I'm leaving this review for the Houston location, fully aware that my father's remains may or may…read morenot be handled with the respect and care they deserve. Though, as of now, I would say that point is moot anyway.
But people should know before entrusting this company that their core beliefs (as I was verbally told by their representative, Sean) is that they are doing families a FAVOR by offering "cheap services and therefore they cannot provide 24/7 updates on the status of a cremation." I guess, to them, giving people updates on the status of pickup and milestones in the process means 24/7.
For context, my dad passed away 2 weeks ago. When I was sold the services, I was told the average time for cremation could be up to 2 weeks given various factors, sometimes less and other more. This checked out with standard cremation info found online. I was also told they would inform me when my dad was picked up, the death certificate was signed/permits sent, and when my dad was in line for cremation. That seemed reasonable to me. I mean, who wants their loved one's remains out there in the world with no info or end in sight?
But I have not been called once. Instead, I've had to call them every few days, which seems to really irritate them to the point I was told today by Sean that he could no longer talk to me. Then he said he was transferring me to Gerald, the owner, so I could leave a message, "though Gerald was only going to tell me the same thing." As of this moment, I've been holding for over 30 minutes while I write this review.
As of August 29th (a week ago today), they have had the permits pulled and my dad has been "in line" at the crematorium, which is listed on their website as "on site," but in reality (according to Sean in a raised voice) that just means the property it sits on is owned by them, and is not physically on, next to, or even adjacent to the funeral home that I've been speaking to. To be clear, in the timeline I was given at the onset, I was told that once my dad was placed in line it typically took 3 days to complete the cremation. But as of now, my dad's remains are somewhere unknown to me sitting in limbo in a line that apparently hasn't moved in a week.
Two days ago, when I called for an update, I was told by Alex that the crematorium was out of service for 2 days and she could not tell me anything more about my dad's projected cremation date. When I asked if this was a breakdown of something or planned maintenance, she said the latter, so I asked was this their only means to cremate people and why wouldn't they give families an update on a delay? Her response was that "it was only 2 days." I then asked for a call back. None came.
Are we within the "average" time of receiving my dad's remains? As of today (2 weeks), yes. But there is no end in sight that they could provide. And at this point, given their demeanor, indifference, and even rude tone, I've lost all hope that I will receive my dad's ashes any time soon. I can only pray that his remains are handled with more dignity than has been shown thus far.
They keep saying they have no way of knowing until the crematorium (place unknown) notifies them it has been done and a ship date back to the funeral home is provided so we can schedule a pickup at that location.
I'm a firm believer that it is not our blunders which define us, but rather how we rise from those blunders. So, here is to hoping someone reaches out with an update and better service.
As of now, my advice is this: If you are considering this place for your loved one, understand that they work in numbers and your person is only just that to them: a number. As Sean noted, they "process over 150 people a month and can't be expected to keep communication with all the families." I wish I was told this from the beginning, before choosing them.
Spend the extra couple hundred, save yourself the heartache and the dishonoring of the person you are leaving in their care.
