Ontario's ombudsman is confirming that his office has received more than 1,000 complaints about the Ontario Cannabis Store since it opened October 17.
Paul Dubé said most are from customers frustrated with delayed deliveries, billing problems and poor customer service.
"I have informed the OCS that we are seeing a high volume of complaints and we are monitoring their response to these issues," Dubé said. "We have assigned a team of staff to triage complaints and resolve them quickly wherever possible, and we are in regular contact with senior officials of the OCS.”
The most common complaints so far, Dubé added, are about the OCS’s first two weeks of operations involving pot orders that were incorrect, cancelled without notice or could not be cancelled.
"Our office is uniquely positioned to assist organizations with addressing backlogs and implementing effective complaint processes,” the ombudsman added. “We can provide feedback, flag emerging trends in complaints, and propose best practices to improve service to the public.”
Dubé said his discussions with OCS reveal that it is working hard to resolve the issues generating these complaints, and if it can alleviate the issues identified in an effective and timely manner, a formal investigation might not be required.
