Enhancing contact centers: Canada Revenue Agency increases staff to address growing demand
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced a series of measures aimed at improving services and reducing delays, as part of a 100-day action plan. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne unveiled the plan to address the root causes of service issues and accelerate modernization.
In a bid to improve its digital services, the CRA is expanding digital self-service options and increasing the ability to answer more calls. As of Oct. 20, existing CRA account users will have the option to self-service and register again for a new credential if they are locked out of their account or have forgotten their credentials.
The CRA is also extending its online chat hours to improve services for Canadians. As of Sept. 29, the CRA extended the service hours for the CRA online chat to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Agency is also piloting a new call-scheduling system to make it easier to contact CRA staff.
To tackle the issue of long wait times, the CRA has increased the number of service representatives in contact centres as of Sept. 8. The Agency expects to continue augmenting the number of agents in the coming weeks. The percentage of Canadian callers answered increased from 37 per cent in the period of June 23 to July 4 to 57 per cent during the first week of September. The CRA's goal is to reach 70 per cent of calls answered by mid-October.
However, fewer than five per cent of callers are reportedly reaching an agent at the CRA call centre. To address this, the federal government has announced measures to increase staffing in the CRA's contact centres. This includes hiring more employees, offering better training, and improving working conditions to boost the number of active service staff.
The contracts for 850 employees that were set to expire on Sept. 5 have been extended until March 31, 2026. Additionally, over 3,000 jobs have been cut at the CRA since last fall, including a decision not to renew the contracts for 1,300 call centre employees.
The CRA is also leveraging advanced technologies like generative AI and robotic process automation to improve service delivery. The Agency has launched targeted teams to identify and implement key initiatives that improve processing times across programs facing important service delays, such as T1 tax adjustments.
The Union of Taxation Employees has called on the federal government to hire more call centre agents to handle the higher call volumes. The CRA is implementing a plan to reduce the backlog for tax adjustments to help Canadians receive more timely responses.
In conclusion, the CRA is taking significant steps to improve its services and reduce delays. The Agency is expanding digital self-service options, increasing the number of agents, and leveraging advanced technologies to provide a more efficient and responsive service to Canadians.
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