Performance Standards

1. Consent to Participate
Participation should be voluntary

• We will take action on a complaint only after receiving customer consent to our Procedural Code and privacy policy.
• Consent may be withdrawn at any time.

2. Accessibility
The process should be easy to find and use

• Our service provider members will make customers aware of our existence and role when complaints cannot be resolved.
• We will maintain a web-site, with links to our member service providers.
• We will offer an email address, toll-free telephone and fax numbers, and TTY service.
• Our services will be available in both official languages.
• Our offices will be accessible to the disabled.
• Our services will be provided free of charge to customers.
• Our services will be provided in a non-legalistic manner.
• We will work hard to increase and maintain wide public awareness of our mandate.

3. Suitability
The type of dispute resolution method offered to parties and the potential remedies should be suitable to the nature of the dispute

• We will offer a complete and thorough process for complaint investigation.
• This process will specifically accommodate urgent matters.
• The nature of each complaint will be considered in determining the appropriate process for handling the complaint.
• We will provide a remedy that is appropriate to the nature and circumstances of the dispute.

4. Fairness
The intent of dispute resolution should be to resolve the dispute fairly and honestly. The organization must act impartially and objectively, and decisions should be fair and independent

• We will review complaints fairly and impartially. We can do this because of our independence from industry and regulators. The majority of our Board members, and the Commissioner, are independent of industry. The Board has no decision-making role regarding complaints.

5. Competence
Organization personnel should have the attributes, skill, training and experience necessary to discharge their responsibilities

• Our staff will have the necessary combination of skills, training, experience and industry knowledge to thoroughly understand, investigate and resolve complaints.
• We will evaluate the performance of our staff on a regular basis.

6. Timeliness
Disputes should be resolved as expeditiously as possible given the nature of the dispute and the process used

Contact Centre:

• We will attempt to answer all telephone calls in person
• We will return all voice messages within 1 business day
• We will analyze, assess and respond to all written communications within 1-2 business days
• If a communication sets out an Eligible Complaint, we will forward it to the service provider within 1-2 business days
• When the service provider responds regarding the status of the complaint:
  • If it remains unresolved and we must investigate, we will assess the response, notify you and the service provider, and prepare the file for investigation, within 2-5 business days

Investigations:

• We will assign the file to a staff member, and will provide you with that person’s contact information;
• We will keep you informed regularly of the status of the investigation;
• We will employ the most efficient and effective process available to us, in order to complete the investigation in as timely a manner as possible. The actual time required to investigate a complaint will vary based on various factors, including:
  • The current volume of complaints and available investigative resources;
  • The complexity of the case or the number of issues to be resolved, particularly if we need to consult with outside experts;
  • The degree of cooperation we receive from the customer and the service provider; and
  • Any delays resulting from unsuccessful efforts at resolution during the course of the investigation.

7. Confidentiality
Personal information of customers, and “trade secrets” of providers, should be kept confidential and protected, unless disclosure is required by law, or consent to disclosure is obtained Confidentiality

• Our privacy policy, available on our website or on request, governs our use, collection and disclosure of personal information.
• Our Procedural Code allows us to receive information or documents confidentially (with certain limits on its use).
• We will protect confidential information in our offices by restricting access to staff who require access. We will likewise put in place appropriate safeguards for information we collect and store electronically.

8. Transparency
Sufficient information about the process, the provider and its performance should be disclosed to complainants, providers and the public

• Our contact information, mandate, process, Procedural Code and performance standards will all be publicly available.
• Our Decisions will be made available on our website.
• We will produce an Annual Report that includes relevant material including statistics, performance reporting and case studies.
• We will publish guidance on how we interpret provisions of our Code, the way in which we deal with common issues, etc., as we develop those interpretations

9. Legality
The process should be operated in accordance with the applicable law and the agreement of the parties

• We will operate in compliance with federal and provincial law.
• Our process is an alternative to the legal process, and is designed to be informal.
• Customers who choose not to accept our recommendation or Decision for the resolution of their complaint retain their right to access the legal process.

10. Capacity
Sufficient resources should be made available and committed to dispute resolution, and those resources should be managed effectively and efficiently

• We will ensure that sufficient resources are in place to satisfy these performance standards.

11. Continual Improvement
Increased effectiveness and efficiency should be permanent objectives

• We will ensure that we are alert to every opportunity to improve our process, and the experience of the users of that process, through consultation with those users and our stakeholders.