AODA

A.O.D.A

(Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)

 

SCOPE

Vehicle Products and Services refers to, includes, but is not restricted to, vehicles, parts, accessories, repair and service, including related services such as appointment coordination, sales and service follow-up, contracts, billing, service reminders, courtesy shuttle, showroom, customer lounge, and cafeteria. 

OUR MISSION

The mission of The Addison Group is to provide a customer experience that responds to the unique needs and the diversity of our customers.

Customer service policies, practices, and procedures are developed, implemented, and integrated with other business strategies and initiatives to create an inclusive customer-centric culture.

In fulfilling our mission, we (the senior executive team, managers, and employees/staff) are committed to providing vehicle products and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.  We are committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our products and services and allow them to benefit from the same services in the same place and in a similar way as other customers.  We are committed to creating an environment in which people with disabilities are comfortable in expressing their disability and requesting accommodation for their disability.

 

PROVIDING VEHICLE PRODUCTS & SERVICES TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The Addison Group is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities as we carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:

  • Communication
    1. We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
    2. We will train staff who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities – visible and non-visible.
  • Telephone services
    1. We are committed to providing fully accessible telephone service to our customers. We will train staff to communicate with customers over the telephone in plain language and to speak clearly and slowly.
    2. We will offer to communicate with customers by their preferred means of communication if telephone communications are not suitable or not available.
  • Assistive devices
    1. We are committed to serving people with disabilities who use assistive devices to obtain, use or benefit from our products and services. We will ensure that employees/staff are trained and familiar with assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our products and services.
    2. We will also ensure that employees/staff receive training on how to use any assistive devices that we make available on our premises for customers with disabilities.
  • Sales contracts, invoices, and repair work orders
    1. We are committed to providing accessible sales contracts, invoices, and repair work orders to all our customers. For this reason, sales contracts, invoices, and repair work orders will be provided in the following formats upon request:   hard copy, large print, email.
    2. We will answer any questions customers may have about the content of the sales contracts, invoices, and repair work orders in person, by telephone, via email, or other means to assist the customer in understanding the content. This includes explanation of fine-print terms and conditions when required and/or requested.
  • Marketing, Advertising, and Promotions
    1. We are committed to providing accessible marketing, advertising, and promotional information to all our customers. For this reason, marketing, advertising, and promotional information will be provided in the following formats:  hard copy, large print, direct mail and email, audio, telephone, website.

USE OF SERVICE ANIMALS AND SUPPORT PERSONS

 Service Animals:

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal in areas of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties. We will ensure that all employees/staff, volunteers, and others dealing with the public are properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.

At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal be prevented from having access to his/her service animal while on the premises, the lots, or in company-owned vehicles (includes: shuttle and demo vehicle).  The service animal will be accommodated in order to be comfortable and to best serve the person with a disability.

While visiting the leasing company/dealerships, the person with the service animal will be responsible for control of the service animal at all times.

In the event that an employee, customer, or other visitor is allergic to animals, alternative arrangements will be presented to best serve all parties.

Support Persons:

We are committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person.  Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to enter the leasing company/dealerships’ premises, lots, and company-owned vehicles (includes: shuttle and demo vehicle) with his or her support person.  At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his/her support person. The support person will be accommodated in order to be comfortable and to best serve the person with a disability.

To comply with the Privacy Act, expressed consent from the person with a disability is required when communicating private issues related to the person with a disability in the presence of a support person.

Notice of Temporary Disruption:

The leasing company/dealerships will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services used by people with disabilities.  This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, the anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.

The notice will be placed at all public entrances and service counters in the leasing company/dealerships. Planned long-term disruptions will be communicated to customers on the website and advertising media as appropriate.

When a customer with a disability has a scheduled appointment, he/she will be notified of disruptions by telephone or by the customer’s preferred method of contact.

Training for Management, Employees/Staff, and Contractors:

The leasing company/dealerships will provide training to all employees, volunteers, and others who deal with the public, plus all those involved in the development and approval of customer service and hiring and recruiting policies, practices, and procedures.

Employee/staff training will be completed within one month after the employee’s hire date.

Contractors and third-party providers working on and off the premises providing products and services to customers on behalf of the leasing company/dealerships are required to show proof of compliance with the Act (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 – AODA) specific to training prior to access to the premises or providing the product or service to customers.

