Client Experience Survey 2021-22 – Executive Summary

Political Neutrality Statement

I hereby certify as Senior Officer of Ipsos that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Directive on the Management of Communications. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

President
Ipsos Public Affairs

Additional information

Supplier Name: Ipsos Limited Partnership

PSPC Contract Number: CW2234002 (G9292-23-1233)

Contract Award Date: 2022-05-17

Executive Summary

Background and Objectives

• The annual Service Canada Client Experience (CX) Survey measures the end-to-end service experience delivered by Service Canada and tracks the impact of service delivery change on clients’ ability to access federal programs. 
• The 2021-22 Client Experience (CX) Survey is the fifth annual wave and provides trend data to contribute to monitoring the service delivery performance of Service Canada, and allows measuring the impact of the significant pandemic service delivery changes on the client needs.
• The CX Survey provides tracking of satisfaction with the client journey among Service Canada clients, measures changes in use and satisfaction of service channels and assesses the ease, effectiveness and emotion of Service Canada clients by service channel and program. 
• The Client Experience Measurement Project is conducted in two phases: an initial quantitative survey followed by a qualitative phase of research. 
• The qualitative phase was used to explore opportunities for improvement in service delivery and channel use where clients were not satisfied and/or faced barriers to access. Highlights have been embedded throughout and the detailed results of the qualitative research are available under separate cover.
• The contract value ($298,613.80 (including HST)) for this research includes both the qualitative and quantitative phases.
• To comply with the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Policy on Service and Digital, Citizen Service Branch (CSB) conducts the Client Experience (CX) Survey to collect client feedback to assist in effectively managing service delivery across the service channels and to help ensure client-centric service design and delivery that is accessible and inclusive.
• The Citizen Service Branch launched the annual Client Experience (CX) Survey in 2017 as part of a structured approach to collecting feedback from clients to track how well Service Canada was delivering federal programs through its service channels. The CX Survey was conducted again in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.
• The CX Survey is conducted in two phases, an initial quantitative survey followed by a qualitative phase of research.
• Having fielded the survey in 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, the CX Survey in 2021-22 collected trend data to contribute to monitoring the service delivery performance of Service Canada, and to report annual satisfaction to meet reporting requirements on the client experience.
• Results from the 2021-22 CX Survey project will be used to:
  • Improve service delivery and access to programs;
  • Respond to clients’ evolving service needs;
  • Measure performance and impacts of service changes over time (e.g. pre-pandemic vs. pandemic vs. post-pandemic);
  • Contribute to evaluating the overall success of the Client Experience Management (CXM) function and service transformation; and,
  • Inform service management decisions as reported to Treasury Board under the Management Accountability Framework.
• The research objectives for the quantitative phase were to:
  • Provide tracking on overall satisfaction with end-to-end service experience of Service Canada clients (including EI, CPP, CPP-D, OAS/GIS and SIN) and measure changes over time in the use and satisfaction of service channels.
  • Utilize the Client Experience Measurement Model and assess ease, effectiveness and emotion of clients accessing the five major programs.

Methodology

• A telephone survey was conducted with a sample of 4,200 Service Canada clients across the five major programs.
  • Employment Insurance (EI): (n=987) +/- 3.1 percentage points
  • Canada Pension Plan (CPP): (n=768) +/- 3.5 percentage points
  • Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit (CPP-D): (n=761) +/- 3.5 percentage points
  • Old Age Security (OAS) / Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): (n=809) +/- 3.4 percentage points 
  • Social Insurance Number (SIN): (n=875) +/- 3.3 percentage points
• Oversamples were collected with two client groups: those living in remote areas and Indigenous clients.
• The interviews were conducted between June 23 and July 26, 2022. 
• Clients who were sampled had completed a client journey and received an initial decision, benefit or Social Insurance Number in January, February or March 2022.
• The survey sample size has a margin of error of +/-1.5%. 
• Results were weighted by age, gender, region, program and benefit receipt (approved/denied) using administrative data on clients who completed a client journey from April 2021 to March 2022. Program weights were held constant with 2017-18 to allow the results to highlight any change due to the service experience.
• Comparisons to 2019-20 results reflect service delivery changes made after October 2019, while comparisons to 2018-19 results reflect changes made after October 2018, and 2017-18 results reflect changes made after June 2017.
• The 2021-22 Client Experience Survey Detailed Methodology document, which includes the research instruments, is available under separate cover.
• The qualitative research, which comprised a mix of in-depth interviews (32) and online focus groups (8), was conducted between September 7 and October 7, 2022. Participants who were screened into the focus groups or in-depth interviews were those who had lower satisfaction and/or experienced a barrier to accessing service. A total of 76 clients participated in the qualitative research. The findings presented are qualitative in nature, meaning that they provide an in-depth exploration of the research issues and at no point is the intention to produce results that are statistically representative of the population at large.

