2006 results

In the 2006/07 fiscal year, the FPO received 258 documented customer inquiries from the following referral sources:

The FPO recommended the corporation revise its decision in 24 situations, or about nine per cent of the cases it reviewed. In 91 per cent of the situations that were examined (234 of 258), the FPO’s findings supported the original decision.

The Fair Practices Office (FPO) is a means for customers and other interested parties to bring issues of a systemic nature to the attention of the corporation. The office was created in 1999 to encourage continuous improvement in all aspects of our public auto insurance system, particularly those aimed at ensuring fair and appropriate service to customers.

The FPO generally deals with concerns related to corporate policy, or issues involving complex or unusual situations where the correct interpretation of policy may be unclear. The office may initiate its own investigations or respond to inquiries referred by others. It is free to scrutinize the corporation’s policies and procedures in an objective and constructive manner.

The office reports its observations directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer. It can recommend review of an issue and alerts senior management of any systemic concerns or policies that should be addressed.

Many of these matters are referred to the FPO by the provincial Ombudsman. Inquiries may also be referred by the Customer Relations unit, which deals primarily with individual customers, staff and the office of the minister responsible for Manitoba Public Insurance.

When Customer Relations requests a separate review, the FPO takes a fresh look at the situation to ensure that all information and details have been considered.

The number of inquiries handled by the FPO has declined in recent years – due in part to improved processes for escalating concerns and identifying duplicate inquiries. As a result, more individual customer concerns have been successfully resolved without the involvement of the FPO.