HomeMy Public PortalAbout22-057 - Customer Complaint PolicyTHE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LEEDS AND THE
THOUSAND ISLANDS
BY-LAW NO. 22-057
BEING A BY-LAW TO ESTABLISH A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT POLICY IN THE
TOWNSHIP OF LEEDS AND THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.
WHEREAS The Council of the Corporation of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand
Islands deems it expedient to establish policies;
AND WHEREAS Section 5(3) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended,
provides that a municipal power, including a municipality's capacity rights, powers and
privileges under Section 9, shall be exercised by By-law;
NOW THEREFORE The Council of the Corporation of the Township of Leeds and the
Thousand Islands hereby enacts as follows:
1. THAT the Customer Complaint Policy identified as Schedule "A" attached hereto and
forming part of this By -Law be hereby approved and adopted;
2. AND THAT this By-law shall be known and may be cited as the "Customer
Complaint Policy";
3. AND THAT this By-law shall come into force and take effect on the day of passing;
4. AND THAT any By-law or Resolution passed prior to this by-law which are in
contravention of any terms of this by-law are hereby rescinded.
READ A FIRST AND SECOND TIME THIS 12TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2022.
READ A THIRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED THIS 12TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER,
2022.
The Corporation of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands
Corinna Smith-Gatcke, Mayor
Megan Shannon, Clerk
Policy and Procedure Type: Administration
Policy and Procedure Title: Customer Complaint Policy
Policy Approval Date: September 12, 2022 Review Date:
Policy Statement
This policy is intended to enable the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands (“Township”) to receive
complaints promptly and effectively from the public regarding the delivery of programs and services.
Customer satisfaction is a priority for the Township, and the Township is committed to satisfying
customers’ reasonable expectations in all areas of service. Receiving feedback helps improve processes
and can identify areas for improvement. Offering customers opportunities to escalate concerns
reinforces a commitment to excellent service delivery.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the underlying principles and processes with respect to complaints
related to services delivered by the Township, ensuring, and supporting transparency and accountability.
This policy attempts to ensure that any response and review of a complaint is fair, impartial, and
respectful to all parties involved.
It is the responsibility of the complainant to attempt to resolve the concern by working with Township
employee(s) directly involved with the issue. It is the responsibility of Township staff to attempt to resolve
issues or concerns before they become complaints, and to identify opportunities to improve municipal
services. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.
This policy provides a consistent and uniform process to respond to complaints received from the public
regarding the dissatisfaction of programs, facilities, Township services, Township employees or
operational procedures at the point of service delivery.
By introducing guidelines and standards, the process of managing and resolving complaints will become
more efficient allowing staff to respond to complaints in a timely manner and also provide an
opportunity to improve Township programs and services.
Section 270(1)5 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, requires a municipality to be accountable to the
public for its actions. This Policy supports the Township’s commitment to accountable and transparent
municipal operations.
Policy Scope
This Policy applies to all complaints received by staff from the public regarding all municipal actions and
functions of the Township. This Policy does not apply to:
• A decision of Council or of a Committee of Council
• Internal employee complaints
• Outside boards and agencies including the Leeds and the Thousand Islands Public Library
• Matters addressed by legislation or an existing municipal by-law or policy
• Matters that are handled by tribunals, courts of law, quasi-judicial boards, etc.
This policy does not address:
• Enquiries or a specific request for information
• Requests for service
• Complaints about non municipal services
• Suggestions, ideas, or compliments
• Requests for accommodations
This policy applies to all complaints received by staff from the public regarding all administrative actions
and functions of the Township.
Principles
This policy and the procedures are based on the following complaint management principles.
• The process should be easy to understand and accessible to customers;
• The process should be well understood by staff with appropriate oversight by senior management
to ensure complaints are addressed appropriately;
• Customer should have confidence in the reliability of the process;
• Customer complaints will be kept confidential;
• The process should be fair and include a review process;
• The process should be impartial and filing a complaint will not adversely impact the quality of
future services;
• Staff should address issues within their authority and capacity. Customer should be advised of
options to resolve the complaint;
• Staff should have the discretion to adjust and adapt their response based on the nature of the
complaint;
• Complaints should be addressed in a timely manner.
Definitions
Complainant means the person who is dissatisfied and is filing the complaint. Anyone who uses or is
affected by Township services can make a complaint.
Complaint means an expression of dissatisfaction related to Township programs, services, facilities,
Township employee or operational procedures where it is believed that the Township has not provided a
service experience to the customer’s satisfaction at the point of service delivery and a response or
resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected.
Compliment means an expression of appreciation for satisfactory or above-satisfactory service.
Enquiry is defined as a general or specific request for information regarding a municipal program,
service or facility.
Feedback means input that is neither positive, nor negative, but provides ideas.
Frivolous means a Complaint that is reasonably perceived by Township staff to be:
a) without reasonable or probable cause,
b) without merit or substance, or
c) trivial
Harassment or to Harass involves engaging in a course of behaviour, comment or conduct, whether it
occurs inside or outside the work environment, that is or ought reasonably to be known to be
unwelcome. It includes but is not limited to any behaviour, conduct or comment that is directed at or is
offensive to another person:
a) on the grounds of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, age,
handicap, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status, as well as any other grounds under
the provisions of the Human Rights Code; or
b) which is reasonably perceived by the recipient as an intention to bully, embarrass, intimidate or
ridicule the recipient.
