Service Promise & Standards

The City of Toronto aims to deliver exceptional, equitable and accessible service for everyone. Below are the City’s Service Promise & Standards. These describe how you can expect to be treated when you interact with City of Toronto staff.

If there are exemptions to the standards listed below, these are noted on individual Division webpages, along with other important service-specific information.

A Service Promise guides how City of Toronto staff interact with each other, Members of Council, residents, businesses, visitors and partners. This Service Promise is also upheld by the values and commitments within the Toronto Public Service By-Law.

We promise to:

  • Treat you fairly, with dignity and respect
  • Make your experience as simple and convenient as possible
  • Provide choice, accessibility, and flexibility, where possible, in accessing our services
  • Be knowledgeable, professional and help you find the information you need
  • Offer responsive and reliable services, following the City-wide Service Standards
  • Protect your privacy and personal information

City-wide Service Standards provide guidelines for how all City of Toronto staff will act when providing service.

The following standards detail what residents, businesses, visitors and partners can expect from us:

  • Inquiries and requests, including those received by phone and email, should be acknowledged within two business days, or 48 hours where services operate on a 24-hour daily cycle – unless business needs vary
  • If a staff member is away, an out-of-office voicemail greeting and an automated email response message should be activated, providing the name and contact information for a co-worker or an alternative contact
  • Email signatures will be used by staff in all communications, following the City’s email signature guidelines
  • Participation in meetings should align with the Hybrid Work Program, including requirements to attend in-person or on-camera, where specified

The City of Toronto is committed to serving the public and ensuring that everyone has the right to be heard, understood and respected.

The Service User Code of Conduct outlines unacceptable customer behaviour and actions that may be taken by the City to uphold the right of staff to work in a safe environment, free from harassment and discrimination, based on the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Policy (HRAP).

The City of Toronto aims to deliver exceptional, equitable, and accessible customer service and programs. If you are satisfied or dissatisfied with a City service or program, we want to make it easy for you to make a complaint or provide a comment or compliment.

Complaint handling guidelines outline how City staff will manage your feedback efficiently, fairly, effectively, and uniformly. These guidelines recognize the variety of services and programs that the City provides every day.

Each Division has their own complaint handling protocol. To submit a complaint, comment or compliment, please search for the appropriate division.