Training will/must include the following:

  1. The purposes of the Act and the requirements of the customer service standard
  2. What ‘Disability’ means and the ability to identify disabilities
  3. How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities - visible and non-visible
  4. How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person
  5. How to use applicable assistive devices and equipment
  6. What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing the leasing company/dealerships’ products and services
  7. The leasing company/dealerships’ policies, practices, and procedures relating to the customer service standard including how to respond to and report customer feedback.

Managers and applicable employees/staff, volunteers, and others identified as being responsible for providing products and services on behalf of the leasing company/dealerships will be trained on policies, practices, and procedures that affect the way products and services are provided to people with disabilities.  Ongoing training will be provided as necessary to demonstrate training effectiveness and when changes are made to these policies, practices, and procedures.

The Addison Group will keep a record of training that includes the dates training was provided and the number of employees who attended the training.

Recruitment, Assessment and Selection

The Addison Group will notify employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for job applicants who have disabilities. Applicants will be informed that these accommodations are available, upon request, for the interview process and for other candidate selection methods. Where an accommodation is requested, the company will consult with the applicant and provide or arrange for suitable accommodations in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.

Successful applicants will be made aware of the company’s policies and supports for accommodating people with disabilities.

Performance Management and Career Development and Advancement

The Addison Group will consider the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities when implementing performance management processes, or when offering career development or advancement opportunities.

Individual accommodation plans will be consulted as required.

Return to Work

The Addison Group will develop and implement return-to-work processes for employees who are absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.

The return-to-work process outlines the steps The Addison Group will take to facilitate the employee’s return to work and will use documented individual accommodation plans as outlined by the regulation.

Redeployment

The accessibility needs of employees with disabilities will be considered in the event of redeployment.

Individual accommodation plans will be consulted as required.

Feedback Process:

The ultimate goal of The Addison Group is to meet and surpass customer expectations while serving customers with disabilities.  Comments on our services regarding how well those expectations are being met are welcome and appreciated.

Feedback regarding the way the leasing company/dealerships provide products and services to people with disabilities can be made in person, by telephone, email, text, letter, via internal follow-up calls, external customer follow-up calls, surveys (CSI reports), or other methods preferred by the person with disabilities.

All employees are responsible for accepting feedback and forwarding it directly to their immediate manager within a reasonable time to effectively address the feedback and to minimize the consequences for the person with disabilities.   All employees are empowered to take immediate action to minimize the consequences for all parties.

Feedback is documented and acknowledged with the customer within 24 hours of receipt and with an explanation of the next steps.

CSI survey feedback will be monitored to identify specific feedback related to persons with disabilities.

Feedback and resolutions are reviewed during regularly scheduled department and management meetings.

Feedback from our customers is a gift!  Feedback is an effective way we can find out how well we are doing and where we have opportunities to improve and provide a positive experience.

Feedback can be received through a variety of formats such as, but not limited to the following:

  • Face-to-face interaction
  • E-mail and text message
  • Letters
  • Phone calls
  • CSI surveys

When interacting with or serving a person who provides feedback, consider the following and act appropriately to provide a positive customer experience:

  • Listen to the feedback without judgment or being defensive.  Listening to another person is the greatest gift you can give.
  • Record the feedback. You can use a notepad or the customer feedback form.
  • Inform the customer that the leasing company/dealerships have an effective customer feedback procedure and that he/she will be contacted and notified of proposed actions.
  • Forward the written feedback to your department manager with a copy to Human Resources. You may email your notes or forward the customer feedback form.
  • Customer feedback is reviewed at the next department/management meeting to assess the cause, determine appropriate action, respond to the customer‘s feedback, prevent recurrence of issues affecting customer service, and/or to implement improvements.

 

Modification to this and Other Policies, Practices, and Procedures:

We are committed to developing customer service policies that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.  Therefore, no changes will be made to this policy before considering the impact on people with disabilities.

Any other leasing company/dealership policy, practice, or procedure that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be revised or removed.

New business strategies and initiatives, policies, practices, and procedures will be reviewed before approval and implementation to ensure that dignity and independence of people with disabilities is respected and promoted.

Questions about this Policy:

This policy exists to achieve service excellence with customers with disabilities.  If anyone has a question about this policy or if the purpose of any part of this policy is not understood, please contact our HR Manager at 905-238-2886

Upon request, this policy is accessible in print or other format within a reasonable amount of time.

PROCEDURES

A full version of the procedures pertaining to the A.O.D.A. policy are available from the Human Resources/Payroll Department upon request.

 

You can learn more about the Addison Group's commitment to accessibility and our accessibility plan below

Addison on Erin MillsAODA