2018-19 Complaints

This section provides a broad overview of this year’s complaint data. Additional detailed analysis follows throughout the report. For definitions of the terms used in this section, see Appendix D.

About our data

We report on the complaints that were accepted between August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019 (our fiscal year) and on the complaints that were concluded between those dates.

The complaints we receive and investigate after July 31, 2019 will be reported in next year’s Annual Report.

NOTE: A single complaint may raise more than one issue.

To ensure the accuracy of the statistics we report, we audit the data throughout the year.

Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Operational statistics

Table 5.1: Three-year summary of operational statistics

wdt_ID	Measurement	2018-19 Number	2018-19 YoY change	2017-18 Number	2017-18 YoY change	2016-17 Number	2016-17 YoY change
1	Complaints accepted	19,287	35%	14,272	57%	9,097	11%
2	Complaints concluded*	19,371	46%	13,224	53%	8,641	4%
3	Complaints resolved	17,627	45%	12,149	55%	7,846	6%
4	Complaints resolved at pre-investigation	13,592	33%	10,214	57%	6,510	9%
5	Complaints resolved at investigation	4,035	109%	1,935	45%	1,336	-8%
6	Complaints closed	1,727	62%	1,068	35%	791	-9%
7	Complaints closed at pre-investigation	573	70%	337	13%	297	-5%
8	Complaints closed at investigation	1,154	58%	731	48%	494	-12%
9	Recommendations accepted	15	200%	5	67%	3	-84%
10	Decisions issued	2	0%	2	100%	1	-67%

* The number of concluded complaints is higher than the number of accepted complaints because some complaints from 2017-18 were also concluded this year.

Table 5.2: Leading complaint issues, broken down by service type

wdt_ID	Service	Billing	Contract dispute	Service delivery	Credit management	Total
1	Wireless	8,666	6,973	3,116	712	19,467
2	Internet	4,896	3,467	3,380	340	12,083
3	TV	3,618	2,290	1,624	217	7,749
4	Local phone	2,832	2,088	1,833	185	6,938
5	Long distance	408	370	402	5	1,185
6	Directory assistance	1	0	1	0	2
7	White page directories	0	2	0	0	2
8	Total	20,421	15,190	10,356	1,459	47,426

The largest number of complaint issues were related to wireless services, including the largest number of issues with billing and contract disputes. However, internet service had the largest number of service delivery issues.

TV complaint issues were over three times higher than in 2017-18. This can be at attributed, at least in part, to the fact that 2018-19 was our first full year of accepting TV complaints.

Figure 5.1: Complaint issues by service type

Figure 5.2: Main complaint issues

Annual Report

August 1, 2018 – July 31, 2019

About our data

Operational statistics