Statistical Reports
Annual Report
August 1, 2018 – July 31, 2019
Contact Centre activities
Our Contact Centre received over 142,000 communications by telephone, in writing and by online chat, up from 110,000 last year.
| Type of communication | Number | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| Phone calls answered | 88,119 | 42% |
| Written correspondence | 50,100 | 12% |
| Chat sessions answered | 4,324 | 24% |
The total written correspondence, which showed a modest increase of 12%, includes use of our online interactive questionnaire. By contrast, chat sessions increased by 24% and phone calls increased by 42%.
Out-of-mandate issues
The following tables show the number of issues raised by customers that the CCTS could not accept in 2018-19, broken down by the reason they could not be accepted. Customers have recourse to other organizations for many of these issues. For a list, see our Resources webpage.
| Issue | Number |
|---|---|
| Section 3.1(a)(i) Internet applications/content | 488 |
| Section 3.1(a)(ii) Emergency services | 215 |
| Section 3.1(a)(iii) Payphones | 39 |
| Section 3.1(a)(iv) Yellow pages/business directories | 54 |
| Section 3.1(a)(v) Telemarketing/unsolicited messages | 950 |
| Section 3.1(a)(vi) 900/976 calls | 66 |
| Section 3.1(b)(i) Digital Media Broadcast Undertaking (DMBU) services | 154 |
| Section 3.1(b)(ii) Interactive TVSP services and applications | 12 |
| Section 3.1(b)(iii) Broadcasting content | 650 |
| Section 3.1(b)(iv) Journalistic ethics | 44 |
| Section 3.1(b)(v) TV accessibility issues, e.g., closed captioning and described video | 105 |
| Section 3.1(b)(vi) Simultaneous substitution | 76 |
| Section 3.1(c)(i) Customer-owned equipment | 420 |
| Section 3.1(c)(ii) Inside wiring | 42 |
| Section 3.1(c)(iii) Security services | 252 |
| Section 3.1(c)(iv) Networking services | 356 |
| Section 3.1(c)(v) Pricing | 1,908 |
| Section 3.1(c)(vi) Rights of way | 198 |
| Section 3.1(c)(vii) Plant/poles/towers | 1,088 |
| Section 3.1(c)(viii) False/misleading advertising | 498 |
| Section 3.1(c)(ix) Privacy issues | 1,019 |
| Other – Broadcasting (television) | 237 |
| Other – Broadcasting (radio) | 85 |
| Other – Consumer – clarity of offers and promotions (TVSP Code) | 319 |
| Other – Not related to service providers (phone/internet scams) | 763 |
| Other – Regulated services | 81 |
| Total | 10,119 |
Some of these issues are of particular interest because of high percentage increases over last year.
The largest increase by far was to issues related to emergency services, which increased by 277%. The issues raised were about 911 service (82) and the public alerting system (133). These services are regulated by the CRTC.
There were also large increases in issues related to false/misleading advertising (a 79% increase over last year) and about pricing (a 53% increase over last year). It was because of these types of issues that the CRTC investigated aggressive and misleading sales practices, and published its report in February of 2019.
Issues related to broadcasting content rose by 37% over last year.
Complaints about the quality of customer service delivered by providers do not fall within the CCTS mandate. However, we track the inquiries we get about these issues.
| Issue | Number | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 4.1 Customer service | |||
| Language barriers | 358 | ||
| Outsourcing | 623 | ||
| No phone number for customer service | 517 | ||
| Rude representative | 2,578 | ||
| Wait times | 3,549 | ||
| Total | 7,625 | ||
| Section 4.3 General operating practices and policies | 4,149 | ||
| Total | 11,774 | ||
Some complaints could not be accepted due to the procedural rules in our Procedural Code. They break down as follows.
| Issue | Number |
|---|---|
| Section 10.1 Service provider not offered opportunity to resolve | 1,756 |
| Section 10.2(b) Matter previously or currently with another agency | 1,496 |
| Section 10.3(a) facts transpired more than one year ago | 1,357 |
| Section 10.3(b) facts arose prior to effective date | 170 |
| Total | 4,779 |
The largest increase was to complaints that customers tried to file in which the facts took place more than one year earlier, which showed a 76% increase over last year.
Although complaints about a service provider’s failure to accommodate customer accessibility requests are out of our mandate, at the request of the CRTC and members of the accessibility community, we track when customers raised accessibility issues about their service providers.
| Section | Number | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract not provided in alternative format | 0 | ||
| Customer service | |||
| Indifference to customer’s disability | 47 | ||
| Total | 47 | ||
| Emergency services | 5 | ||
| Hearing or speech issues | |||
| In-store language accessibility | 1 | ||
| MRS not available | 4 | ||
| VRS not available | 0 | ||
| Total | 5 | ||
| Mobility issues | |||
| In-store physical accessibility | 2 | ||
| Total | 2 | ||
| Other | 9 | ||
| Policies and operating procedures | 18 | ||
| Refused accessibility plan | 0 | ||
| Special type of wireless device handset not offered | 2 | ||
| TV accessibility issues | 105 | ||
| Visual issues | |||
| Bills and other information not provided in alternative | 7 | ||
| Total | 7 | ||
| Total | 200 | ||
Small business
In 2018-19, we had 907 complaints from small business customers, 4.7% of all concluded complaints.
When we report our operational statistics, we include the data for all the complaints we dealt with during the year. However, not all complaints are alike. In particular, we know that complaints from small business customers can be quite different from those of individual consumers. The following tables highlight the differences.
