An Open Letter

Dear Mr. Carmack:

When my sister phoned to inform me of our mother’s passing, already knowing the answer I asked which mortician we were calling. She had spoken to Vincent (McDonald) even before the paramedics finally ceased efforts at resuscitation. I recalled having done the same when our grandfather passed. In moments of blinding sorrow, it was the one action performed with absolutely no thought, serving as a great source of comfort. Regrettably, that is no longer the case.

Over forty years my immediate and extended family never hesitated to call upon and refer the services of Jackson Funeral Home. In 1972, my late grandfather forged a partnership with the late Edward Jackson, offering his services at our funeral home in Long Branch for nearly two decades. Without exception, we were always impressed with the great care, detail and emphasis applied to preparation and immense pride garnered by his and the work of those he trained. Though he’s been gone 15 years, the standard Mr. Jackson set for cosmetology has not suffered. Our mother looked wonderful and we are grateful, but other issues have profoundly impacted our confidence.

Our concerns are customer service based, fueled by what we perceive as a lack of training, experience and professionalism. First, we recognize the significant staff changes over the past five years. Certainly, those unfamiliar to us have no knowledge of our history in the business or with Jackson, specifically. You may even be unaware. However, Vincent, with full knowledge, could have briefed Ms. Mays in order to prevent or, at least, lessen the embarrassment and discomfort we experienced during the sales process. At times she appeared flustered, lacking knowledge and clarity with certain procedures. By the end of our initial meeting, despite her valiant attempt to convey sincere concern, we were insulted.

We are fully aware of the need to secure payment within 48 hours of the funeral to avoid delay or cancellation, but considering our past relationship, were bothered by the constant reiteration. During these last four decades, whether dealing with Mr. Jackson or Mr. Carmack, Sr., we have never failed to pay in full for services rendered, either through insurance or with cash. A review of files would provide proof, but Ms. Mays informed us that files become disposable after seven years. How unfortunate in an industry that benefits significantly from past interactions.

Though the death of our mother was sudden, we were confident of her insurance coverage and brought with us a supporting document. We were unsure of the beneficiary, but knew that it was one of her children. We offered birth dates and social security numbers to help expedite the search process, which has always, to my recollection, been carried out by a representative of Jackson Funeral Home. Ms. Mays declined our vital information, but later bombarded us with phone calls to obtain what we initially offered.

I was annoyed, but came to realize in the vast scheme of things, we are only one of a number of families to which you provide a service and can expect no preferential treatment. However, barring the most extreme circumstances, we can expect that all contractual obligations be met as mutually agreed, expeditiously and in good faith. Despite my family’s effort to do our part, there was an unforgivable breach on the day of the funeral.

Mother’s viewing was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Her remains arrived at the church nearly five minutes past, accompanied by Vincent, Ms. Mays and Ms. Smith, offering little in the way of apology or explanation. To my shock, Vincent requested that three men help him carry the casket up several steps to the bier. In disbelief, I assisted to speed the process. Subsequently, we were delayed another ten minutes, while the casket was opened and floral tributes positioned, for which I also assisted. My 82-year-old grandmother and her elder sisters stood in a drafty vestibule ahead of a capacity crowd, spilling out onto the sidewalk.

Never in all my years of planning and participating in services have I encountered this level of poor direction. Was I incorrect to assume that the service would begin at the specified hour with sufficient manpower? I think not. Entitlement is the birthright of every contract. If not for shock of losing my last remaining parent, I would have disputed the bill. Instead, I opted against further extending our grief with litigation. We rather hoped Jackson Funeral Home, in a show of good faith and commitment to customer satisfaction, would offer restitution for inadequate management. Failure to do so clearly indicates the need to sever our long association. We are grateful for years of stellar service though profoundly sad it ends in disappointment.

Sincerely,
Rodney Snell