Making better possible: Modernizing our pension services—Kyra’s Story

Video length: 2:30 minutes

(Music plays)

(Kyra Monson, retired RCMP officer)

(Kyra looks out a window, speaking off-camera)

For some people, retirement is an “X” on a calendar. It’s a goal, it’s a date.

(Kyra opens RCMP Certificate of Service.)

(Kyra speaks.)

But, for some people, it’s like life circumstances suddenly are set upon them.

(An image is shown of Kyra in RCMP uniform.)

The reason that I ended up leaving the RCMP was because of my health. I was injured on duty, and I was not well. I was not healthy enough, and I received a medical discharge.

(Chris Fry, pension expert, speaks.)

We have the responsibility here to provide advice and guidance to people who are going through some of the most displacing and challenging times of their life. Whether it be retirement, whether it be the passing of a loved one, we play a really important role at giving people direction that is compassionate, but also clear, well informed.

(Chris types on a laptop.)

(A client service representative speaks to a client over the phone.)

The calls are routed to exactly where they need to be with a person who is equipped with exactly the right knowledge to answer that person’s questions in real time. Our new system is designed to get you at the right place to the right person to answer your questions directly.

(A woman smiles.)

(A man smiles.)

(A woman smiles.)

(Kyra Monson speaks)

The transition is not easy, and especially when you’re involved in a medical disability, and you’re dealing with an extra set of forms.

So I was at a point where I was at wit’s end, and my husband said, “Look, just phone the 1-800 number and just talk to somebody.” I had a gentleman on the phone who understood exactly the scenario that I was explaining to him. He understood exactly the forms I was referring to. And what amazed me the most was that I could have a conversation with him.

(A web page with contact information for the Pension Centre is shown.)

(Chris speaks to a client over the phone.)

(Pension Centre workplace is shown.)

(Chris speaks.)

One of the biggest advantages, if not the biggest advantage, to our new service model?

(A client service representative speaks to a client over the phone.)

It’s all here, and it’s right at our fingertips. And it’s only to the advantage of our members that we have that information and that we’re all now working together towards that one goal we have, which is to provide exceptional client service.

(Two women look over a Pension Centre form.)

(Kyra Monson speaks.)

That person was able to maintain the conversation with me throughout, was the best thing that could’ve happened to me that day.

(Kyra leans over a fence to look at goats.)

It just, the sense of relief to have just that one little instance to relieve some of that little anxiety was just fantastic.

(Music plays.)  

(Text on screen: Public Service: 1-800-561-7930, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): 1-855-502-7090, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF): 1-800-267-0325, canada.ca/pension-benefits.)

(On a black screen, the Canada wordmark appears.)