CRA EARNS A FAIL IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

   According to nearly a third of respondents, the most commonly discussed negative experiences were related to waiting on the telephone on hold for long periods of time (“often about 45 minutes and sometimes over an hour”), as well as issues with calls dropping and being forced to start all over again. Being asked to call again at a later time, rather than having the option to leave your contact information to be called back, was viewed as “poor customer service.”
     Another common theme for more than a quarter of respondents was that their interaction with the CRA had not gone well because employees were rude or unhelpful. Many discussed agents being aggressive, unfriendly, indifferent, and lacking empathy, with one respondent expressing that the CRA agent “could not have cared less about my concerns.” Another characterized a CRA agent as “argumentative, aggressive and badgering.”
   Another concern, raised by nearly 20 per cent of respondents, was surrounding CRA’s processing times. Many discussed waiting several months for a file, such as a reassessment, to be assigned or reviewed. Several indicated that they ultimately reached out to their local Member of Parliament in order to have an outstanding issue with the CRA resolved. (A better option may be to submit a complaint to the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman.)