Complaint Examination Policy

COMPLAINT HANDLING PROCEDURE

This policy is subject to the provisions of the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and services.

At Geska Assurances et Conseils, customer satisfaction is our top priority, and has been since the very beginning. We strive to provide quality service to all our customers. Therefore, if you are not entirely satisfied with the quality of the products and/or services you have received, we encourage you to let us know. Rest assured that we will follow up every comment and take into account all your suggestions. This information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

We have put in place a complaint handling procedure to ensure that customer dissatisfaction is dealt with appropriately and to meet legal requirements. We would like to assure you that upon receipt of a complaint, we will send you an acknowledgement of receipt. Thereafter, we will keep you informed of developments while building a file and working to resolve the situation. If required, the complaint file will be forwarded to the Financial Market Authority (AMF).

WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?

For a situation to lead to a complaint, one of the following elements must be considered : a reproach against the firm, one of its brokers, or one of its employees ; the identification of a potential or actual prejudice suffered or that could be suffered by a customer ; the expectation of corrective action.

THE DIFFERENT STEPS LEADING UP TO A COMPLAINT

To begin with, before contacting the person responsible for handling complaints, we invite you to first contact the insurance broker who manages your file to discuss your concerns. Being familiar with your personal situation, they may be able to help you find a solution. Otherwise, they will be able to direct you to the most appropriate resource.

If the broker handling your file has not been able to satisfy you fully, we invite you to ask to speak directly to their supervisor. Some more complex situations may require the intervention of someone with more experience and authority. The receptionist would also be able to direct you to the right supervisor, if necessary.

If discussions with the broker handling your file and their supervisor have not resolved the situation, we invite you to contact the person responsible for handling complaints, who will be able to open a file with you, keep you informed of developments and, if necessary, notify the Financial Market Authority.

FILING AND RECEIVING COMPLAINTS

To initiate a discussion about the complaint process, you may contact the Complaints Officer in writing, by e-mail or by telephone. Any employee receiving a complaint must forward it to the person responsible for handling complaints as soon as it is received.

Complainants who are not satisfied with the answers or informations received and wishes to lodge a formal complaint must do so in writing to the following address : 5025 boulevard Lapinière, Suite 5080, Brossard, QC, J4Z 0N5, with the subject line : "Complaint - to be submitted to the complaints officer".

Mr. Gérald Charest is the person responsible for the application of this policy, and ensures that complaints received by Geska Assurances et Conseils are handled in accordance with this policy.

How to reach him :

Mr Gérald Charest, Président

By telephone: 514-373-8141 ext. 222

By e-mail: gcharest@geska.ca

By mail : Attention Gérald Charest, 5025 boulevard Lapinière, Suite 5080, Brossard, QC, J4Z 0N5

Mr. Gérald Charest acts as a guarantor for the AMF and ensures the training of our staff. He is responsible for passing on to our staff all the information they need to comply with this policy.

The person in charge is also responsible for :

• sending an acknowledgement of receipt and a notice to the complainant ;
• forwarding the file to the AMF, at the complainant's request ;
• send a report twice a year to the AMF, via the Complaint Reporting System.

The Complaints Officer will issue a notice acknowledging receipt of the complaint, which must contain the following information within 10 working days :

• A description of the complaint received, specifying the harm suffered or potential harm, the reproach or the corrective action requested. 
• The name and contact details of the person responsible for handling complaints. 
• The complaint handling policy. 
• A notice informing the complainant of his or her right to request, if dissatisfied with the final position or handling of the complaint, that the file be transferred to the AMF. This notice must also mention that the AMF may offer dispute resolution services, if deemed appropriate. 
• A statement informing the complainant that filing a complaint with the AMF does not interrupt the statute of limitations on his or her recourse before the civil courts. 
• In the case of an incomplete complaint, a notice containing a request for further information, to which the complainant must reply within a specified time, failing which the complaint will be deemed to have been abandoned.

COMPLAINTS REGISTER

Our firm maintains a complaints register in order to apply this policy and to meet the requirements of the Financial Market Authority. The person responsible for handling complaints must forward the register of complaints received to the AMF twice a year.