Hong Kong’s equality watchdog must tackle declining customer satisfaction, says Audit Commission
- Equal Opportunities Commission urged to improve customer satisfaction by ‘enhancing the quality of communication’ and ‘empathetic skills’ of staff
- Between 2018 and 2022, the body concluded 4,642 complaint cases, of which 79 per cent did not end with an investigation
In a report released on Wednesday, the Audit Commission highlighted how overall satisfaction with services provided by the city’s equality body had declined from 69 per cent in 2017 to 62 per cent in 2021, with satisfaction levels among complainants the lowest at just 51 per cent.
The audit also questioned why the satisfaction level of those making inquiries, which had dropped from 68 per cent to 63 per cent over the same period, was not included in any EOC publications.
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While the report noted how the 2021 findings could have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and political divisions stemming from the 2019 social unrest, the Audit Commission nonetheless urged the EOC to improve customer satisfaction by “enhancing the quality of communication” and “empathetic skills” of the watchdog’s officers.
Residents can file complaints with the body if they feel they have suffered from discrimination, which the commission can then investigate for unlawful conduct or facilitate reconciliation.
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Between 2018 and 2022, the body concluded 4,642 complaint cases, of which 79 per cent did not end with an investigation because either one was not carried out or was discontinued.
“[The] EOC is mindful of the need to take care of the service users’ sentiments and concerns in the complaint handling process,” the equality watchdog said in its response to the audit, “and had therefore been taking active and continuous measures, such as organising workshops and training, to further enhance the communication and empathetic skills of its officers.”
In a written response, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, whose bureau oversees the EOC, said it would include the body’s satisfaction survey results in future reports to “enhance transparency”.
The commission’s report questioned why investigation plans had not been prepared in cases that had taken longer than a year to resolve.
While the EOC concluded 86 per cent of complaint cases within six months in 2022 – well ahead of its 75 per cent target – the audit noted that more than 100 between 2020 and 2022 had taken over a year to resolve, with the longest lasting 1,064 days.
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The audit found that of the cases it analysed, only 16 per cent had included an investigation plan.
According to the EOC Internal Operating Procedures Manual, a plan should be prepared whenever the body investigates a complaint.
The audit also recommended the EOC continue to work with the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau to propose updates to the anti-discrimination ordinance to include mainland Chinese and enhance public awareness of the equality watchdog’s activities.
