SERVICES - OMBUDSMAN/OMBUDS SERVICES

We can help your organization enhance its relationship with clients and other stakeholders by providing you with ombuds (originally termed “ombudsman”) services.

It is impossible to please all of the people all of the time. Dealing with grievances from clients and other stakeholders is a normal part of doing business. Most organizations train their staff to deal with complaints, and most are effective at resolving the bulk of them as they arise. But there are grievances that are simply beyond the resources of the front lines of an organization. That is when an effective ombuds service can come into play.

Ombuds are the organizational rear guard of complaint management. They investigate and make determinations and recommendations about the grievances that the front lines have not been able to resolve. Because ombuds are neutral and independent of the organization, their decisions and recommendations have a greater tendency to be perceived as fair and impartial. This aura of fairness and impartiality helps preserve relationships with clients, puts an end to disputes, and generates a perception of responsiveness to grievances.

Effective ombuds go beyond simply dealing with the dispute at hand. They seek out the root causes of the complaints they investigate and make constructive recommendations to those that run the organization about what can be done to avoid the same sort of problem in the future.

Our ombuds can help you better deal with complaints and identify what you can do to prevent future grievances.

Please contact us for more information.

Nous offrons nos services en français.

We have offices in Ottawa and Toronto.