Executive Summary: Overall Satisfaction

• Satisfaction with the overall service experience has declined compared to 2020-21. Satisfaction among EI and OAS/GIS clients decreased compared to the previous wave. Satisfaction was higher among SIN clients compared to all clients, lower among EI clients and, consistent with previous years, remained the lowest for CPP-D clients.
  • At just over eight in ten, the vast majority of clients were satisfied with their experience (81%) and found it easy (82%) and effective (82%).  Nearly three quarters (73%) were confident that any issues or problems would have been easily resolved. Compared to 2020-21, ratings on overall satisfaction (81% vs. 86%), ease (82% vs. 86%), effectiveness (82% vs. 85%) and emotion (73% vs. 77%) have decreased.  Overall effectiveness has returned to levels observed in 2019-20, while overall satisfaction, ease and emotion stand at the lowest levels observed.
  • Nine in ten (89%) SIN clients expressed satisfaction with the service experience, the highest of any program.  Over eight in ten CPP clients (86%) were satisfied, followed by eight in ten OAS/GIS clients (81%) and three quarters of EI clients (76%), while six in ten CPP-D clients (60%) were satisfied, lower than other programs.  Satisfaction has decreased among EI (76% vs. 84%) and OAS/GIS clients (81% vs. 88%) compared to 2020-21.
• Compared to 2020-21, ratings on trust in Service Canada to deliver services have declined among clients of all programs except for SIN, while EI and OAS/GIS clients also provided lower ratings for ease, effectiveness, confidence in issue resolution and timeliness of service. CPP-D clients were less likely to agree that the timeliness of service was reasonable, while CPP clients provided lower ratings for confidence in issue resolution.
  • SIN clients were more likely to express trust (89%), to have found the process easy (90%), effective (91%) and to have had confidence in issue resolution (85%) compared to all clients.  They were also more likely to have rated the timeliness of service as reasonable (82%) and to have reported their client journey took 2 weeks or less (66%) and in particular that it took one day (30%).
  • CPP-D clients were less likely to express trust (61%), to have found the process easy (55%), effective (58%) and to have confidence in issue resolution (57%) compared to all clients.  They were also much less likely to have to have rated the timeliness of service as reasonable (48%) and reported the longest client journey of any program with CPP-D clients more likely to say it took between 8 weeks to 6 months (40%) or more than 6 months (25%).
  • OAS/GIS clients were less likely to express trust (70%), to have found the process effective (78%) and to have confidence in issue resolution (68%) compared to all clients.  They were more likely to say their client journey took between 8 weeks to 6 months (20%) or more than 6 months (10%) and ratings on timeliness of service were consistent with overall levels.
  • EI clients were less likely to express trust (75%), to have found the process effective (78%) and to have confidence in issue resolution (69%) compared to all clients. They were also less likely to have to have rated the timeliness of service as reasonable (69%) and to have reported their client journey took between one day to 4 weeks (64%).
  • CPP were less likely to express trust (74%) compared to all clients but were more likely to have rated the timeliness of service as reasonable (82%) and to have reported their client journey took between 4 weeks to 6 months (54%).

