ComplaintsforKrause Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I received a survey request in the mail. As a thank you for completing the survey, Krause would provide a planner to help with end of life. I completed the survey and mailed it back. I later received a call asking me to schedule an appointment to meet with ****. I advised the lady I had no interest in an appointment at this time and only wanted the planner. The lady stated **** prefers to give the planner during the appointment. This was not mentioned as a requirement on the survey to receive the planner. The only requirement was completing and mailing back the survey. The survey also indicated by mailing it back, one was consenting to be contacted... again not a requirement to meet. I advised the lady, again, that I only wanted the planner and didn't want to meet. The lady indicated that wasn't how **** wanted to do it as he likes to be able to answer questions. I, for a third time now, told the lady that I am a grown man who knows how to reach out with questions should I have them and reiterated I only wanted the planner at this time. I also advised the lady that if I can't trust Krause to follow through on something as simple as mailing a planner and following my wishes, I certainly can't trust them with the more important end of life service. The lady then indicated she would mail out the planner. This conversation was May 16th and as of the time of this complaint, I have yet to receive the planner. I will not be using Krause for my end of life due to the reasons I mentioned. However, I still expect the planner that was promised by completing the survey.

  Customer response

  06/21/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

  This email is to advise you Krause Funeral Home & Cremation Services, *** sent me the information they had promised. This satisfies my complaint and the complaint can be closed. 

  
  

  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  
  

  Business response

  07/02/2024

  Hi *******. We're saddened over the miscommunication you experienced while working with our pre-planning team. The experience you are describing is not representative of the kind of services we hope to provide at Krause Funeral Homes and we are disappointed your experience with us was a negative one. We have made sure you have received your planner. We have also spoken to our team to understand what went wrong and ensure it doesn't happen again. Please take care.

   

• Initial Complaint

  08/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 5, 2023, my family met with a funeral director from Krause to plan my son's funeral. 1) The first funeral director did not know how to coordinate a dinner at a restaurant with their funeral services.2) Krause breached our contract by not putting the notice in the ***************** Sentinel on April 16, 2023 as agreed upon.3) Three different funeral directors handled my son's services and there was no coordination/communication among them. The funeral director who opened and closed the service, never met with us, thus she did know that we wanted a non-religious service.4) On the day of the interment, the third funeral director we dealt with neglected to bring my son's death certificates.5) The ribbon wrapped around the vase sitting next to my son's urn at the service was discarded. 6) The posterboard we were given to put my son's pictures had a slash on it.7) Several of the thank you card envelopes lacked glue and needed to be taped shut.It is hard enough to bury a child. A funeral service is a "one and done." There is no opportunity for a do-over. Once Krause breached our contract by neglecting to place the notice in the ***************** as agreed upon, the trust between us was broken. I started to question all the other services they provided, i.e., did they pick up the correct body from the Medical Examinar's office?...is that his ashes in the urn? Their behaviors made a horrific situation so much worse and upsetting.Mr. Krause touts his outstanding customer service on his bio on **********************'s website. I wrote him a letter on May 11 that was sent certified mail on May 12. It explained everything I explained above. When I did not receive a response, my son hand-delivered the letter to *****, the *** on July 3. It has been over six weeks and still no response.We did not receive the "professional services" they billed us for nor did we receive outstanding customer service promised by Mr. *********************** They need to adjust their bill.

  Business response

  08/17/2023

  I have just received this email.  I will investigate with the staff and respond.  I will contact the family and try to resolve.

  Customer response

  08/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find it disappointing that they have not investigated this matter yet.  I mailed Mr. ********************** a certified letter on May 12 explaining my issues.  When there was no response, we hand-delivered the letter which was to be given to ***** on July 3 at the 90th and Capitol location.

