Delete if need be but I need to vent.
I work for a funeral home and when I started I worked for a family owned small mortuary where the owner worked with families, gave discounts, payment plans, etc… After he retired I am having a hard time adjusting to the big corporation that bought him out.
In particular, I am helping a man who’s brother died on thanksgiving and want to bury this Thursday.
The brother already had his own property purchased at a cemetery and told everyone he had two life insurance policies. We are able to make a claim on this policies through a funding company that pays us upfront for a small fee so we can proceed with services and then they get reimbursed when the insurance check comes through.
The first life insurance policy was a bust because it was taken out this year. The second one was under his employer. He was on disability but they said he was able to keep all his benefits. But after continuous digging, getting the run around, not getting any information…. they finally told me that the only benefits they kept for him was medical coverage.
The brother now has to raise $7k by tomorrow morning to still be able to do the services. He is heartbroken. He said if he would have known he would take out loans, fundraise, ask for donations, take out credit cards, anything to keep this date. They have the church, the flowers, the pastor, family from out of state, and the cemetery. (Also the cemetery charges if the services are canceled 48 hours before due to the opening and closing of the grave.)
I asked my manager if there was ANYTHING we could do. Payment plan… do the church and not the cemetery. To me, every problem has a solution. But he gave me a hard no.
I’m going to see if I can help the family financially and hopefully my minuscule contribution will be enough to keep the services on track.
In all my years doing this, I have never been with a company so unwilling to help. I also don’t have other outstanding family balances so it’s not like I am not collecting what they are asking me to ….