Executive Summary: Service Attribute Performance

• Ratings across nearly all service attributes related to ease, effectiveness and emotion of the end-to-end client journey have declined year over year.
  • Clients were less likely to agree it was easy to apply; they were able to move smoothly through all steps; it was clear what would happen next and when; they needed to explain their situation only once; they received consistent information; timeliness of service was reasonable; it was clear what to do if they had a problem or question; it was easy to get help when needed; Service Canada in-person; specialized call centre; 1 800 O-Canada and eServiceCanada staff were helpful; they were confident any issues or problems would have been easily resolved; and that they travelled a reasonable distance to access service.
  • Impressions of the ease of the application process specifically and in finding information about the program on the Government of Canada website were generally consistent with the previous year, however fewer found it easy to understand information about the program and to be able to find the information they needed when learning about the program in a reasonable amount of time.
• Service Canada clients provided the highest ratings for the respectfulness and helpfulness of in person and specialized call centre staff, confidence in information security, the overall ease and effectiveness of the process including ease of understanding the requirements of the application and completing the application form.
  • The vast majority found Service Canada in-person and specialized call centre staff respectful (92% for both) and helpful (88% and 82% respectively), were confident their personal information was protected (86%), found it easy to apply (82%), including that it was easy to understand the requirements (82%) and complete the application form (82%), and were able to move smoothly through all steps (82%). 
• Service attributes with lower ratings were ease of follow-up, ease of getting help on the application when needed, ease of getting help in general and ease of deciding the best age to start their pension. 
  • Just over half provided high ratings for the ease of following-up on their application (55%) and closer to two thirds for the ease of getting help on the application when needed (64%), ease of getting help in general (68%) and ease of deciding the best age to start their pension (64%).
• The respectfulness and helpfulness of Service Canada staff and protection of personal information continued to be rated consistently high across all programs, while ease of follow-up was consistently rated low.

Executive Summary: Service Attribute Performance by Program

• SIN clients continued to provide the highest ratings across all service attributes except the ease of follow-up and respectfulness of Service Canada staff where ratings were consistent with all clients.
  • The vast majority of SIN clients provided high ratings for all service attributes and in particular the ease and effectiveness of the process, and helpfulness of Service Canada in-person and specialized call centre staff.  Ratings were lower for the ease of follow-up.
• A strong majority of EI, CPP and OAS/GIS clients provided high ratings across several service attributes, however ratings were generally lower among EI and OAS/GIS clients.
  • EI clients were less likely to feel it was easy to find and understand information about the program, to figure out eligibility, to put together the information they needed to apply or to find it easy to get help when needed.  They were also less likely to provide high ratings on nearly all aspects of effectiveness, to feel it was clear what would happen next and when, that they needed to explain their situation only once, for the helpfulness of in-person reps and confidence any issues or problems would have been easily resolved.  EI clients provided higher ratings for being able to complete steps online made the process easier.
  • OAS/GIS clients were less likely to understand information about the program, to feel it was easy to find out what information they need to apply, to gather the information required, complete the application form and to get help when needed.  They were also less likely to provide high ratings on nearly all aspects of ease, to feel they were provided service in a way that protected them during the pandemic, were able to move smoothly through all steps, that it was easy to get help when needed, that in-person reps were helpful, to have confidence any issues or problems would have been easily resolved, were provided service in their choice of English or French and to have confidence their personal information was protected
  • CPP clients were less likely feel it was easy to get help on their application when needed, that being able to complete steps online made the process easier, to feel they were provided service in a way that protected them during the pandemic, were provided service in their choice of English or French and to have confidence their personal information was protected. CPP clients were more likely to feel the timeliness was service was reasonable and that it was easy to follow-up.
• As observed since the baseline wave, CPP-D clients experienced the most difficulty during the service experience. 
  • CPP-D clients continued to provide much lower ratings across nearly all service attributes.  The lowest rated service attributes included being able to complete steps online made the process easier, ease of figuring out eligibility, ease of understanding information about the program, timeliness of service and ease of follow-up.
  • The CPP-D service experience was rated highest for the helpfulness of Service Canada in-person, 1 800 O-Canada and specialized call centre staff and for confidence in protection of personal information.
• Among OAS/GIS clients, satisfaction was statistically consistent among Auto-Enroll and Non Auto-Enroll clients but directionally higher among Auto-Enroll. Non Auto-Enroll clients were less satisfied year over year contributing to the overall decline observed for the program.
  • Overall satisfaction was consistent among Auto-Enroll and Non Auto-Enroll clients compared to all clients.  Compared to 2020-21, satisfaction has decreased among Non Auto-Enroll clients continuing the downward trend first observed in the CX4 Survey.
  • Non Auto-Enroll clients provided lower ratings for online and eServiceCanada and higher ratings for 1 800 O-Canada, as compared to all clients. Compared to 2020-21, Non Auto-Enroll clients provided lower ratings for the service provided online.
  • Consistent with overall program results, ratings were lower across a number of service attributes for both Auto-Enroll and Non Auto-Enroll clients compared to all clients.  There were also some areas where ratings were higher or lower compared to all clients for one group but not the other. Non-Auto Enroll clients also provided lower ratings compared to all clients for needing to explain their situation only once, receiving consistent information and access to service in a language they would understand well.  Auto-Enroll clients provided higher ratings compared to all clients for clarity of process and the ease of follow-up and lower ratings for the provision of service in their choice of official language and the helpfulness of in-person staff.
  • Compared to 2020-21, both Auto-Enroll and Non-Auto Enroll clients provided lower ratings for clarity of and confidence in the issue resolution process, clarity of process overall, ease of getting help when needed, confidence their personal information was protected, receiving consistent information and timeliness of service.  Auto-Enroll clients also provided lower ratings for needing to explain their situation only once, while Non-Auto Enroll clients also provided lower ratings for access to service in a language they would understand well and ease of follow-up. Non Auto-Enroll clients provided higher ratings for the helpful of in person reps and provision of service in their choice of official language
• SIN and eSIN clients were equally as satisfied with their experience and, consistent with overall results for the program, SIN and eSIN clients were more satisfied compared to all clients. 
  • Overall satisfaction was consistent between SIN and eSIN clients and higher compared to all clients.
  • Both SIN and eSIN clients provided higher ratings for the quality of service provided online and through specialized call centres. SIN clients also provided higher ratings for in-person service and eServiceCanada.
  • Consistent with overall results for the program, SIN and eSIN clients provided higher ratings across several service attributes compared to all clients. SIN clients provided notably higher ratings across most service attributes and also provided higher ratings for the ease of follow-up, timeliness of service and clarity of the issue resolution process. The largest gaps among eSIN clients were for ease of follow-up, ease of getting help when needed and on their application and confidence in issue resolution. The largest gaps among eSIN clients were for the ease of understanding information about the program, being able to find the information they needed when learning about the program in a reasonable amount of time and being able to move smoothly through all steps.

