Most people don’t like hearing complaints. But complaints can be very helpful for improving services and understanding potential problems from the perspective of the customer. This is where having a good internal complaints system can work for you. So what are the benefits?
At their most basic, complaints are an easily accessible way to resolve disputes, misunderstandings and mistakes. Complaints can alert you to problem areas, allowing you to fix them before they become public relations problems. If this kind of system is structured, it can increase productivity, so that the right people know who is accountable for what. It is also a great evaluation tool.
Getting complaints is not the measure. It’s how quickly and fairly we manage our complaints that’s the benchmark. Or how successful resolution can then lead to a fix that then results in fewer repeat complaints. Some parts of the Toronto Public Service have complaints systems, others do not. Some of the complaints systems are widely known and understood by staff and public alike, others are not. Some are evaluated routinely to benchmark performance, others are not.
We can learn from one another and avoid reinventing the wheel – in developing an effective complaints system publicizing it and evaluating our results.
Have a comment? Want to tell the Ombudsman about your system and what works best? Drop us a line at ombuds@toronto.ca.
The Ombudsman’s Office led introductory sessions about its mandate in the Spring. We ran 11 sessions and 125 attended. There are many thousands of staff we have not yet met.
After opening in April and getting through our first six months of business, we are ready to continue these sessions. We want to make sure that TPS managers understand what we’re after when we call so that we can work effectively together to deal with complaints we receive.
We want to focus on managers for a couple of reasons. One is that they are responsible for programs and staff. We can’t reach everyone, so we are counting on managers to pass on relevant information at their own staff meetings. Secondly, it’s the managers who are the accountable link between our offices.
WE’LL COME TO YOU
We know this is a busy time of year, so we want to make it easier for you. We can tailor our sessions to fit your needs and schedules; we can come to you if that’s easier. Just let us know at ombudstoronto.ca.
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