Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Execution and reliability
35% weight
Check daily ticket volumes handled in Zendesk, Intercom or Freshdesk, first response and resolution times against SLA, CSAT scores, and comfort across email, chat and phone queues.
Evidence to listen for
Describes a workload they owned and how they kept it from slipping
Names the tools and systems they ran day to day
Can talk about volume: tickets, inboxes, orders, uptime
Nothing quietly falls through when they are busy
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot describe their own workload; things slip without them noticing.
2
Needs Improvement
Handles routine volume; drops work under pressure.
3
Satisfactory
Reliable on steady-state work; struggles when volume spikes.
4
Very Good
Consistently reliable at real volume with a system for staying on top.
5
Excellent
Cites concrete numbers: 60 plus tickets daily, CSAT above 95 percent, SLA breaches rare, and names the queues owned.
02
Evaluation factor
Improving the process
25% weight
Probe for macros, canned replies or help centre articles they wrote, tagging schemes they cleaned up, and bugs they escalated with reproduction steps to reduce repeat contacts.
Evidence to listen for
Has changed a process rather than only following one
Can name what was slow or error-prone and what they did about it
Documents so the improvement survives them
Knows when a process is worth automating and when it is not
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Follows instructions only; no sense that process can change.
2
Needs Improvement
Notices problems but escalates rather than solving.
3
Satisfactory
Makes small improvements; impact is local and undocumented.
4
Very Good
Has redesigned a real process with measurable effect.
5
Excellent
Describes a specific deflection or automation they built and the drop in repeat tickets or handling time it produced.
03
Evaluation factor
Judgement and autonomy
25% weight
Test how they decide when to refund, escalate to engineering, or hold the line on policy, and how they handle an angry customer threatening a chargeback or public review.
Evidence to listen for
Knows what to decide alone and what to escalate
Handles an exception without freezing or improvising recklessly
Protects confidentiality and access appropriately
Asks a clarifying question rather than guessing on something costly
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Either escalates everything or acts recklessly on their own.
2
Needs Improvement
Needs frequent direction; uneasy with exceptions.
3
Satisfactory
Sound judgement on familiar decisions.
4
Very Good
Clear sense of their own authority; handles exceptions well.
5
Excellent
Draws a clear line between decisions owned and ones escalated, citing real cases and the policy or threshold applied.
04
Evaluation factor
Communication
15% weight
Assess written tone in tricky situations: outages, billing errors, feature requests they must decline. Look for plain-language explanations and clean internal notes handed to the next agent.
Evidence to listen for
Writes clearly enough that people act without a follow-up
Manages expectations before a deadline slips, not after
Handles a frustrated colleague or customer calmly
Works across time zones or async where the role needs it
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Unclear written communication; goes quiet when things slip.
2
Needs Improvement
Communication needs chasing; raises problems late.
3
Satisfactory
Clear enough day to day; proactive updates are inconsistent.
4
Very Good
Clear, proactive, and calm under pressure.
5
Excellent
Writes warmly without scripts, explains cause and next step, and leaves handover notes colleagues can act on immediately.
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