Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery

So...two years ago, my step-dad died and we paid in full for the funeral and tombstone right as it happened. Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis has still not put his tombstone up. They have had 3 people on the job since my stepdad's funeral. About two months ago, a new person called and said it had never been ordered. I called today and was told it's being sent May 19th. I've heard this song and dance before. I am at a loss of what to do. It's a marker that matches my mom's who died a year before my step-dad so three years ago. The person today said it was a special stone and no one gets that kind anymore - since three years ago??? My mom picked the markers out four years ago. I called and asked to speak to the person about her and was told he was "out of the office." This is the same song and dance I've been getting for three years. Really bizarre. My step-father's grave still has no marker. Meanwhile, in East Texas, we've had a number of funerals and markers were put up right away.

Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing.  The funeral director we had made plans with was not available for either the visitation or the funeral service,  and no one introduced themselves  as his replacement for the visitation.  The visitation was to begin at 3:00 and our guests were arriving at that time, however some questioned why our loved ones name was nowhere listed on the reader board.  I had to track someone down to have that done.  Because the TV over the coffin had not been draped as requested (I specified to both the initial sales representative weeks in advance and the funeral director , that I wanted it to be covered/draped as my personal feeling was it gave the ambiance of a sports bar)  additional time was needed to  have that done, which resulted in the guests waiting for another fifteen minutes.  While I expected a professional draping of the TV, the solution by the staff was to place what was obviously a black table cloth over the TV.   The room itself was to be set up for a visitation arrangement, however it was set as if a service were to be presented.   A podium remained next to the coffin which was completely unnecessary,  and rows of chairs filled the area, preventing our guests from being able to mill around the room and visit as groups.    As instructed, we selected the flower arrangements we wished to accompany the casket to the grave site, but when we arrived at the site, it was obvious that all the flowers had not been transported.  It was immediately pointed out to the staff that some were missing and they were finally delivered at the end of the graveside service. The following day the funeral director called to inform me that he had found the remittance for the minister and that it had not been passed along to him the day of the service, as is customary.  I suppose the minister thought we had "stiffed" him.   I would give this funeral home a D- in their ability to  present a relatively simple visitation and graveside service.     I suppose my initial appointment for the pre-planning should have been a tip-off of what to expect, as I had to wait fifteen minutes while someone searched for the sales rep I had an appointment with, to no avail. Another staff member stepped in to take me on a tour to select a grave site and begin the contract process.   The professionalism is sadly lacking.

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Our family has been doing business with Crown Hill for many, many generations.  When my mother died last month, I arranged (from a distance) for her burial in one of our family's plots at the cemetery.  First, this process was much more difficult than it needed to be-- despite several conversations with the sales person giving him several names of relatives in that same section/grouping of plots, that wasn't enough.  I had to have a relative search through all of her documents to provide the exact section/lot numbers to Crown Hill.  Once I provided these numbers, they sent me a map of the area and I confirmed the plot.  When I arrived in person, we were taken to the wrong grave site, wrong section-- worse yet, they had begun digging the grave at the wrong location!!!

I also had spoken with our sales person on at least four occasions about planning the memorial service there.  We had confirmed a date/time and he said that a funeral director would contact me to plan the details.  Despite my four (+) reminders to the sales person that I was still waiting for someone to contact me, no funeral director ever contacted me.  Once I escalated this issue, the director overseeing the funeral directors called and wanted the name of whichever funeral director didn't reach out to me (how was I supposed to know who it was who never contacted me???).  He never did provide us a real explanation as to where the breakdown occurred or why we were treated this way.  Luckily, when I wasn't getting any follow through from Crown Hill, I also contacted a local funeral home who made it very easy to work with them to plan the memorial.

I signed the contract and paid for the burial, grave marker, other required fees, etc. on 4/24/15.  At that time, I was promised I would receive a proof to review the inscription.  I emailed the sales person yesterday since it had been over a month and I had received nothing from Crown Hill other than a copy of the contract in the mail.  I called today to follow up since I hadn't gotten a reply and was told that they mailed a proof to me on 5/4/15.  When I asked what address they mailed it to, I was told they mailed it to my deceased mother's former address (in another part of the country entirely) despite my name and address being on t

he contract and my name and address being on the credit card used to pay for these things.  When I asked how this happened, I was told "I don't know".  When I asked who could get to the bottom of why this happened, I was told "I don't know".  When I asked who I could escalate this to, I was told to hold on while she spoke with a man who later came onto the line and identified himself as "Dan" and as "one of the managers" (after he had asked her what I wanted to speak to the Sales Director about and telling her to take a number and to tell me someone would call me back).  He was patronizing with me and promised a return call today which didn't happen.

I paid in full for services that their multiple errors have delayed.  I am getting no one taking accountability (this is a repeated pattern with multiple individuals at Crown Hill).  And, I have experienced more than one male staff member there as being very patronizing to me as a female customer.  I live about 700 miles away and find this extremely upsetting that they've taken my money and I can't count on anyone doing what they say they'll do (based on multiple first-hand experiences).

Additionally, another relative had tried calling ahead to Crown Hill before I reached out and she had a very bad experience with how she was treated by another male staff member there.

I really hope that no one else has to be treated this way, especially at such an already difficult time!

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They are laid to rest in a moseleum and Crown Hill told us that it would be 3 weeks for the carving of the name plates to be done. My grandparents are in one crypt, head to head and the crypt should have both of their names, the year they were born and the year that had passed. All of the masonry and stone work is done on sight. I went to Crown Hill today and there is still a curtain over the spot where they are laid to rest in the crypt. I went inside and spoke with the receptionist and she sent someone by the name of TJ to speak with me. He told me that they were done 2 weeks ago. I told him it may be done, but the name plates not where it should be. My family has an entire block at the moseleum, but my grandparent were not there. He said he would look into it and call me. He called me in 30 minutes. He said that my grandmother's name and the years were done but they were waiting on the year of death for my grandfather. I replied that they both died just this past January, 31 hours apart. He replied to me, "2011 or 2012?", and I said that it was just six weeks ago, so 2012. He told me that they have the wrong year for my grandmother (2011). I asked if they even had the death certificate. He said they do, but apparaently, nobody looked. I never once got an apology. I never once got an "I'm sorry". Not that I would want it, but I was not offered anything to compensate for this huge mistake. Now this whole thing has to be redone. My grandparents bought their spot to be laid to rest 31 years ago for $5,000 per spot. We just paid an extra $10,000 for the imbauming and the engraving. We were assured it would be done in 3 weeks. This has been a horrible experience. Through this experience, I would not bury my dogs at this cemetery.

The staff at Crown Hill were incredibly compassionate and professional in their work with me and our family in all the arrangements. I don't believe I could say enough about the good work that they do.

A staff member of Crown Hill showed us a section of the cemetery devoted to veterans. It was tastefully executed in design and landscaping and matched most military cemeteries. All staff members were professional in demeanor and we felt no pressure while working with them.

They made this seem as enjoyable as possible. Saying goodbye to a loved one is hard for everyone. Crown Hill does it with class and dignity. They helped our family through the process.

They were very kind and helpful with a very difficult situation. They were sincere, cooperative, and protective of family members' feelings and physical needs. The rooms were beautiful and immaculate.

THEY MADE A LOVELY FUNERAL IN A GOTHIC CHAPEL. I WANTED TO HAVE SPECIAL MUSIC PLAYED AND THEY FOUND AN ORGANIST TO PLAY THE MUSIC WHILE MY SON SUNG ALONG. THEY WERE VERY WILLING TO ADAPT TO OUR NEEDS.