Great question.
Yes, our call centres have come under a lot of pressure in recent years. Over the past few years, the number of programs and tax credits the agency administers has been growing, especially during COVID‑19. All this has led to higher call volumes for the agency. Furthermore, since we're administering more programs, the nature of the calls has become more complex. As I said in my opening remarks, it takes more time to answer questions from first-time filers. Plus, there's the new reality surrounding cybersecurity. The amount of time it takes for an agent to confirm a person's identity over the phone increases the length of the call. All of these factors have increased the pressure on the agency over the past few years.
We have implemented a call optimization program. Now, when wait times reach 30 minutes, a system gives the people waiting in line the option to be called back the same day. New callers will be redirected to the self-service options or asked to call back when the lines are less busy.
The agency has also extended its service hours. We're now open from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., even on Saturdays. We needed to extend our service hours because of Canada's different time zones.
We've noticed that caller satisfaction levels are way up. The problem wasn't the service they were getting; it was reaching an agent.
Those are the agency's preliminary efforts. We're in the process of developing more programs involving new technologies and artificial intelligence.