Statistical Reports
Annual Report
August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2022
Contact Centre activities
Our Contact Centre received over 94,000 communications by telephone, in writing and by online chat, down from almost 115,000 last year.
| Type of communication | 2021-22 | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| Written correspondence | 36,364 | -11% |
| Phone calls answered | 54,644 | -22% |
| Chat sessions answered | 3,094 | -24% |
Phone calls continue to be the most-used type of communication, followed by written correspondence (which includes use of our online interactive questionnaire) and chat sessions. Communications received by the CCTS decreased by 18% overall compared to last year, with decreases in each of the communication types.
Out-of-mandate issues
The following tables show the number of issues raised by customers that the CCTS could not accept in 2021-22 because they are out of scope of the CCTS’ mandate. This mandate is set by the CRTC, and the CRTC periodically reviews whether the mandate continues to be appropriate. The scope of complaints that the CCTS is authorized to receive and examples of services and subjects that fall outside the CCTS’ scope are set out in our Procedural Code. When we receive complaints outside our mandate, such as issues of pricing, infrastructure, and privacy, we notify the customer and provider and refer the customer to a more appropriate organization or complaint-handling body.
Procedural Code Section 3 and Other
| Procedural Code Section 3 and Other | Number |
|---|---|
| Section 3.1(a)(i) Internet applications/content | 442 |
| Section 3.1(a)(ii) Emergency services | 97 |
| Section 3.1(a)(iii) Payphones | 3 |
| Section 3.1(a)(iv) Yellow pages/business directories | 12 |
| Section 3.1(a)(v) Telemarketing/unsolicited messages | 500 |
| Section 3.1(a)(vi) 900/976 calls | 29 |
| Section 3.1(b)(i) Digital Media Broadcast Undertaking (DMBU) services | 77 |
| Section 3.1(b)(ii) Interactive TVSP services and applications | 14 |
| Section 3.1(b)(iii) Broadcasting content | 715 |
| Section 3.1(b)(iv) Journalistic ethics | 158 |
| Section 3.1(b)(v) TV accessibility issues, e.g., closed captioning and described video | 52 |
| Section 3.1(b)(vi) Simultaneous substitution | 21 |
| Section 3.1(c)(i) Customer-owned equipment | 156 |
| Section 3.1(c)(ii) Inside wiring | 24 |
| Section 3.1(c)(iii) Security services | 265 |
| Section 3.1(c)(iv) Networking services | 413 |
| Section 3.1(c)(v) Pricing | 901 |
| Section 3.1(c)(vi) Rights of way | 283 |
| Section 3.1(c)(vii) Plant/poles/towers | 857 |
| Section 3.1(c)(viii) False/misleading advertising | 325 |
| Section 3.1(c)(ix) Privacy issues | 829 |
| Other – Aggressive tactics | 93 |
| Other – Broadcasting (radio) | 69 |
| Other – Broadcasting (television – small business) | 33 |
| Other – Broadcasting (television – exempt independent TVSP) | 58 |
| Other – Consumer – clarity of offers and promotions (TVSP Code) | 69 |
| Other – Not related to service providers (phone/internet scams) | 681 |
| Other – Regulated services | 23 |
| Other – Spam | 67 |
| Other – Hybrid Video on Demand Services | 14 |
| Total | 7,280 |
The total number of issues reported in this section decreased from 8,244 last year to 7,280 this year.
Complaints about service provider pricing remain the top out-of-scope issue even though it decreased for the second year in a row (by 27% this year and by 25% last year). The CCTS does not accept complaints about how PSPs set their prices or the amount of telecom or television service prices; however, complaints about disclosure of price changes can be accepted.
Despite an overall decline in the total number of out-of-scope issues compared to last year, some out-of-scope issues significantly increased this year: journalistic ethics (a 251% increase, from 45 to 158 issues), broadcasting content (a 58% increase, from 453 to 715 issues), and security services (a 32% increase, from 201 to 265 issues).
Procedural Code Section 4
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 | 243 | |
| Outsourcing | 314 | |
| No phone number for customer service | 371 | |
| Rude representative | 1,989 | |
| Wait times | 1,957 | |
| Total | 4,874 | |
| Section 4.3 General operating practices and policies | 4,375 | |
| Total | 9,249 | |
In 2021-22, there were 9,249 issues, a decrease of 20% from last year.
