Power move

A man who relies on a power wheelchair to get around contacted us about the poor service he received from the vendor contracted by the province’s Assistive Devices Program to service and source parts for such devices.

A man who relies on a power wheelchair to get around contacted us about the poor service he received from the vendor contracted by the province’s Assistive Devices Program to service and source parts for such devices. He complained about poor customer service from this vendor, including months-long delays in responding to his requests to meet with a seating consultant. He told us he had also reached out to the Ministry of Health but hadn’t received timely responses to his concerns.

RESULT: We escalated the man’s concerns to senior Ministry staff and suggested that the Ministry work with the vendor to develop service standards and timelines for responding to customer inquiries and complaints. The Ministry has since updated its website with information about its process for submitting complaints about the Assistive Devices Program and what to expect. We continue to monitor its progress in making improvements to the program.