  While they are investigating, please have them look into their billing of my son's services.The remittance copy dated May 3 has different amounts than the detailed statement printed on August 16, i.e. package price ($8,495 versus $8,300) .  I also question the $695 charge for dressing, casketing, and cosmetology for a man who was to be cremated??? Also, why was there a $150 charge for an organist? We did not receive this service.

  Lastly, I question the $595 charge for graveside services.  The woman who delivered my son's urn to the cemetery put the urn in the niche and basically stood there for 10 minutes.  It was really upsetting having her there because she neglected to bring the death certificate copies. She knew I was upset over this.  I told here that this was the third strike against ********************** and then I questioned her if those were really my son's ashes in the urn.
  

  
  ***********************
  

  Business response

  08/22/2023

  I have tired to reach out to **********************.  She also filed a complaint with the State of ********* and I have attached that letter.  It is my desire to resolve the issues with this funeral with her.  The first I heard of these issues was with your email about the complaint.  I was out of town for an extended period and my staff tried to resolve.

  Customer response

  08/23/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  Dear Mr. ************************************ you for finally responding to my letter of May 11.
  
  Actually, members of your supervisory team were made aware of your organization's negligence and breach of contract on April 16.  *****************************, Manager of Operations, wrote me an email on April 16 stating she would bring the matter to the attention of the management team.  ***********************************, Manager of Operations, was copied on this email.
  
  There was a voicemail message left on my home phone this morning.  Unfortunately, you will be waiting a long time, Mr. *********************** for a response.  The message you left was for ****************************  My mother, ***************************, passed away in 2008.  I have been *********************** since 1974.  This just proves my point.  From you, the president, on down, there is no attention to detail.  I find it very difficult to believe that Krause has only a few complaints; these issues are systemic.  For this reason, I request that you only respond in writing from now on.
  
  You did not address the billing issues I wrote about in my response to the Better Business Bureau.  Unfortunately, these issues did not present themselves until after I filed the original complaint with the Better Business Bureau on August 15.
  
  1)  The discrepancy between the Remittance Copy dated May 3, 2023 and the Detailed Statement Invoice dated August 16...Professional services of $8,495 versus $8,300 (attached).
  
  2)  Charges for services I did not receive...organist $150.
  
  3)  Unnecessary charge of $695 for dressing, casketing, and cosmetology for a man being cremated.
  
  4)  Graveside services of $595 for someone who put the urn in the niche and then stood there for 10 minutes doing nothing.
  
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  i
  

  Customer response

  09/05/2023

  Explanation:  Mr. ********************** did not offer any compensation for breaching our contract when his company acted negligently and failed to put a notice about my son's passing in the ***************** on April 16 as per our contract.

  
  

  The explanation Mr. ********************** provided about billing discrepancies was also inadequate. 

  
  

  The "Funeral Rule, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission  (FTC), makes it possible for you to choose only those services you want or need and to pay for those you select."

  
  

  I was arranging to bury my son and was not familiar with cremation. I believe their arranger took advantage of my family's grief by selling me a package without explaining many of the unnecessary and unwanted services that were included.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In all honesty, there really was no empathy or sympathy in our overall interaction with Krause funeral home, just a financial transaction. I was offered a Kleenex, but then it was stated that I could not have the whole box, although it was not a request. There were multiple inconsistent quotes for overall expenditures. Essentially, even if you have a policy to bequeath to them, you will receive little to no guidance or cogent and consistent correspondence. In case the lack of compassion isnt enough, employee professionalism and proficiency was also an issue such as profane language in the presence of the family, miss handled death certificates and unreturned phone calls. Not sure if Krause/Informed Choice has a licensed and qualified desairologist, our love ones make up was equivalent to a deep dark dark brown shoe polish administered to her face hours before viewing, a reference picture was not inquired about. It was extremely devastating and disheartening for this to be the last visual memory of our loved one. She was clothed correctly however, upon viewing her lower extremities the stockings provided were not completely on or not pulled up all the way. In closing, go to Piece of Mind Funeral home at least you get what you pay for. Krause was lousy.