Procedural Code Section 10
The CCTS is required to decline complaints in certain situations, in accordance with our Procedural Code. We track and report on these complaints.
| Issue | Number |
|---|---|
| Section 10.1 Service provider not offered opportunity to resolve | 982 |
| Section 10.2(b) Matter previously or currently with another agency | 908 |
| Section 10.3(a) Facts transpired more than one year ago | 1,287 |
| Section 10.3(b) Facts arose prior to Effective Date | 20 |
| Total | 3,197 |
Complaints that customers tried to file in which facts took place more than one year earlier decreased by 29%.
Accessibility issues
Most complaints about a provider’s failure to accommodate customer accessibility requests are out of our mandate. However, there are some accessibility issues that the CCTS will consider to be in-scope; specifically, where a CRTC Code that the CCTS administers contains a requirement to provide an accommodation. The Wireless, TV Service Provider and Internet Codes require an extended trial period for persons with disabilities and also require customer contracts and related documents to be provided in an accessible format on request.
At the request of the CRTC and members of the accessibility community, we track when customers raise out-of-scope accessibility issues about their providers. We also refer these issues to the proper organization, the CRTC.
| Section | Number |
|---|---|
| Customer service: Indifference to customer’s disability | 48 |
| Hearing and speech issues: Lack of in-store language accessibility Message relay services (MRS) not available Video relay services (VRS) not available |
1 5 2 |
| Total | 8 |
| Mobility issues: Lack of in-store physical accessibility | 0 |
| Visual issues: Contract not provided in alternative format (for home phone and long distance only) Bills and other information not provided in alternative format |
0 4 |
| Total | 4 |
| TV accessibility issues | 52 |
| Special type of wireless device handset not offered | 1 |
| Customer was refused an accessibility plan | 1 |
| Emergency services (barriers to accessing emergency services) | 1 |
| Policies and operating procedures | 15 |
| Other issues | 3 |
| Total | 133 |
Complaints about customer service indifference to a customer’s disability increased from 42 to 48 this year.
Issues about wireless device financing plans
In March 2021, the CRTC issued a decision determining that device financing plans fall under the scope of the Wireless Code. This decision confirmed that the full protections of the Wireless Code apply to wireless device financing plans. To inform future reviews of the Wireless Code, the CRTC requested that the CCTS begin tracking complaints related to device financing plans in our annual and mid-year reports.
| # of issues in 2021-22 | % of all issues in 2021-22 | # of issues in 2020-21 | % of all issues in 2020-21 | YoY change in # of issues raised | Resolution rate (global resolution rate – 86.8%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Device financing plans (wireless services) | 343 | 1.2% | 142 | 0.3% | 141.5% | 85.7% |
As service providers seek to find ways to lower the up-front costs of high-cost wireless devices for consumers, there continues to be an evolution and increase in device financing options. For example, providers may offer a formal credit agreement or device financing plan with a combination of device discounts or bonuses that decrease over the term of the contract, or a “bring-it-back” option. Each arrangement has a contract, which may be complex and confusing for consumers.
In complaints about wireless device financing plans, customers are often surprised at the early termination fee they are required to pay when they terminate early or are surprised about their monthly service fee following the completion of the 24-month device financing plan. We suggest that providers explore simpler ways of articulating device subsidies to avoid confusion and future complaints. Providers should also train their representatives to be able to accurately explain cancellation scenarios. We encourage consumers to ask questions during sales transactions and review their contracts carefully to make sure they understand payment requirements for scenarios such as early termination or when the financing arrangement ends. We have included some case summaries about device financing plan issues in Topics and Trends.
Small business
In 2021-22, we concluded 840 complaints from small business customers, a 21% decrease from last year and 6.6% of all concluded complaints. In those 840 concluded complaints, there were 2,165 issues. This represents a 20% decrease from last year and 7.4% of all issues from 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.
| Subject | Small business | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Contract dispute | 41.2% | 28.7% |
| Billing | 29.5% | 39.8% |
| Service delivery | 25.9% | 26.8% |
| Credit management | 3.4% | 4.7% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| Service | Small business | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Internet access | 34.2% | 26.5% |
| Wireless | 34.6% | 52.0% |
| Local exchange and VoIP services (including calling features) | 30.7% | 8.8% |
| Long distance (including prepaid calling cards) | 0.6% | 0.6% |
The proportion of internet issues reported by small business customers increased from 32.7% to 34.2%. By contrast, internet issues for individual consumers decreased from 31.1% to 26.5%. Wireless issues reported by small business customers decreased from 36% to 34.6%. For individual consumers, wireless issues increased from 44.2% to 52% for individual consumers.
