Follow-up to the Audit of Canada Post Corporation Services to the Public at Bilingual Postal Outlets
METHODOLOGY
- The audit deals with service to the public at bilingual postal outlets in Canada.
- We visited 67 bilingual postal outlets (33 corporate outlets and 34 dealer outlets).
- Elements of the follow-up report:
- Active offer over the telephone and in person
- Service offered in the client’s language of choice
- Signage of bilingual services
- Signage and availability of documentation in both official languages
FINDINGS
- We are disappointed with the lack of progress made in the implementation of our recommendations. The results of our telephone and in-person spot checks are disappointing and show the lack of progress in the delivery of service in both official languages at postal outlets designated bilingual.
Active offer on the telephone and at the counter
- Active offer on the telephone decreased: from 57% to 48%.
- Decline at Canada Post (from 3/4 to 1/2 of outlets).
- Improvement at dealer outlets (from 1/3 to 1/2).
- Active offer at the counter improved: from 10% to 21%.
- The improvement was carried out exclusively at Canada Post outlets.
Adequate service over the telephone and in person
- Slight decrease:
- From 81% to 73% over the telephone. A decline for both Canada Post and the dealers.
- From 76% to 72% at the counter. A decline for the dealers only.
Signage of bilingual services
- Overall, a decrease:
- One out of every three outlets has neither bilingual door decals nor bilingual counter pictograms, a proportion which has doubled since 2004.
- Door decals: drop from 3/4 to 1/2 of the time at Canada Post and among dealers.
- On the other hand, pictograms at the counter: from 44% to 57% thanks to Canada Post’s efforts.
Signage and documentation
- Postal outlets almost always conform to the signage and documentation requirements.
- Temporary signage is available in both official languages only half of the time, but has improved.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Of the 14 recommendations made in the 2004 audit, one no longer applies since Canada Post is no longer a part of the Service Canada access centres. Of the 13 remaining recommendations, only four have been completely implemented, one is in the process of being implemented, and four have not yet been implemented.
- Canada Post has attempted to improve its monitoring structure, but has not increased the responsibility levels of its managers; as a consequence, the audit report reveals results that are stagnant or that lack progress. In addition, Canada Post has not shown enough creativity in helping dealer outlets improve their bilingual service delivery.
- In response to our follow-up, Canada Post has committed to taking some additional measures to follow up on some of the eight recommendations partially implemented or not implemented. The Corporation intends to, amongst other things:
- define monitoring mechanisms in its language of service policy;
- hire an independent firm to visit the 800 designated bilingual outlets;
- take the measures necessary to ensure that dealers’ contractual obligations regarding official languages are fulfilled; and,
- put imperative staffing on the agenda for the next negotiations with the union.
- The Office of the Commissioner will continue to conduct periodic spot checks at bilingual postal outlets.
