Let me start by saying that we've used Friends Forever Pet Crematory before, and despite our grief, our past experiences were positive. Andrea's compassion truly resonated with us as pet owners.
Unfortunately, this Sunday was a completely different experience. I called early in the morning, and while Andrea responded promptly, she never mentioned the $150 after-hours drop-off charge over the phone. I understand there might be a fee for after-hours service, but $150 is excessive, and not disclosing it until we arrived felt unfair. While it's listed on the website, it should have been communicated directly during our call. We arrived at 6:30 PM, slightly delayed due to an accident on I-195, but the attitude we received was unnecessary. Andrea rushed us out because another client was expected at 7:00. For a $150 charge, we expected more than just 20 minutes of her time. She seemed more focused on getting us out quickly than listening to our requests, especially regarding the name plate and the type of urn we wanted for our pet's ashes. It became clear that the person we encountered this time was not the same caring individual we had met before.
When we returned on Tuesday for the cremation, we made sure to arrive early, mindful of the $50 late fee. However, when we entered 10 minutes ahead of schedule, Andrea greeted us with a curt, "You're 10 minutes early, do you want to start now or wait?" In the past, we were allowed to say goodbye to our pet inside the garage, but this time, we had to stand outside in the heat with no privacy for our final moments. For another $150 fee, just to see our pet be placed in the cremation incinerator, we expected more than just a few rushed minutes.
By Friday, when Andrea called to say everything was ready for pickup, I drove an hour to the crematory, only to find that the name plates were incorrect, despite telling me everything was ready. She also blamed the error on someone else. I asked if she would fix it and mail it to me, but she said that would require an additional fee, or I could drive back and pick it up in 45 days. It's baffling how something that originally took 5 days now required 45 days. When I expressed how unfair this seemed, she replied, "Well, it's not my fault either." When I asked whose fault it was, she sarcastically said, "It's China's fault," and walked away. I was disappointed she didn't offer to correct the mistake and mail the plates at no extra cost, especially after we paid $25 each for them. Additionally, the urn provided was not what we had requested, likely because she didn't listen to us during our earlier visit. We had specifically asked for a smooth wood urn not the one with the wood carvings.
I even tried to address the situation calmly, asking why this experience had been so different from our past visits, but she was dismissive and shifted the blame onto me. There was no apology, no acknowledgment of the mistakes made or accountability taken, and certainly none of the kindness and respect we had previously experienced.
What was once an exceptional and compassionate service has now become disappointing and impersonal. The costs have increased by $400, yet the quality of service has drastically declined. While I hope this was just a bad week for Andrea, I can no longer recommend Friends Forever Pet Crematory. The warmth and compassion that once defined this place seem to be gone. read more
