead of chasing volume, Chloé focuses on fewer, deeper reviews. This allows for richer feedback, targeted coaching, and solutions that actually stick.
3️⃣ Use peer reviews for softer feedback
Peer-to-peer reviews create a safe space for learning. Agents are more open to suggestions when they come from a colleague who understands the work firsthand.
“When feedback comes from a peer, it feels like a friendly chat instead of a manager pointing out mistakes."
4️⃣ Embed screenshots or GIFs in replies
Visual aids make instructions easier to follow, reduce back-and-forth messages, and improve the customer’s overall experience.
5️⃣ Route escalations via a dedicated JIRA board
A clean, structured escalation path ensures engineers see only the issues relevant to them, saving time and improving turnaround on fixes.
6️⃣ Auto Slack nudge after three days
If a ticket sits too long, an automated Slack reminder keeps it moving and prevents customer frustration from delayed responses.
The Impact:
Chloé’s prevention-first QA process pushed CSAT above 97 percent and kept it there for more than two years. Handle times dropped because customers could follow solutions without extra back-and-forth. Peer reviews strengthened team relationships and made feedback easier to apply. The structured Jira escalations saved engineers time and improved turnaround on fixes. And with automated Slack nudges, fewer tickets are stalled, keeping customers informed and satisfied. QA shifted from being a scorecard to becoming a driver of product improvement, agent growth, and long-term customer trust.
Catch the whole conversation on Live Chat with Jen Weaver!
For more resources related to today’s episode:
📩 Get weekly tactical CX and Support Ops tips → here
▶ Explore more episodes of Live Chat with Jen Weaver→ here
💼 Connect with your host, Jen Weaver, on LinkedIn
🤝 Connect with Chloé Koers-Bourrat on LinkedIn
🔧 Learn more about our sponsor Supportman↗