2020-21 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 the Glossary of Terms.

About our data

We report on the complaints that were accepted between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021 (our fiscal year) as well as on the complaints that were concluded between those dates.

The complaints we receive and investigate after July 31, 2021 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: Summary of operational statistics

wdt_ID	Measurement	2020-21 number	2020-21 YoY change
1	Complaints accepted	17,003	9%
2	Complaints concluded*	17,506	10%
3	Complaints resolved	15,472	10%
4	Complaints resolved at pre-investigation	12,497	15%
5	Complaints resolved at investigation	2,975	-7%
6	Complaints closed	2,028	17%
7	Complaints closed at pre-investigation	960	42%
8	Complaints closed at investigation	1,068	1%
9	Recommendations accepted	3	-79%
10	Decisions issued	3	50%

* The number of concluded complaints is higher than the number of accepted complaints because some complaints received in 2019-20 were also concluded in 2020-21.

Table 5.2: Leading complaint issues broken down by service type

wdt_ID	Service	Billing	Contract dispute	Service delivery	Credit management	Total
1	Wireless	7,508	6,571	3,541	846	18,466*
2	Internet	4,465	3,535	4,740	462	13,202
3	TV	2,319	1,430	1,191	213	5,153
4	Local phone	1,820	1,505	1,544	143	5,012
5	Other†	192	106	114	9	421
8	Total	16,304	13,147	11,130	1,673	42,254

* The number of issues is higher than the number of complaints accepted because a single complaint may raise more than one issue.

† Other includes long distance and operator services issues. There were no complaints about directory assistance or white pages directories in 2020-21.

The largest number of complaint issues were related to wireless services, which account for the highest proportion of billing, contract dispute and credit management issues.

Of the main category of issues (billing, contract dispute, service delivery, and credit management), billing issues remain the top issue across most service types. Billing issues decreased by 6% overall this year despite billing issues related to internet services increasing by 6%.

Overall, service delivery issues increased by 9%, largely driven by a 25% increase of this issue in complaints about internet service. Complaints about internet services account for the highest proportion of service delivery issues, at 43%. There was a 5% increase in credit management issues this year, driven by a 27% increase in credit management issues raised in internet service complaints.

Annual Report

August 1, 2020 – July 31, 2021

About our data

Operational statistics