Executive Summary: Change in Service Experience by Program

• EI clients were less satisfied with a number of aspects of ease and effectiveness year over year.
  • Compared to 2020-21, EI clients were less likely to express trust (75% vs. 82%) and to provide high ratings for the ease of understanding information about the program (69% vs. 75%), ease of gathering the information required (77% vs. 81%), it was clear what would happen next and when (67% vs. 77%), overall it was easy to apply (83% vs. 87%), being able to move smoothly through all steps (73% vs. 78%), receiving consistent information (76% vs. 82%), timeliness of service  (69% vs. 80%) and confidence in issue resolution (69% vs. 73%).
• OAS/GIS clients were less satisfied with several aspects of service year over year including most measures related to the ease and effectiveness of the process.
  • Compared to 2020-21, OAS/GIS clients were less likely to express trust (70% vs. 82%) and to provide high ratings for the ease of understanding information about the program (67% vs. 84%), ease of understanding the requirements of the application (79% vs. 85%), getting help on their application when needed (54% vs. 61%), overall ease of applying (80% vs. 88%), it was clear what would happen next and when (77% vs. 83%), needing to explain their situation only once (69% vs. 78%), able to move smoothly through all steps (78% vs. 87%), received consistent information (76% vs. 87%), timeliness of service (77% vs. 85%), it was clear what to do if you had a problem or question (74% vs. 84%), ease of getting help in general (57% vs. 71%), confidence in issue resolution (68% vs. 82%), confidence their personal information was protected (78% vs. 85%) and ease of follow-up (59% vs. 70%).
• CPP clients expressed lower trust in Service Canada than last year but provided generally consistent ratings across most aspects of service except for a few select measures of ease.
  • Compared to 2020-21, CPP clients were less likely to express trust (74% vs. 81%) and to provide high ratings for being able to find the information they needed when learning about the program in a reasonable amount of time ( 72% vs. 79%), the ease of understanding the requirements of the application (81% vs. 85%), and that it was clear what would happen next and when (75% vs. 80%).
• CPP-D clients were less satisfied year over year with the timeliness of service and for the ease of finding and understanding information about the program on the Government of Canada website. 
  • Compared to 2020-21, CPP-D clients were less likely to express trust (61% vs. 67%) and to provide high ratings for the ease of understanding information about the program (48% vs. 60%), finding information about the program (55% vs. 63%), finding out what information they need to apply (54% vs. 62%), and timeliness of service (48% vs. 57%).
  • CPP-D clients provided higher ratings for the ease of accessing service in a language they could speak and understand well (92% vs. 85%), being provided service in a way that protected them during the pandemic (81% vs. 75%) and the helpfulness of 1 800 O-Canada reps (81% vs. 67%).
• SIN clients were less satisfied with certain aspects of service such as completing the application, clarity of process, helpfulness of Service Canada staff and reasonableness of the distance travelled to access service.
  • Compared to 2020-21, SIN clients provided lower ratings for being able to complete the application in a reasonable amount of time (84% vs. 88%), it was clear what would happen next and when (84% vs. 88%), it was easy to access service in a language they could speak and understand well (93% vs. 96%), the helpfulness of in-person (92% vs. 95%) and eServiceCanada reps (78% vs. 89%) and for travelling a reasonable distance to access service (73% vs. 83%).
  • SIN clients provided higher ratings for being provided service in their choice of English or French (96% vs. 98%). 

