- Receiving complaints
- Sending acknowledgments of receipt and notices to complainants
- Creating complaint records
- Resolving complaints
For our Quebec clients, this includes sending records to the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) at the request of complainants and submitting complaint reports to the AMF.We want to ensure we work through challenges with our clients should they arise.
Complaints Officer:Pamela Derksen, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer – CanadaThe complaints officer oversees the policyand works with the Rhodes & Williams business teams to ensure complaints are handled fairly and resolved in a timely manner. In Quebec, the complaints officer also acts as the respondent with the AMF and with the complainant. The complaints officer ensures that:
- Clients receive acknowledgement of receipt of their complaint.
- Separate records are maintained for each complaint.
- The complaint examination is completed in a timely manner.
- Appropriate steps are taken.
- Appropriate communication takes place.
And if applicable, the complaints officer will also:
- Deliver a final response with justifying reasons to the complainant.
- Transfer the file to the AMF, at the complainant’s request.
- File the annual complaints report with the AMF.
A complaint is the expression of at least one of the following elements that persists after being considered and examined at the operational level capable of resolving the matter:
- A reproach against an organization.
- The identification of a real or potential harm that a customer has experienced or may experience.
- A request for a remedial action.
Complaints are generally expressed through email, fax or another written form that allows a complaint to be kept on file. Where a customer makes a complaint by phone or in person, the person taking charge of the complaint must document it so that it can be kept on file as a record of the complaint.
The initial expression of dissatisfaction by a customer, whether in writing or otherwise, will not be considered a complaint where the issue is settled in the ordinary course of business. However, where a client remains dissatisfied and the complaints officer takes charge of the dissatisfaction, then it is considered a formal complaint.
Clients who wish to file a complaint must do so in writing to the following address:
Rhodes & Williams Limited
Attention: Complaints Officer
100 King Street West, Suite 5140
Toronto, ON M5X 1E1
Clients can also submit their complaint by email to [email protected] or [email protected].
Our Quebec clients can submit complaints using the AMF Complaint Form
Rhodes & Williams is committed to process every complaint in a fair and impartial manner. Rhodes & Williams will
- Investigate complaints competently, diligently and impartially.
- Obtain additional information as necessary.
- Assess fairly, consistently and promptly the subject matter of the complaint, whether the complaint should be upheld and whether remedial action may be appropriate.
In addition, Rhodes & Williams will ensure that all employees that may receive complaints related to any operations are trained in complaint identification to a level appropriate to their position and role with the organization and are aware of the above procedure.
In some instances, it may be appropriate for a client to escalate a complaint to their insurance company. Please visit your insurance company website for information regarding the respective insurance company complaint process and ombudsperson. The name of your insurance company can be found on your policy documents.If you have a concern specifically about the Rhodes & Williams Client Complaint Policy, you may contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. Please note that the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada does not provide redress or compensation and does not become involved in individual disputes.
You may reach the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada at:
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
6th Floor, Enterprise Building
427 Laurier Ave. West
Ottawa, ON K1R 1B9
English: 1-866-461-3222
French: 1-866-461-2232
Fax: 1-866-814-2224 / 613-941-1436
On receipt of the complaint, the complaints officer must send a letter containing an acknowledgment of receipt and a notice to the complainant within 3 business days.
The acknowledgment of receipt must contain:
- The name of the complaints officer.
- How long the complainant can expect it will take to process the complaint.
- The notice to the complainant.
Notice to the complainant. The purpose of this notice is to inform the complainant of the following:
- If the complainant is not satisfied with the final position obtained or the way the complaint has been handled, the complainant may, at any time, ask you to transfer the complaint record to the AMF.
- Following the transfer, the AMF will examine the record and will, if it deems it appropriate, offer dispute resolution services.
- For the complainant, the transfer of the complaint to the AMF does not interrupt the prescription period for civil remedies.
Rhodes & Williams must create and maintain a separate record for each complaint. A record must be created for each complaint and include all documents relating to the complaint. This record will be the one sent to the AMF, at the complainant’s request.The record must contain:
- The complaint and all documents sent by the complainant.
- Our analysis of the complaint.
- Any information related to the complaint.
- Our written final response with the reasons for that response.
Upon receiving the complaint, we will initiate Rhodes & Williams’ complaint examination process. The complaint will be examined within 10 business days of Rhodes & Williams receiving all the information necessary for the examination.After examining the complaint, the complaints officer must send the complainant a final response with justifying reasons for that response.
A complainant who is not satisfied with the business’s final position or the way the complaint has been handled may request that you transfer the record to the AMF. Rhodes & Williams must agree to any request by a complainant to have the complaint record transferred to the AMF.
- The transferred record must contain all the documents related to the complaint.
- The complainant can make the request using the Form to Request the Transfer of a File to the AMF.
- Rhodes & Williams is responsible for complying with the rules governing the protection of personal information.
- The AMF will examine the record and, if necessary, ask you for more information or documents.
- After examining the record, the AMF will, if it deems it appropriate, offer its dispute resolution services.
The complaints officer must create and maintain a register of all complaints received. This register can facilitate submission of the complaint report to the AMF.
During the annual reporting period (March 1 to May 1), Rhodes & Williams must report all complaints received between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.
In addition to the above, Rhodes & Williams will ensure that all employees that may receive complaints from a Quebec client are trained in complaint identification to a level appropriate to their position and role with the organization and are aware of the above procedure.
For further information, please refer to the following: