Tips on Making a Complaint | Toronto Ombudsman

The first step is to contact us. We will be able to determine whether we can handle it, and – if so – what the next steps are.

OR You can click on our form which will take you through the preliminary steps.

Like everything else in life, making good complaints takes practice! We want to make sure you have all the tools you need to make your complaint in an effective way. This saves us both time.

What should my complaint say?

The Basics:

As well as your name, address and contact details, the main things that your complaint should cover are:

details of what happened
when
who was involved
what was said or done
what kind of resolution you would like

Click here to see a sample of how you may want to write your complaint.

General Tips on Complaining:

These are some tips for you to follow for the initial stage of a complaint that you might have with department, agency, board or commission.

Get hold of the organization’s formal complaints procedure and follow each step.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, call 3-1-1
Put your complaint in writing. Head your letter ‘Formal Complaint’ and make sure you include all the relevant points
Keep a record of events and a copy of letters and e-mails you send and receive
If you speak to someone on the telephone make a note of what was said and the name of the person you spoke to
Be clear about why you are dissatisfied
Focus on a few key points. If you have difficulty expressing yourself in writing you could ask a friend, family member or community agency to help you
Spell out what you want from your complaint. For example, are you looking for an apology, a change in policy, a service that should have been provided but was not?
Stay calm – when making a phone call, jot down beforehand points that you would like to raise and check these off as they are dealt with
When you think you have received a final response from the department and if you are still dissatisfied, contact us

Go back to form

Sample Complaint

FORMAL COMPLAINT

Your Name

Address
Date

Name
Job Title
Organisation Address

Dear

I would like you to consider the following points as a formal complaint.

Details of your complaint – describe what has gone wrong and how you have suffered as a result. Try to make this clear and concise.

What, in your view would resolve the problem? Be clear about what you would like to happen as a result of making the complaint. For example, are you looking for an apology, a change in policy, a service that should have been provided but was not? Make this clear in your letter. Remember to include any relevant documents.

Ask for an acknowledgement of this letter and when you might hear back. Include in the letter when would be the best time to contact the individual (e.g. e-mail, home, work, and cell phone numbers).

Yours...
Your name