Customer Service

Due to my popular blog, I often receive emails from people wanting advice on how to deal with their Trustee. More often than not, the complaints are about the lack of customer service. They feel their Trustee is not taking the time to help them and won’t respond to phone calls or emails.

Obviously, I wonder why they didn’t come to see me in the first place, but that is another issue. Unfortunately, I can’t help with any questions about a file with another trustee, once you pick a trustee; you have to deal with them. If you have a complaint, you can always call the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy.

However, I can give you some advice about choosing a trustee.

When you placed the initial call, did a live person answer the phone who could at least take some general information? Or, did you get an answering service or voicemail. Was your phone call returned in a timely fashion? If you sent an email, how long did it take to get a response? When you booked the initial meeting, how long did it take to get an appointment? Can they see you tomorrow or the day after, or is the meeting 2 weeks from Tuesday. If you weren’t happy with the answers to these first questions I have asked, you may want to think about calling another Trustee.

When choosing a Trustee, find out how often they are in office. If you are dealing with a Trustee in a satellite office, do you really want to deal with someone who is only there one day, every other week?

The next step is the initial meeting. At this meeting the Trustee is required to explain all of your options. Too often I hear that the Trustee only discussed bankruptcy, when in fact the client wants to file a consumer proposal. If the Trustee doesn’t take the time to explain all of your options, and listen to your concerns, find another trustee. Will the trustee help you with the paperwork you need to complete, or will they only meet with you after you have completed everything. If the Trustee isn’t going to help you, then you have to wonder what kind of service they will give you after you file.

Now let me tell you what happens when you contact our office. When you call during business hours, you will reach a real person who will ask for basic information such as your name and phone number. He or she will then transfer you to a Trustee or client service representative who will then speak with you in detail. If no one is available, we will call you back, usually within an hour unless you request a call back at a specific time. Meetings can be booked quickly; usually we can see you within a day or 2. At the meeting we review all of your options and detail the pros of cons of each the options to your unique situation. If you need help with the paperwork, we can help with that. We understand how overwhelming it can be. Right from the initial phone call there is a team of people to help you and that continues right through your entire file. Yes, you can always call or email me, but most of the time the person who answers your phone call can help you right away.

If this sounds like the time of firm you want to use, call us at 310-PLAN or email me.