| Issue | Small business | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosure issues | 17.7% | 22.7% |
| Monthly price plan – Incorrect charge | 17.0% | 22.6% |
| Legitimacy of early termination fee (ETF) | 15.4% | 4.5% |
| Intermittent/inadequate quality of service | 13.9% | 18.5% |
| Breach of contract | 7.8% | 8.7% |
| Credit/refund not received | 6.9% | 8.8% |
| Auto-renewal | 6.2% | 0.1% |
| Complete loss of service | 5.7% | 5.5% |
| Credit reporting | 4.9% | 7.3% |
| Amount of ETF | 4.6% | 1.2% |
Analysis of closed complaints
Our operational statistics show that we closed 1,557 complaints in 2021-22. The following table provides a breakdown of the reasons why those complaints were closed and references the relevant section of the Procedural Code.
| Complaint | Issues | % |
|---|---|---|
| Closed as duplicate | 5 | 0.3% |
| Customer withdrew complaint | 158 | 10.1% |
| Out-of-mandate after further information obtained | 22 | 1.4% |
| 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 | 26 | 1.7% |
| Section 9.1(d) Further investigation not warranted | 287 | 18.4% |
| Section 9.1(e) Customer not cooperative | 752 | 48.3% |
| Section 9.1(f) Service provider offer is reasonable | 120 | 7.7% |
| Section 10.1 Service provider not offered opportunity to resolve | 14 | 0.9% |
| Section 10.2(b) Matter previously or currently with another agency | 8 | 0.5% |
| Section 10.3(a) Complaint filed outside time limits | 153 | 9.8% |
| Section 10.3(b) Facts arose prior to effective date | 2 | 0.1% |
| Total | 1,557 | 100% |
We close complaints under section 9.1(e) of our Procedural Code when a customer does not cooperate with our efforts to process and investigate the customer’s complaints; for example, by providing information about their complaint, responding to our inquiries, and discussing the complaint with their provider during the 30-day pre-investigation stage. We make multiple attempts to elicit customer cooperation before closing a complaint.
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 resolution reached between the customer and the service provider.
The total compensation awarded in 2021-22 that we can determine was $1,698,433.60.
| Compensation range | Number of complaints | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| < $100 | 1,214 | 29.4% |
| $100 – $499 | 1,988 | 48.2% |
| $500 – $999 | 576 | 14.0% |
| $1,000 – $4,999 | 331 | 8.0% |
| $5,000 or more | 16 | 0.4% |
| Total | 4,125 | 100% |
“I was getting nowhere with my service provider and very frustrated. A friend recommended the CCTS. If it wasn’t for the CCTS I would probably still be waiting for resolution.”
Performance standards
Each year, we set a goal to provide great customer service, and we track our performance across various benchmarks. The following tables show how our performance this year compares to those benchmark targets.
Contact Centre/Pre-investigation
| Process | Target | 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|
| Answer phone calls within 120 seconds | 80% | 90.4% |
| Process written communications within 3 calendar days | 80% | 97.7% |
Complaint handling
| Process | Target | 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints concluded at Pre-Investigation stage within 40 days of acceptance | 80% | 96.9% |
| Complaints concluded at Investigation stage within 60 days of referral to Investigation | 80% | 95.1% |
Despite being another unusual year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we exceeded all of our target benchmarks.
Regional analysis
We receive complaints from customers throughout Canada. Here, we identify the number of accepted complaints by province/territory.
| Province | Complaints | Population* | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 1,129 | 8.8% | 4,500,917 | 11.6% | |
| British Columbia | 1,763 | 13.8% | 5,286,528 | 13.7% | |
| Manitoba | 392 | 3.1% | 1,393,179 | 3.6% | |
| New Brunswick | 226 | 1.8% | 800,243 | 2.1% | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 114 | 0.9% | 522,875 | 1.4% | |
| Northwest Territories | 4 | 0.0% | 45,607 | 0.1% | |
| Nova Scotia | 257 | 2.0% | 1,007,049 | 2.6% | |
| Nunavut | 7 | 0.1% | 40,103 | 0.1% | |
| Ontario | 5,942 | 46.5% | 15,007,816 | 38.8% | |
| Prince Edward Island | 52 | 0.4% | 167,680 | 0.4% | |
| Quebec | 2,761 | 21.6% | 8,653,184 | 22.4% | |
| Saskatchewan | 124 | 1.0% | 1,186,308 | 3.1% | |
| Yukon | 16 | 0.1% | 43,249 | 0.1% | |
| Not specified | 3 | 0.0% | |||
| Total | 12,790 | 100% | 38,654,738 | 100% | |
* Canada, Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0009-01 (formerly, CANSIM 051-0005)