Rude awakening

A man complained to his municipality after a member of council called him names in an email. He was not satisfied when the mayor offered to bring him and the councillor together for a private meeting. Ombudsman staff suggested he raise his concerns with the municipal clerk, but this prompted another disparaging email from the councillor. Our Office suggested that the municipality seek the assistance of its newly appointed integrity commissioner for training on dealing with difficult complainants. We also recommended that the municipality develop an internal code of conduct for dealing with public complaints, to include fair treatment and good customer service. The municipality accepted this feedback.