NEGLIGENCE & PATHETIC SERVICE AT OLD MUTUAL LIFE PEIR 14 PORT ELIZABETH

My mom lost her husband on the 12 July and processes her funeral cover claim on the 15th July and was told that she was going to get the money for the claim after 48 hours. Three days passed and she had to go to Old Mutual branch at Pier 14 to follow up on the progress she was told to re-submit the necessary documents that she submitted for her claim prior and was told to wait another 48 hours, and she did. However the funds were still not deposited.

Today (22 July) myself and her went to Old Mutual life at Pier 14, Port Elizabeth. When we got to the branch the stuff was very unprofessional and were having casual conversation while assisting us. My mother was required to get 1 month bank statement as her money was transferred and she did. The consultant that was helping my mom her name is Zintle Maxhawula, was very rude, inconsiderate, unprofessional and displayed no empathy towards my mother's frustrations about the claim not yet being paid out. my mom expressed that the funeral is in two days and still no funds have been received and she's been coming there and making follow ups however nothing had come out of it.

I therefore insisted on speaking to a manager by the name of Esmerelda Majola, who was just as unprofessional, as she said we must wait for 2 hours while she contacts claims. She wasn't keen on even assisting us as she didn't even bother to tell us the next step after that.

when I told her I work in the same industry and why is it that my mom was being inconvenienced by something that was not even her fault and no one is giving her a definite answer as to why her funds are still not received, she told us that the money was deposited to an account which is *** which is not even my mother's bank account. And I asked her what is the point of doing bank verification and requesting clients to provide proof of banking details when the company is not going to make sure that funds are transferred to the correct client.

if it wasn't for my mother coming there and making follow ups this wouldn't have been picked up. For Old Mutual Life stuff at Pier 14 to not show any empathy and understanding towards my mother's loss and delays caused by them that prevents my family to bury my father with respect and dignity and ensure that all the necessary funeral expenses are paid on time. Instead they were irritable, lacked urgency and displayed no emotions and support for a client that lost a husband instead they were annoyed at how well I knew the process and the manager even asked me why am I the one talking and i had to explain to them I know exactly how that process works as I work in the same industry and that I'm helping and assisting my distraught mother as she's old and doesn't understand these things and that emotionally she's not fit to be chasing what is rightfully hers, as she's constantly paying the policy, therefore I have all the right to help and guide her.

Old Mutual Life has no interest in helping the elderly. I feel elderly customers like my mother are taken advantage of because they're not fully informed about these policies and are not as educated and therefore they won't ask too many questions where their policies are concerned. This I find concerning and *********, how does Old Mutual Life make business convenient for the elderly that don't have the luxury to visit their branch, and follow up on their queries? why are these citizens or clients taken advantage of however the same clients are committed payers of their policies?

Old Mutual Pier 14 Branch has no customer service, the work ethic displayed there is pathetic and concerning. How does a big company like Old Mutual Life pay a lumpsum of money to a non active account and no one picks it up? how many other clients have lost hope of their claims being paid because of such negligence?