Undiginified service rendered by Doves Funerl Service

I am highly disappointed with the unprofessional services rendered by Doves Funeral Services. For a company that promises the public a dignified service it comes as a hard blow when what is promise is not delivered. As a grieving family the last thing you want , need or should be worried about is the service of a loved one. Especially when you enlist a “so called” professional service like Doves.

On the 25th of June 2019, my aunt was sadly taken from us and because my cousin Alvercia only wanted the best for her mother she contacted Dove’s Funeral Service to collect the body at Mercantile Hospital. Sadly this was when her nightmare experience with Doves began. After promising to collect her mother’s body at 9pm that evening they instead rocked up at 10:30pm. Their lack of urgency should have triggered alarm bells right then and there, but Doves HAD a good name so she did not comment on their tardiness.

Two days later (27 June 2019) however she had the misfortune to be introduced to someone called Mischa when she visited Doves offices to make the funeral arrangements for her mother. After speaking to Misha she agreed to take the Ruby entry package which Mischa advised was a fully inclusive package. My cousin then told her that she needed more pamphlets and would require the services of a bus as well as not all the mourners would be coming with their own transport. Once again my cousin asked her for the total package amount and in the presence of her father and brother was advised that it would cost R24, 000.00 However when she went to visit her on Thursday, 4 July 2019 regarding the pamphlets. The total package amount had suddenly increased to R27, 062.85. When she enquired why the amount had suddenly increased from her original quote of R24,000.00 Mischa told her she never gave her anything on paper and she still had to add the additional fees. When my coousin reminded her that she had repeatedly requested a quote she could not answer me. But instead made excuses saying she was waiting for her manager. The quote finally came through on the 5th of July, the day of my aunt's funeral. My cousin then informed her that the body had to be at the church at 9am and that it should be collected again at 11am, when the bus she had arranged through Doves came to take the mourners to the grave site. My cousin made a point of reiterating the time as the church had another funeral starting directly after her mothers.

However Doves have not followed through on one of their promises.

1. The body only arrived at 9:20am leaving little to no time for the family to view the body. 2. The pamphlets were incorrect with numerous grammatic errors, even the date of her passing was incorrect. 3. The bus never showed up although she had paid the extra service fees.

The service rendered by Doves Funeral Services was nothing like the false promises mentioned in their pamphlets. My aunt was a dignified woman and she deserved a dignified funeral. Instead the only memory that keeps turning over and over in my mind is the pain, stress, humiliation and embarrassment caused by Doves Funeral Services. I am utterly disgusted with the service we received. The cherry on top was when my cousin called Mischa to find out why they were so late on the day of the service and she told her that my cousin had said “s**** out 9am”. Which is a blatant LIE!!! Why would anyone want to delay their own mother’s viewing!!!!!! Not to mention that in their haste they dug a double plot that was too shallow for the casket!!!

I feel my cousins pain, the family is still reeling from the loss of a mother. The last thing they need is people treating them in this manner.