  Business response

  02/22/2023

  Please see attached PDF file. Thank you. 

  Customer response

  02/22/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Arrange a funeral for my parent ********************************************* I noticed that I requested through them a company that will possibly be able to give him a Autopsy to be given the runaround by these various companies because I told him that I did not trust the hospital I believe that he was murdered in the hospital like I know he was because they refused to give him his medication. And he was an ICU not hospice I do know that they let me see his body he was cut in the chest area but not deep enough to do any autopsy at all of course because he just wasnt cut correctly overall I didnt notice that the embalming was horrible because he looked nothing like he look when I seen his body before that and bombed them I have videos of it Ive even noticed that my parent had other various things that I wasnt comfortable with and I noticed that even his perineal area had been blown up some form way in a very inappropriate manner and his funeral came and they gave me his death certificate everything on there is totally wrong this company basically threatened me I had no other choice but to have him put away the way he has been placed in his tomb and I would like this bill to be cleared out I made a complaint on the *** they have not yet respond would like for this company to get my parents birth certificate straightened out and clear this bill due to botched and embalming !

  Business response

  01/19/2023

  We have received the complaint from Ms. ************************* and are deeply troubled by her concerns. In her complaint, she discusses the potential autopsy of her father, *********************************************. We are a funeral home. We are not medically trained or licensed to perform autopsies. We do not have pathologists on staff. The family contacted the ********* ************************ and the ************************ staff did not see a need for their office to be involved and they declined to perform an autopsy. The family did not want anyone at Ascension St. ******* Hospital to do the autopsy since, as the complaint states, ******************** believes he was murdered in the hospital. The only other choice would be for the family to hire a private pathologist. Our notes state they we gave her the contact information for a private pathologist in the area that some of our families have used in the past, Midwest Anatomic Pathology Services. When hiring a private pathologist, the family needs to sign consent forms and make payment before the autopsy occurs.

  I am sorry that ******************** was displeased with her fathers appearance. We do our best to make everyone look the best that we can. The best results in the embalming process occur when we can embalm as soon after the death as possible. Due to the desire to have an autopsy performed, the embalming of ******************** was delayed approximately six days. ******************** viewed her father at our funeral home on November 8th, November 15th, and November 16th, 2021. In this case, embalming was required by the cemetery. That particular cemetery, ***********************, requires embalming to be performed for the use of one of their crypts, which is what the family purchased at the cemetery.

  We did create a portion of the death certificate with the information that ******************** provided to us. In her complaint, I am assuming that the information that is totally wrong are boxes 38 and 41. This is the information that doctor fills out in regards to cause(s) of death. If ******************** would like anything amended in this portion, she would need to contact the certifying physician, *************************************, listed on the death certificate. As a funeral home, we cannot make changes to that portion of the death certificate.

  In Ms. ********* complaint, she asks us to clear this bill due to botched [embalming]. Her original bill was $12,901.75. Our fee for embalming is $895. At the initial arrangement conference, ******************** told us that she was the beneficiary of her fathers life insurance policy through ******************* She stated she wanted to use this policy to pay for his funeral expenses. We tried to work with ******************** and ******************* After the service was complete, we were informed that ******************** was not the beneficiary. Mr. ********* other daughter, *********************************, is the beneficiary. ******************** arranged for all of the services and signed a contract stating that she is liable for the total due. We have not been paid any portion of the $12,901.75. ****************** did come to her fathers services, but ******************** did not allow her to see her father or attend the services.

  ******************** refused to speak with us on the phone after the services. We emailed invoices to her on November 30, 2021, December 30, 2021, and January 1, 2022. We had our accounting firm, Federated, send letters to ******************** on March 4, 2022 and April 4, 2022. All of this communication went unanswered. Our attorneys office, **** & ****** S.C. Attorneys at Law, is now involved with this account. 

  Mark Krause tried calling ********************, without answer.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