Customer Service Policy for Serving Persons with Disabilities

Our Commitment

We are committed to providing our goods and services in a way that respects the dignity, independence, integration, and equality of opportunity for persons with disabilities. We are also committed to providing opportunities to persons with disabilities to access our goods and services and to benefit from our same goods and services, in the same place and in a similar manner as other customers.

Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities

We are committed to providing outstanding customer service. This extends to the following areas:

Communication

We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.

We will train staff who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.

Telephone Services

We will train staff to communicate with customers over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly.

We will communicate with customers by e-mail if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or it is not available.

Assistive devices

We will ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services.

Use of Service Animals and Support Persons

We welcome people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on the parts of our premises that are open to the public and other third parties. We will also ensure that staff, volunteers and others dealing with the public are trained in how to interact with people with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal.

We welcome people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person.  Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person may enter Pet Valu’s premises 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 or her support person while on our premises.

Notice of Temporary Disruption

We will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services that are often used by people with disabilities. The notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed at the front entrance of the affected building(s) or store(s).

Training

We will provide training to all employees and others who deal with the public or other third parties on our behalf, and all those who are involved in the development and approval of customer service policies, practices and procedures. Training will include the following:

1. The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard;

2. How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;

3. How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person;

4. How to use the assistive devices available at our premises that may help with the provision of goods or services to people with disabilities;

5. What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing our goods or services; and our policies, practices and procedures relating to the Customer Service Standard.

Applicable staff will be trained on policies, practices and procedures that affect the way goods and services are provided to people with disabilities. Staff will also be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to these policies, practices and procedures.

Feedback Process

We strive to meet customer expectations while serving customers with disabilities.  Feedback about our customer service is welcome.

Feedback will be received by any of our staff.  It will also be received at our corporate offices located in Markham, Ontario, by phoning 1-800 738-8258 or by visiting our website:  www.petvalu.com/who-we-are/contact-us.

We will respond to issues raised in the feedback in a timely fashion.