Customer Service Charter:

At ACCES, quality customer service means we strive to meet or exceed the expectations of our customers. Our customers include clients, employers, funders and community partners. Our goal is to provide supportive and effective employment and training services to our diverse community.

We demonstrate our commitment to customer service in the following ways:

  • Ensuring all contact and communication with customers is conducted in a professional and respectful manner
  • Ensuring we work closely with the broader community in the effort to meet our customers’ goals
  • Ensuring that we provide a safe and supportive environment for all customers
  • Our services are provided by a team of trained and qualified professionals
  • Providing opportunities for our customers to provide feedback on any aspect of our services
  • Having a simple process for handling customer feedback


Customer Service Policy:

ACCES strives to provide customer service excellence using innovative best practices within industry standards. Feedback from ACCES’ customers (clients, employers, funders and community partners) may arise from time to time – this may be a concern about the service received or may be due to a misunderstanding. Complaint resolution is important to ACCES. It is through working to resolve these matters that we identify opportunities to enhance the customer service experience.

This policy outlines the process for raising complaints or concerns about ACCES business and our services. ACCES will treat all concerns raised professionally, confidentially and seek a timely resolution.

Our Commitment: In keeping with our Customer Service Charter, ACCES strives to act with the highest standards of ethics and accountability. Our goal is to meet or exceed the expectations of our customers in the delivery of our services assisting job seekers facing barriers to employment integrate into the Canadian job market.


Our Complaint Resolution Process and Standards

ACCES will:

  • Obtain relevant information from all parties involved
  •  Assess each complaint and only those substantiated will be investigated (e.g. made in good faith, sufficient information, etc.)
  • Ensure investigation and analysis of the complaint is handled fairly and confidentially
  • Keep the customer informed through the progress of the investigation and resolution
  • Resolve the concern in a manner consistent with our Customer Service Charter, Codes of Conduct for Employees, Clients and Visitors, and any other relevant ACCES policies (e.g. Client Privacy, etc.)
  • Take corrective steps which may involve:
    o Updating organizational information and/or marketing materials
    o Updating relevant policies, procedures, or service delivery processes
    o Training or guidance for employee
    o Taking other appropriate action


Our Complaint Resolution Process:
Most concerns can be resolved without the need for an investigation. The complaint assessment is made before the commencement of an investigation to evaluate and substantiate the complaint to ensure it is made in good faith and there is sufficient information to move forward with an investigation. Investigations may also involve the head of Human Resources.

If you have a complaint or concern about ACCES or the service you received, you can address the situation through the following process:

All complaints need to provide sufficient, precise and relevant information including dates, places, persons/witnesses, so that the information can be reasonably assessed and further fact finding can be undertaken as needed.

Step 1: Notify us of a Concern: Discuss your concern with your primary contact at ACCES or the person with whom you are interacting. This often allows for a quick, easy and expedient resolution and avoids unnecessary delays and frustrations. It also helps to preserve the direct relationship with ACCES. The employee receiving this initial complaint will work to resolve the problem with you, and may involve their supervisor.

Step 2: Speak with a Manager: If the concern isn’t resolved to your satisfaction, you can ask to escalate your concern to the manager. If a manager is not available, they will contact you promptly by telephone. This ideally takes place by the next business day, or within two business days.

Step 3: Director: If the concern still isn’t resolved to your satisfaction in step 1 and 2, a Director will be assigned to investigate the complaint further to reach final resolution. For complaints reaching this level, you will need to provide details of who was involved in these initial steps and why you disagree with their decision. Additionally, the Director will engage their Vice President or Senior Vice President.

Step 4: Chief Operating Officer
If you remain dissatisfied with the senior management team’s decision or resolution, and you wish to pursue your complaint further, you would escalate it to the Chief Operating Officer.

If the concern is relating to ACCES leadership, it is to be directed to the President and CEO. If your concern is relating to the President and CEO, it can be directed to the Chair of the Board.


Timeframe: Most complaint investigations are concluded with 30 business days of receiving a complaint and all supporting information. If this timeline cannot be met, ACCES would contact you to explain that more time is needed and when you can expect a response.


Vexatious Complaint: There could be a rare occasion when a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of a complaint (ACCES’ investigation conclusions and corrective steps) and decides to pursue the complaint further with ACCES or other ACCES stakeholders. In very extreme circumstances and after detailed and careful assessment, ACCES may consider this action to be harassing behaviour and treat it as a vexatious complaint. Should this occur, the complainant would be notified that ACCES has already addressed the complaint and would not be responding further to the issue.