Executive Summary: Overall Drivers of Satisfaction

• Key drivers of satisfaction represent the aspects of service which have the greatest impact on the clients’ overall impressions of their experience. The most important driver of satisfaction was the amount of time it took from start and to finish was reasonable. Prominent secondary drivers included the helpfulness of Service Canada specialized call centre reps, followed by the helpfulness of in-person reps, the ease of follow-up and whether the application was approved or denied.
• Performance on all top drivers has declined since last year, while the proportion of EI and CPP-D clients who had their application approved was also lower than previous year.
  • To improve the service experience for Service Canada clientele as a whole focus should be placed primarily on improving the timeliness of service. Areas of secondary importance for improvement included the ease of follow-up and to a lesser extent confidence in the issue resolution process.
  • Three-quarters (75%) of clients found the timeliness of service reasonable, lower than in 2020-21 (81%) and consistent with levels observed in 2019-20 and earlier. Most clients (65%) reported that their client journey took 4 weeks or less- of which three in ten (29%) said it took between one day to 2 weeks, one quarter (24%) between 2 to 4 weeks and one in ten (12%) who took one day. Roughly one in ten reported their client journey took between 8 weeks to 6 months (11%), between 4 to 6 weeks (10%) or between 6 to 8 weeks (6%).
  • The timeliness of service took on increased importance this year and became the clear top driver of satisfaction. The helpfulness of in-person representatives, whether the application was approved or denied and confidence in the issue resolution process also took on increased importance in driving satisfaction. The helpfulness of call centre representatives remained among the most prominent drivers but was less impactful than last year.

Executive Summary: Drivers of Satisfaction by Program

• Drivers of satisfaction continue to differ significantly by program. The most common and consistent top driver was timeliness of service for all programs except CPP.  The helpfulness of call centre representatives was also among the most prominent drivers for CPP and CPP-D clients and the helpfulness of in-person representatives for SIN and EI clients. 
  • Current areas that were performing strongly and were correlated to satisfaction include the helpfulness of Service Canada call centre phone representatives for CPP and OAS/GIS clients and the helpfulness of in-person representative for SIN and EI clients.  Performance in these areas should be maintained in order to maintain/ build satisfaction given the stronger impact they have on impressions of the overall client experience. 
  • The greatest opportunities to improve service across programs which represent areas strongly correlated to satisfaction where performance was lower to other areas differ significantly by program. 
    • For all programs except SIN, it will be important to improve the ease of follow-up.
    • For EI and OAS&GIS clients, it will also be important to improve the timeliness of service.
    • For EI clients, it will also be important to improve the ease of registering for MSCA and the ease of getting help on the application.
    • For OAS & GIS, clients it will also be important to improve the ease of figuring out eligibility and the ease of finding out the steps to apply. 
    • For CPP clients, it will also be important to improve the ease of registering for MSCA, clarity of the issue resolution process and for clients to have to explain their situation to SC staff only once.
    • For CPP-D clients, it will also be important to improve the helpfulness of call centre representatives.  
    • For SIN clients, it will be important to reduce the distance clients must travel to access service and improve the ease of getting help on their application.

