EQUIFLASH [EQUITY SERVICE STANDARDS ANNOUNCED]

[CAEA e-drive]

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EQUITY SERVICE STANDARDS ANNOUNCED
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Earlier this year the national Council of Canadian Actors' Equity Association adopted policy requiring Equity to create published service standards ensuring delivery of a high level of customer service to members and others who have interaction with Equity.

The policy is now available and published on the Association's website EQUITYONLINE at http://www.caea.com. Hard copies are available by contacting Equity's National Office at 1-800-387-1856 (416-867-9165 in Toronto).

Executive Director Arden R. Ryshpan states "We are very pleased to announce this new set of service standards which establish specific priorities so that members and engagers can understand how quickly they may expect an answer from the staff. Service standards are an important way for the Association to ensure that it is delivering the proper level of service while at the same time providing realistic expectations."

She continues, "With the advent of email, people now expect a response almost instantaneously. But Equity is a complex organization which manages a significant amount of information - somewhere between 13,000 and 14,000 contracts a year covering between 2,000 and 2,100 separate productions. This Service Standards policy is a way to clearly identify what winds up at the top of the Association's "to do" list and what must necessarily wait until later to be dealt with."

The Service Standards policy articulates the following objectives: 
1.  All persons dealing with Equity may expect to be treated in a courteous manner. 
2.  All persons dealing with Equity may expect a knowledgeable response to their inquiry. 
3.  All persons dealing with Equity should expect to receive a timely response to their request for services or in response to their communication.

The Service Standards policy also provides insight into Equity's specific "triage" process applied to all incoming requests or enquiries. Correspondence is sorted into one of four categories: urgent or emergency; important; at the first available opportunity; and outside the range of service, each with a unique response time expectation.

Although the staff of Equity always strive to do their best, the Service Standard policy includes a complaints resolution process as well. This process is a relatively simple way for members and others to express concerns if they feel the Service Standards have not been met.

Questions regarding the Service Standard policy creation and implementation may be directed to Executive Director Arden R. Ryshpan at execdir at caea.com or by phone to 1-800-387-1856 (416-867-9165 in Toronto).
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