Reid's Golden Gate Funeral Home

The Claybrooks family chose a GA package, which is also known as General Assistance. This is a package that Milwaukee County has regulated and assist with paying a portion. When planning a funeral there are two sets of charges, the crematory/cemetery and the funeral home. Below is a breakdown of the...

Milwaukee County package breakdown.
 
Funeral Home                                      ...⇄ Crematory
Professional Service $1695                                     �...⇄ Retort Fee $300
Administrative Fee $250
Other Prep. of Remains $230
Cremation Tray $325
 
Totaling $2500-(MC)$500=$2000 (Family portion)
 
**MC=Milwaukee County
(Attached is a copy of the funeral bill signed by Ms. [redacted]. Please let me know if you'd like a copy of the crematory bill.)
 
What you see listed is the exact breakdown itemized on the state of goods and services and explained in the arrangement conference. Urns are not paid for by the funeral home or county. IF the deceased received state assistance, which is a completely different program that she was ineligible for urns would have been furnished. The difference between the two programs was explained multiple times, to multiple family members, in great detail. Although, it is NOT apart of the package we at [redacted]'s New Golden Gate Funeral Home, still provide every family that choses a direct cremation with a newspaper notice, a register book for guest to sign in, which we DID for this family as well. We also attend the memorial services, bringing a mock urn with us for presentation only. The urn we bring is NOT one the family keeps. It is more decorative and presentable than the temporary container the crematory delivers the cremains in, which is a sealed plastic container labeled with the decease's name.
 
All week the memorial service was displayed for Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 2PM, in which family scheduled and our staff was prepared for. On the morning of the memorial service around 9:30AM the grandchild, later identified as [redacted], asked if the cremains could be at the church at 10:30AM but not explaining to the answering staff that her service time had changed, so she was informed her that he would contact the staff. Upon contacting the staff at about 10:05AM, attempted to call Ms. [redacted], the NEXT-OF-KIN, to confirm due to company policy with any changes as previously explained to family. Since the scheduled staff was unsuccessful in reaching Ms. [redacted] to confirm the time of 2PM remained. At around 10:20AM Ms. [redacted] called the funeral home in search of staff for their service. I then asked to speak with Ms. [redacted] and was told she's unavailable. I explained to Ms. [redacted], who was belligerent, of the procedures of our firm and the short time restraints we were given to adjust. She then became so belligerent that she began to use profane language, demanding an urn that was NOT paid for. I then sat quietly on the phone, repeating "hello" in an attempt to discourage her disruptive behavior to explain the urn was just a loaner while we attended their memorial service and due to the nature of her threats, we would not attend the memorial and could not leave the urn. While speaking with Ms. Claybrooks staff was called by another funeral home representative to proceed to the church to deliver the cremains, which was done. The representative delivered the cremains to Ms. [redacted] along with the register book, at which time Ms. [redacted] threatened our representative. It is ALWAYS the stand of [redacted]'s New Golden Gate Funeral Home to please every family we have the privilege of serving; however, in this case the changes desired was requested with to little time to implement them considering the NEXT-OF-KIN was unavailable to confirm the changes. We deeply apologize for the miscommunication in this matter; however, the items paid for were rendered to this family along with items that were gifted. Although, it is our desire to serve and please every family it's not always possible. This matter has caused us to put new policies in place that does not allow any changes the day of the service. All changes desired must be discussed and confirmed at least 24 hours prior to the services by the legal NEXT-OF-KIN. It has always been our policy to confirm with the next of kin, but we have allowed day of changes, but no more. We certainly regret the way this happened and we pray for God's speed in their grief.
 
Please contact me with any additional comments, questions and or concerns.
 
[redacted]

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Unfortunately, we have reached a standstill on this matter with this particular family member. [redacted]'s New Golden Gate Funeral Home has rendered the exact services paid for and more. We served this family in the exact manner and love explained in the initial arrangement conference. Although, it is unfortunate when there is anyone dissatisfied with our service, we understand it does happen. [redacted]'s New Golden Gate Funeral Home wishes this family God's speed. Mr. [redacted], president of [redacted]'s New Golden Gate Funeral Home, welcome Ms. [redacted], only, to contact our office directly in the event she wants to further discuss this matter, as she is our appointed Next-of-kin.
 
Please contact our office at [redacted] with any comments, questions and/or concerns.
 
Respectfully,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
As I stated before, my family was extremely disrespected and disregarded during this time. My mother just had my grandmother's remains put in the urn that a family member purchased which would shave been done before had we not been informed otherwise. This company has a reputation in the community of being unprofessional and unreliable. We would like to have the Revdex.com resolve this because the company is still not taking responsibility for what they did. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: We paid 2,500 dollars to [redacted]'s Golden Gate Funeral Home to cremate my grandmother. They informed us that this cost would cover the cremation in addition to three urns for the ashes. They were never received. They sent my grandmothers remains in a black box with no lining. They were supposed to call the Thursday prior to the memorial service but they did not. We called and asked if the urn and book be delivered by 10:30, we were told no problem. This call was made the day of the morial.at 10:30 I called to check because the remains were not there, I was told that it was to short notice. I told them that we had already been told it was OK and explained we needed them. The worker proceeded to talk over me and then stated that because of my disrespect that I would not receive my urn but the remains in a plastic box. This was very rude and traumatizing for my family. I am fuming and would really like to see some action taken against these unspeakable acts.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund, a formal apology to my family, and investigation into the practices of this company and their mistreatment of clientele who do not have life insurance.

Business

Response:

The Claybrooks family chose a GA package, which is also known as General Assistance. This is a package that Milwaukee County has regulated and assist with paying a portion. When planning a funeral there are two sets of charges, the crematory/cemetery and the funeral home. Below is a breakdown of the Milwaukee County package breakdown.

I would never recommend Reid's New Golden Gate Funeral Home to anyone who cared about their loved one or cares about professionalism and compassion. My family was with my father for hours after he passed away then purchases a new suit for his burial. When we arrived at the funeral home we were shocked and appalled by how he looked. His skin color and shape of his face were completely different. They put fillers in his mouth in place of his dentures when changed his mouth shape and altered his entire appearance. They never called to inquire about his dentures or to notify us when they were going to embalm him so that we know when to bring them. They also polished his fingernails; what 80 year old man do you know that wears nail polish.
The new suit was stained while in their care. When we pointed this out we were told that it would be corrected. On the day of the funeral, the stain actually looked worse. When I showed this to owner [redacted] he very rudely told that "well things happen". I then told him to just get away from me. His response was not to apologize for his poor workmanship but to tell me that he "didn't have to go anywhere". When I told him that I was going to tell everyone in person and on line about his unprofessionalism, only then did he try to apologize.
The staff at Reid's New Golden Gate are business people and death is their business. They don't seem to understand that the death of a loved one is not an everyday occurrence for regular people. There was no warmth, compassion or professionalism felt during the entire process especially by owner [redacted] Please entrust your loved one to someone else.