Blew a gasket today!

Hank70SS · #1 12-04-2013, 04:24 PM

Not the car, me. My mother passed away 4/5/13 in FL. After returning home I went to the cemetery and made arrangements to have mom's ashes/urn placed in the grave with my father. Ordered and paid for her marker along with a granite slap to have both markers mounted on. As of the beginning of October still no marker. Numerous phone calls, some ranting and raving and they finally called and said the marker was installed a few weeks ago.

Cemetery is over an hour from here and today was the first chance we had to go check it out. My sisters being an ass and hasn't talked to me in months but I thought I would be nice anyway and take a picture and send it to her. So I can see from over 20' away that the granite slap is all tilted. I'm looking through the camera as we walk up, adjusting the focus and distance when Lynda says the name is spelled wrong. The camera focuses and I say yes, and there's no date of death.

They have all the paperwork we signed with the layout, spelling, dates, etc. but nobody checked it. The workers placed both markers on the granite and no one questioned the difference in spelling of the last name, they added a W on my mom's marker. Now I am furious, over 6 months and they can't get it right! I had to stop and have a cigarette before driving up to the office. I knew if I didn't calm down some I might get arrested.

When we get in the office I ask to see the manager in charge. The lady asks how she can help me. I told her unless you're in charge here you can get the manager, that's how you can help me. Well I laid into the manager for about 45 minutes about our dealings with them. I won't go into all the other crap but this was definitely the icing on the cake.

If there's a business that needs to pay attention to details and respect their customers it's the funeral/cemetery business and these people fumbled the ball about a half dozen times.

Rant over.

flash · #2 12-04-2013, 05:32 PM

Hank ,I hope they make it right for you ,I guess they need to hire Proof Readers . You would think they could get something as simple as that right .

Hank70SS · #3 12-04-2013, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flash

Hank ,I hope they make it right for you ,I guess they need to hire Proof Readers . You would think they could get something as simple as that right .

You would think so John. They had a hand drawing of the layout with the name and dates and the marker style. That's what I signed off on. The manufacturer of marker sent them a letter or fax questioning the spelling, found this out a few weeks ago, and nobody responded. I assume that was a big part of the hold up. I assume after all the phone calls and bitching they told the manufacturer to rush the order but still never confirmed the order. Then when they got the marker nobody bothered to see if it was correct. As I said this was just one of the many f ups they made.

The manager guaranteed it would be rushed and delivered within 3 weeks. So if they can turn one around in 3 weeks why it did it take 6 months for the first one? Oh, and I was told it was a holdup at the manufacturer and it was out of their hands. Excuse me, I ordered this from you, I paid you, don't tell me it's out of your hands.

Rant over, again.

RBeckman · #4 12-04-2013, 07:36 PM

That just shows that nothing is sacred. Sorry for all that you still have to go through for something that should have been a smooth transaction.

shadowgray396 · #5 12-04-2013, 08:50 PM

If it's not there when they say it will be this time then I would make a complaint to the Better Business Bureau or who every in in charge over the funeral directors in your area. Sorry to hear about all the hassel you have been having. Hard enough to lose a love one then have to deal with all the after problems. The funeral directors job is to make your life easier for the families after losing a loved one.

FlintTony · #6 12-05-2013, 05:18 AM

Dang Hank, some days you just want to strangle the idiots. I hope they get it worked out in a decent amount of time.

mestorod70 · #7 12-05-2013, 09:36 AM

Im very sorry for your loss hank.
Hopefully the problems will be rectified quickly.
I would be mad too...and would ask for some compensation
In the form of flowers on special days.

Ms Grumpy · #8 12-05-2013, 11:23 PM

Hank I am so sorry you have to go through this aggravation. You had enough to deal with, with the death of your mom, to have to drag this on so long, my heart goes out to you. I hope they correct this soon, so you can pay your respect to your parents at their gravesite.

Durand · #9 12-18-2013, 10:37 AM

Hank:

Just saw this today. Hope everything is being straightened out. I can't believe everyone droped the ball n something this sensitive! BTW, most states have a funeral directors association and you might want to contact them just to send them a complaint, assuming the party responsible for the marker is also the funeral home agency. The BBB is also a good outlet so they can at least be apprised of what happened. Prayers wtih you all for the holidays!

Durand

Hank70SS · #10 12-18-2013, 03:15 PM

Thanks all. The marker was ordered through the cemetery, not a funeral home. They placed a rush order with the manufacturer so it should be here in another week or 2. They're supposed to email me a picture once it's installed. That's a good idea because they do not want me driving over 50 miles and finding another problem.