Intimidation means unwarranted conduct, including, but not limited to: cyberbullying, discrimination,
harassment, violence or threats of violence, profanity, personal insults or communication that is deemed
threatening.
Ombudsman means the Ombudsman of Ontario, or the Ombudsman appointed by Council in
accordance with Section 223.13 (1) of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended where applicable.
Service Request means a request made to the Township for a specific service.
Township means the Corporation of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.
Vexatious means a Complaint that is Frivolous, and which is pursued in a manner that is reasonably
perceived by Township staff to be
a) malicious,
b) intended to embarrass or harass the recipient, or
c) intended to be a nuisance
Complaint Procedure
Informal Complaint
The Township encourages complaints to be resolve at the informal complaint stage. This can be
accomplished by working with municipal staff to resolve issues or concerns before they become formal
complaints. Informal complaints may be made in person, by phone, letter, email, or fax.
It is the responsibility of Township staff to attempt to resolve issues or concerns before they become
formal complaints and identify opportunities to improve programs and services.
Formal Complaint
A formal complaint is generated when an informal resolution cannot be successfully achieved. This will
result in a file generated, investigation conducted, and decision rendered.
Formal Complaints must be made in writing and filed as soon as possible. A formal complaint may be
made in one of the following ways:
• Online through the Township website on the Accountability and Transparency webpage using the
Customer Complaint Form;
• Written complaints may be filed by hand delivery, mail, fax, or email. A formal complaint shall
include the following components:
o Contact details of the complainant including preference for future contact
(email/mail/phone);
o Employee(s) and department(s) involved with the complaint;
o Summary of complaint including details, location, and any relevant notes regarding the
complaint;
o Date of incident; and
o Desired resolution to the complaint.
• Where a complainant requires an accommodation in submitting a formal written complaint,
please contact the Clerk’s office who will endeavour to make the necessary arrangements.
Examples of Complaints:
The following are some examples of the types of complaints that fall under this policy. This list is not
exhaustive.
• Complaints about receiving poor customer service;
• Complaints about the quality of a service provides;
• Timeliness in responding to a complaint; and
• Concern that a matter was not completed or carried out in accordance with Township Policies
and By-laws.
All complaints should be filed as soon as possible after the related incident.
Complaint Process
Step 1: Acknowledge
Staff will acknowledge the complainant within five (5) business days and provide an estimate of the time
to resolve or follow up on the matter.
Step 2: Assess
If required, contact the complainant to clarify the complaint.
Step 3: Assign
Forward the complaint to the correct department.
Step 4: Investigate
The staff member will:
a. Document all notes;
b. Maintain regular communication with the complainant throughout the process; and
c. Review the complaint and related issues, speak to staff as required, identify relevant
legislation, policies, and procedures, and identify actions based on the review.
Step 5: Resolve
Provide written resolution within thirty (30) days. The decision will include an overview of the complaint,
outline of the investigation, summary of the facts and findings, identify next steps and suggested
resolution and supporting rationale. The decision should be reviewed by the respective department
head(s).
Step 6: Corporate Review
The CAO, Clerk or respective designate will review the written resolution to ensure accuracy and
completeness, clarity of response, fairness, and opportunities for service delivery improvements.
Step 7: Appeal
Once the Township has communicated the decision, there is no appeal process at the municipal level. In
the event complaints cannot be resolved through the Municipality’s complaint process, they may be
submitted to the Ombudsman.
Tracking and Reporting
All complaints must be tracked from initial receipt to resolution. Complaints must be entered and tracked
through the Township’s service request software. All supporting documentation, notes and related
correspondence should be saved within the service request.
The personal information provided on the Customer Complaint Form is collected under the authority of
the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The information provided will
be used to investigate the complaint and may be used for contact purposes but is otherwise considered
confidential. Questions about this collection can be directed to the Clerk’s Department.
Potentially Frivolous or Vexatious Complaints
Where the complaint may be considered frivolous or vexatious or there appears to be a pattern of
frivolous or vexatious complaints, the staff member should see advice from their department head and
from the CAO. The CAO may recommend that the complaint be referred to the Ombudsman.
Threats and Intimidation
Staff should immediately report any implied or explicit threats, any intimidating behaviour and/or any
harassing or discriminatory behaviour to their department head. The department head will consult with
the CAO and the Human Resources Manager to review and deal with any matters in contravention of
applicable legislation and/or Township policies.
Policy Review
This policy is reviewed by the Clerk or designate during the term of Council to ensure its effectiveness
and compliance with legislation and current business processes, or as required based on legislative
changes.
Customer Complaint Flow Chart
CLERK'S
DEPARTMENT
RECEIVES A FORMAL
COMPLAINT
• Acknowledges receipt of the
complaint in writing
• Provides a tracking number
• Forwards to appropriate
investigating Township employee
INVESTIGATION OF
THE FORMAL
COMPLAINT
• Investigate the complaint
• Notify the complainant of the decision
within 20 days upon receipt of the
complaint
• Forward all records to the Clerk's
Department related to the investigation
and decision
CLERK'S
DEPARTMENT
MAINTAINS
RECORDS OF
FORMAL
COMPLAINT
• The Clerk's Department
shall maintain all physical
and electronic records upon
decision