Executive Summary: Change in Channel Use

• The CX5 Survey is the second iteration of the annual CX Survey to be conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, channel use among clients was generally consistent with 2020-21 levels, also within the pandemic period. Clients were more likely to utilize in-person service or assisted self-service during the entire client journey, while fewer used self-service only. Use of in-person service remained considerably lower than in 2019-20 or earlier but was utilized slightly more than self-service only this year. 
  • The largest proportion of clients used in-person service (33%) at some point, followed closely by those who used self-service online only (31%), while around one in ten used assisted self-service (15%). Fewer used touchless person-to-person (6%), were auto-enrolled and did not contact Service Canada (5%) or accessed service by mail only (1%). 
  • Clients were more likely to have used in-person service at the apply and follow-up stages than in 2020-21. Compared to the previous wave, clients were more likely to have used assisted self-service at the apply stage and less likely to have used self-service only. Fewer clients used touchless person-to-person service at the follow-up stage.
    • EI clients were more likely to have used assisted self-service at the apply stage and less likely to have used self-service only.  EI clients were also more likely to have used in-person service at the follow-up stage and less likely to have used touchless person-to-person service.
    • CPP clients were more likely to have used in-person service at all stages of the client journey and were also more likely to have used mail only at the aware stage.
    • CPP-D clients were more likely to have used mail only at the aware stage and less likely to have used self-service only or touchless person-to-person. Service levels at the apply and follow-up stages remained consistent with 2020-21.
    • OAS/GIS clients were more likely to be auto-enrolled this year which meant more OAS/GIS clients overall did not engage in the aware or apply stages. OAS/GIS clients were also more likely to have used assisted self-service at the apply stage and less likely to have used mail only or touchless person-to-person, while use of in-person and self-service only increased at the follow-up stage.
    • SIN clients were more likely to have utilized in-person at the apply stage.

Executive Summary: Channel Use by Stage

• Channel use remained very consistent across all stages of the client journey. Online continued to be the most commonly used channel at the aware and apply stages and telephone at the follow-up stage.  Use of the in-person channel increased at the apply and follow-up stages but stayed generally in line with the lower usage observed last year compared to 2019-20 or earlier.
  • During the aware stage, clients continued to be most likely to use online government sources (76%) followed by in-person service (26%). Fewer than two in ten clients used mail (16%), telephone (15%) or eServiceCanada (7%). Use of all channels remained consistent with last year.
  • During the apply stage, clients were most likely to use the online channel (72%), followed by in-person service (27%), telephone (14%), mail (12%) and eServiceCanada (5%). Use of in-person service increased compared to last year, while use of all other channels remained consistent.
  • Among clients who followed-up, telephone (73%) continued to be the most common channel, followed by online (56%). Two in ten (21%) used eServiceCanada or in-person (19%), while one in ten followed-up by mail (11%). Use of in-person service increased compared to last year, while use of all other channels remained consistent.
• The vast majority of clients continued to feel that being able to complete steps online made the process easier, however CPP-D, CPP and OAS/GIS clients experienced more difficulty than clients in other programs.
  • Just under eight in ten (78%) clients agreed that being able to complete steps online made the process easier, consistent with last year.
  • EI clients were more likely to agree than all clients, while CPP, OAS/GIS and CPP-D clients were less likely. 
  • Results were consistent with 2020-21.

Executive Summary: Number of Channels and Multi-Channel Use

• Consistent with previous years, satisfaction with the service experience declines with the number of channels clients contacted during the service experience and was notably higher among those who used one channel and lower among those who used two or more.
  • Overall, more than four in ten clients used one channel during their client journey, followed by three in ten who used two, just over one in ten who used three and less than one in ten who used four or more.
  • SIN clients were more likely to have used only one channel, OAS/GIS clients no channels while CPP-D were more likely to have three or more channels.
  • Compared to 2020-21, EI clients were less likely to have used one channel, while CPP-D clients were more likely to have used three channels and OAS/GIS clients no channels.
  • Clients who utilized two or more channels had lower overall satisfaction with their service experience compared to all clients, while those who used one channel had higher satisfaction.
• Most clients continued to use only one channel during the aware and apply stages of the client journey, while use of more than one channel is more common among those who followed-up before receiving a decision. Online remained the first point of contact for the majority of clients at the aware and apply phases while the telephone is slightly more used for following up than online. Use of in-person has increased as the first point of contact for all stages but remained lower than historic levels.
  • Clients who used online or in-person first at the aware and apply stages were less likely to use a second channel than those who used the telephone first. Clients were more likely to go online after beginning on the phone at all stages and more likely to go online after beginning in-person at the aware and apply stages but no more likely at the follow up stage.
  • Compared to 2020-21, use of in-person as the first point of contact increased across all stages, while use of online and telephone remained consistent. Among those who used telephone first at the aware and follow-up stages, clients were less likely to use online as a second channel and more likely at the follow-up stage while use of in-person increased as a second or third channel at the aware and follow-up stages.
• The portion of those who followed up before receiving a decision increased compared to last year. Among those who did, the primary reason was to check on the status of their application/payment, followed by to provide additional information.
  • EI and CPP-D clients were more likely to have followed-up compared to all clients, while CPP, OAS/GIS and SIN clients were less likely.
  • Compared to last wave, EI and CPP-D clients were more likely to have followed-up, while SIN clients were less likely.

