Impartiality key to ombuds’ success

Re Banks shouldn’t pick the referee, Dec. 30 The Star Editorial Board missed an opportunity to raise some important questions in its editorial entitled “No one, especially banks, should get to pick their own referee,” considering the federal government recently announced that the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada will be reviewing banks’ complaints handling processes and the effectiveness of Canada’s external complaints bodies. An ombudsman, like the ADR Chambers Banking Ombuds Office (ADRBO), is an independent, impartial body that investigates complaints against an organization. We thoroughly review the facts of the complaint, how the organization has handled it, and make recommendations on how the issue should be best resolved in the interest of fairness for all parties. We are trusted to provide ombudsman services for the citizens of a dozen municipalities throughout Ontario.

Like the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) organization, our independence is clearly set out in legislation and our strong track record of impartiality is a big reason for our success. OBSI member banks pay for their ombuds services, and there is no indication these services are measurably more impartial, or result in different outcomes than those of ADRBO. To suggest otherwise is a red herring argument and fails to ask meaningful questions all ombudsmen should be asking, like “How can customers of Canadian banks be better served, protected, and feel like their interests are held on a level equal to that of the banks?” When consumers are better protected and their confidence in their banks increased, Canada’s banking system will only benefit. Britt S. Parsons, ombudsman, ADR Chambers Banking Ombuds Office, Toronto