In a scathing report made public on Tuesday, the auditor general revealed that Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) contact centres are consistently falling short in answering calls promptly and providing accurate information when they do connect with customers. Despite the CRA’s pledge to answer 65 percent of calls within 15 minutes, only 18 percent were addressed within this timeframe in 2024-25, dropping even further to less than five percent in June.
During a period from February to May this year, the AG’s office conducted 167 test calls to the CRA to evaluate the agency’s response time commitments. The average wait time to reach an agent was nearly 33 minutes, resulting in analysts spending approximately 50 minutes on average between hold time and agent interaction to obtain answers.
The report highlighted a concerning trend in the CRA’s call response efficiency, with data showing it took an average of 31 minutes to reach an agent for the millions of callers annually, double the previous year’s duration, indicating declining standards and deteriorating service quality. Moreover, the CRA redirected around 8.6 million calls last year, a significant increase from the 1.4 million calls redirected the previous year, depriving numerous customers of the chance to speak with an agent.
Customer grievances concerning the CRA have surged, with the auditor general noting a 145 percent rise between 2021-22 and 2024-25, despite the agency reporting a 77 percent satisfaction rate among survey respondents. The AG recommended that the CRA devise a more effective call triage system for issues related to the agency’s online platform, MyAccount, as numerous calls were linked to users being locked out of the digital system, consuming agent resources unnecessarily.
The auditor general’s most alarming discovery was the prevalence of inaccurate information provided by CRA agents to tax-filers. Assessing the quality of test calls, the AG found that only 17 percent of responses to general tax inquiries were accurate, with similar accuracy rates for benefit and business tax queries. Additionally, the CRA’s chatbot, Charlie, was reported to offer accurate responses only 33 percent of the time.
Regarding training and feedback for agents, the report revealed a minimal investment in improving accuracy, with just 2,200 hours allocated for coaching, feedback, or training in 2024-25, translating to less than 30 minutes per agent annually.
The AG also highlighted issues with the CRA’s contract with IBM, which manages telephony services. When AG analysts tested the system, real-time updates on queue positions were absent, leaving callers unaware of their wait times.
Liberal MP Wayne Long, the CRA’s secretary of state, acknowledged the agency’s shortcomings and implemented a 100-day service enhancement plan in September to address call response rates. While progress has been made, the focus remains on answering calls rather than meeting specific timeframes.
Long emphasized the government’s commitment to improving service quality and accountability, urging CRA Commissioner Bob Hamilton to implement solutions to enhance customer experience. Despite the challenges, Long affirmed the government’s dedication to rectifying the situation and striving for better outcomes.
In addition to the CRA’s inefficiencies, the auditor general’s performance audits covered various sectors, including military recruitment, early learning systems, cyber security, and Indigenous programs. The report shed light on the challenges faced by the Canadian Armed Forces in converting applicants to recruits, the inadequate military housing conditions, and the government’s efforts to address long-standing issues in Indigenous communities and child care programs.