Executive Summary: Service Channel Assessment

• Satisfaction with the quality of service remained highest for the in-person experience and lowest for both telephone channels. Ratings have declined across all service channels, and since tracking began, are at the lowest levels observed for in-person, MSCA and 1 800 O-Canada.
  • Satisfaction with in-person service remained the highest (81%), followed by eServiceCanada (76%), online (74%), MSCA (70%), specialized call centres (64%) and 1 800 O-Canada (59%). Compared to 2020-21, satisfaction declined across all service channels and stands at historic lows for in-person, MSCA and 1 800 O-Canada.  Satisfaction with online and specialized call centres returned to levels observed in 2019-20.
• CPP-D clients rated their satisfaction with in-person service, specialized call centres, online, and eServiceCanada lower compared to all clients, while SIN clients provided higher ratings for in-person, online and MSCA. OAS/GIS and CPP clients rated their satisfaction with online service lower, while CPP clients rated their satisfaction with 1 800 O-Canada higher.
  • Compared to 2020-21, EI clients provided lower ratings for their satisfaction with online, specialized call centres and 1 800 O-Canada, CPP and OAS/GIS clients provided lower ratings for online and SIN clients for in-person and 1 800 O-Canada.  CPP-D clients provided lower ratings for eServiceCanada and higher ratings for MSCA.
• Virtually all clients agreed they were provided service in their choice of English or French (97%), while 93% felt it was easy to access service in a language they could speak and understand well.
  • Compared to 2020-21, more people agreed that they were provided service in their choice of English or French overall and among SIN clients in particular. Agreement has decreased for it being easy to access service in a language the client could speak and understand well overall and specifically among SIN clients, while CPP-D clients were more likely to agree.
• Self-service clients continued to provide high ratings for the ease of the online application process however getting assistance when they needed it continued to be an area where they experienced more difficulty.
  • At more than eight in ten, the vast majority of self-serve clients found it easy to understand the requirements of the application, put together the information needed, and to complete the application in a reasonable amount of time. However, only 56% of self-serve clients found it easy to get help on their applications  when they needed it.
  • Compared to 2020-21, CPP-Retirement (CPP-RTR) clients who used self-service were more likely to feel they were able to complete the application in a reasonable amount of time (87% vs. 77%).
• MSCA continued to be used by the vast majority of EI and CPP clients and four in ten CPP-D or OAS/GIS clients. CPP and CPP-D clients were less likely to have used MSCA than in previous years and notably, ease of registering has declined among EI clients. CPP-D clients found it more difficult to register and sign-in compared to all clients, while CPP clients found it more difficult to sign-in.
  • Seventy-four percent of EI clients, 71% of CPP clients,  and around four in ten CPP-D and OAS/GIS clients used MSCA during their experience. Compared to 2020-21, fewer CPP (71% vs. 77%) and CPP-D clients (41% vs. 48%) used MSCA.  EI clients were more likely to have used their MSCA which they had registered for in the past (50% vs. 40%), while a greater proportion of EI (6% vs. 4%) and CPP-D clients (9% vs. 4%) tried unsuccessfully to register.
  • Seventy percent of clients who used MSCA said they were satisfied with the overall quality of service they received. Satisfaction was notably lower among clients who have restrictions (62%), those who are e-vulnerable (58%), OLMC (49%), those with a language barrier (49%), non-English or French speakers (47%), and those with no devices (41%).
  • Half of clients (51%) who registered for their MSCA for the first time found it easy to do so, lower than in 2020-21 (63%) due to fewer EI clients who expressed ease with the process. Sixty percent agreed that the registration process took a reasonable amount of time, with CPP-D clients (37%) less likely to feel so compared to all clients.
    • Among those who had difficulty registering, the most common reasons were because they experienced problems with their personal access code (22%), problems verifying their identity using their online banking information (19%) or problems creating their profile (17%).
  • Three-quarters of those with an existing MSCA found it easy to sign into their account. CPP (68%) and CPP-D clients (67%) felt it was more difficult to sign in compared to all clients.
    • Among those who had difficulty, the most common reasons were because they forgot their username or password (19%), followed by MSCA was unavailable (16%), they forgot the answers to their security questions (14%) or that their account was locked (13%).
• A very limited proportion of clients used 1 800 O-Canada to learn about the program for which they were applying.  Usage was generally consistent across most at-risk client groups; however certain at-risk clients did rely slightly more on the service compared to all clients.
  • Few clients (5%) used 1 800 O-Canada at the aware stage to learn about the program they applied for, consistent with last year. Usage was higher among those with high school education or less, those with disabilities, e-vulnerable clients, those with only a mobile device and clients with restrictions. Six in ten (59%) were satisfied with the quality of service provided through 1 800 O-Canada, lower than last year (72%). Satisfaction was higher among clients living in remote areas and lower among clients with restrictions