The small business percentages are similar to last year’s results. Service delivery and credit management are virtually unchanged but contract disputes are down by 9% and billing disputes are up 9% from last year.
The types of complaints for small business are similar to last year’s results.
| Subject | Small business | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Contract dispute | 48.1% | 31.2% |
| Billing | 31.3% | 43.7% |
| Service delivery | 18.3% | 22.0% |
| Credit management | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| Service | Small business | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Internet access services | 33.9% | 25.0% |
| Local phone | 33.1% | 13.7% |
| Wireless | 30.5% | 41.6% |
| Long distance | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Issue | Small business | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Legitimacy and amount of early cancellation fees | 14.7% | 2.8% |
| Disclosure issues | 11.1% | 11.7% |
| Incorrect charge | 10.0% | 15.0% |
| Intermittent/Inadequate quality of service | 7.3% | 7.6% |
| Breach of Contract | 4.9% | 5.5% |
| Contract auto-renewal | 4.7% | 0.1% |
| Credit/refund not received | 4.5% | 5.7% |
| No consent provided for contract renewal | 3.8% | 2.0% |
| Regular price increase of monthly price plans | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Material contract change | 3.0% | 4.8% |
Three issues are new to the top 10 small business issues this year:
- Number 7: credit/refund not received
- Number 9: regular price increase of monthly price plans
- Number 10: material contract change
These new issues replaced last year’s issues of no consent, credit reporting and complete loss of service.
Analysis of closed complaints
Our operational statistics show that we closed 1,727 complaints in 2018-19. The following table provides a breakdown of the reasons why those complaints were closed, with reference to the relevant section of the Procedural Code.
| Complaint | Issues | % |
|---|---|---|
| Customer withdraws complaint | 127 | 7.4% |
| Out-of-mandate after further information obtained | 16 | 0.9% |
| Section 9.1(b) Customer is not authorized to file complaint | 10 | 0.6% |
| Section 9.1(c) Complaint more appropriately handled by another agency | 111 | 6.4% |
| Section 9.1(d) Further investigation not warranted | 450 | 26.1% |
| Section 9.1(e) Customer not cooperative | 746 | 43.2% |
| Section 9.1(f) Service provider offer is reasonable | 202 | 11.7% |
| Section 10.2(b) Matter previously or currently with another agency | 7 | 0.4% |
| Section 10.3(a) Complaint filed outside time limits | 57 | 3.3% |
| Section 10.3(b) Facts arose prior to Effective Date | 1 | 0.1% |
| Total | 1,727 | 100% |
Compensation analysis
In cases that are resolved as well as in Recommendations and Decisions, customers may receive some form of compensation from their service provider. This compensation can take many forms, including:
- bill credits
- bill adjustments
- free or discounted products and services
- cash payments
We attempt to record the value of all compensation awarded to customers as a result of the CCTS process. This is challenging because in a significant number of cases (in particular, resolutions that occur at our Pre-investigation stage) we are not provided with the details of the settlement reached between the customer and the service provider.
This report discloses the full value of compensation received by customers that has been reported to us.
| Compensation range | Number of complaints | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| < $100 | 4,416 | 37.6% |
| $100 – $499 | 5,586 | 47.6% |
| $500 – $999 | 1,111 | 9.5% |
| $1,000 – $4,999 | 591 | 5.0% |
| $5,000 or more | 36 | 0.3% |
| Total | 11,740 | 100% |
| Total compensation: | $ 3,809,275.06 |
“Problem was resolved in 12 days, after I had been dealing with my service provider for months on a minor issue without success.”
Performance standards
Each year, we set ourselves a goal of outstanding customer service. To ensure that we are meeting that goal, we track our performance across various benchmarks.
Contact Centre/Pre-investigation
| Process | Target | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Answer phone calls within 120 seconds | 80% | 85.8% |
| Process written communications within 3 calendar days | 80% | 46.1% |
Complaint handling
| Process | Target | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints concluded at Pre-Investigation stage within 40 days of acceptance | 80% | 96.2% |
| Complaints concluded at Investigation stage within 60 days of referral to Investigation | 80% | 77.3% |
Although the 35% increase in complaints this year impacted two of our target benchmarks, we exceeded the other two target benchmarks. In order to address the delays in processing written communications, we have added more resources to our team.
Regional analysis
We receive complaints from customers throughout Canada. Here, we identify the number of accepted complaints by province/territory.
* Canada, Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0005-01 (Ottawa, CANSIM, 2019)
| Province | Complaints | Population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 1,623 | 8.4% | 4,307,110 | 11.6% | |
| British Columbia | 2,343 | 12.1% | 4,991,687 | 13.5% | |
| Manitoba | 539 | 2.8% | 1,352,154 | 3.6% | |
| New Brunswick | 245 | 1.3% | 770,633 | 2.1% | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 171 | 0.9% | 525,355 | 1.4% | |
| Northwest Territories | 12 | 0.1% | 44,541 | 0.1% | |
| Nova Scotia | 396 | 2.1% | 959,942 | 2.6% | |
| Nunavut | 11 | 0.1% | 38,396 | 0.1% | |
| Ontario | 8,812 | 45.7% | 14,322,757 | 38.6% | |
| Prince Edward Island | 65 | 0.3% | 153,244 | 0.4% | |
| Quebec | 4,822 | 25.0% | 8,390,499 | 22.6% | |
| Saskatchewan | 187 | 1.0% | 1,162,062 | 3.1% | |
| Yukon | 17 | 0.1% | 40,476 | 0.1% | |
| Not specified | 44 | 0.2% | |||
| Total | 19,287 | 100% | 37,058,856 | 100% | |