PATRICIA HOWARD

I will never recommend or use Doves Funeral homes ever again! The service I received from them, was absolutely disgusting! I have emailed the Executive Director Jodene Smith about how disappointed I was, but I know I probably will never get a response, as they just don't seem to care anymore! But I want everyone to know what I went through & never to use Doves! The letter below is what I sent to Jodene Smith! I am very disappointed in one of your branches in South Africa. I went through the branch on the Bluff & dealt with a lady by the name of Cybill.

My father passed away on the 2nd October just before I arrived from Australia, to be with him. He had always wanted Doves to handle the burial affairs, as we went through Doves in 2012 when my precious Mother passed away.

Unfortunately this time it was an utter disgrace with the service I received! The Lady Cybill, arranged a viewing for me as I was unable to be with my dad when he passed & had not seen him in a long time, so wanted to see him to say my goodbyes, before he was cremated. The viewing was to take place on the Monday at noon in Greyville Durban. I asked her if I needed to pay her or at the Greyville office & I was told I was to pay her, but the invoice was not ready yet, so could pay it when she had done the invoice after the viewing. The amount was for R26 000.00!

On arriving at the Greyville office, I waited a while before being taken to see my Dad! Oh my God, I burst out crying when I saw my precious Dad laying on a iron stretcher, covered in a horrible white sheet, with his head tilted backwards! The room was disgusting, with filthy broken walls & nothing in it, but my precious Dad!! I sobbed to see my dad like that & that image will forever be printed in my memory! How could I be charged R26 000 for my dad to be treated like a pauper?? It was absolutely disgusting! I complained, while sobbing to the staff at Greyville & then I went to Cybill at the Bluff branch & complained to her! She turns around & tells me that he hadn't been placed in his coffin because I had not paid yet & that the staff who placed my Dad in the condemned room would be disciplined, so it didn't happen again!! Well I was so angry because I asked her if I could come & pay her but she told me no because the invoice was not ready! Why did she book me a viewing at that time, if she had still not completed the invoice! Discipling the staff who had done what they did, does not erase the memory I will always have of my dear father!

I will never recommend Doves to anyone again & I am also going to spread it throughout every media channel I can, about what I had to go through! I know you will not respond to my email & probably couldn't care a less, but I just wanted you to know about how disgusting your company is!! Patricia Howard