Executive Summary: Barriers to Accessing Service

• Clients with restrictions that make it more difficult to access service have lower satisfaction than other clients. The most prominent challenges faced by this client group include the ease of understanding information about the program, being able to find the information needed when learning about the program within a reasonable amount of time and the ease of completing steps online.
  • Clients who experienced a restriction to accessing service (45% of the client population) had lower satisfaction with the service provided in-person, online, through MSCA, specialized call centres and 1 800 O-Canada. There were also many significant gaps on service attributes between clients with restrictions and clients overall. The largest gaps were for the ease of understanding information about the program, being able to find the information needed (during the aware stage) within a reasonable amount of time and that being able to complete steps online made the process easier.
  • Restrictions to accessing service were more prevalent among several at-risk client groups, in particular those with a language barrier, clients with no devices and clients with disabilities. Incidence of restrictions were also higher among e-vulnerable clients, mobile-only clients, clients who live in remote areas, Indigenous clients, non-English for French speaking clients and those with a high school education or less.
  • Compared to 2020-21, ratings have declined across most measures.  The largest declines were observed for the helpfulness of 1 800 O-Canada reps, ease of follow-up, ease of understanding information about the program, being able to find the information needed within a reasonable amount of time and overall timeliness of service.
  • Clients who self-identify as having a disability (8% of the sample population) provided lower ratings for the level of service provided in-person, online and through specialized call centres. There were also many significant gaps on service attributes between clients with disabilities and clients overall. The largest gaps were for the ease of finding information on the program including figuring out eligibility, the steps to apply, what information they needed to provide when applying and information on the program as well as the ease of putting together the information needed to apply.
  • Compared to 2021-22, ratings have declined across several measures.  The largest declines were observed for ease of finding out the steps to apply, the timeliness of service, the ease of figuring out eligibility and the ease of finding out what information they needed to provide when applying.

Executive Summary: At-Risk Groups

• Most at-risk client groups continued to provide high ratings of the service experience however overall satisfaction has declined among most year over year.
  • The vast majority of clients in nearly all at-risk groups continued to be highly satisfied with the service experience and notably satisfaction among seniors, newcomers, and racialized clients was higher than compared to all clients. Satisfaction was lower compared to all clients among those with a language barrier, clients with disabilities, clients with restrictions to accessing service and clients with no devices. 
  • Clients with a language barrier continued to experience the most difficulty among all at-risk groups and provided considerably lower ratings across all aspects of their experience.  The largest gaps on service attributes compared to all clients were for the helpfulness of 1 800 O-Canada phone representatives, being able to complete steps online made the process easier, clarity of the issue resolution process, receiving consistent information and that it was clear what would happen next and when
  • Compared to 2020-21, overall satisfaction with the service experience declined among most at-risk groups including:
    • Clients who experienced restrictions accessing our services (72% vs. 80% in 2020-21)
    • Clients with no devices (71% vs 80%)
    • Clients with disabilities (69% vs. 76%)
    • Remote clients (81% vs. 88%)
    • Rural clients (80% vs. 85%)
    • Youth (79% vs 85%)
    • Racialized Canadians (84% vs 89%)
    • Seniors (84% vs 87%)
    • Official Language Minority Communities (81% vs. 90%)
  • All other at-risk groups saw non-statistically significant declines in overall satisfaction.