Recommendations for understanding funeral directors

[klockton]

I am looking for an understanding and caring funeral directors as we just went into one and had a very unpleasant experience

[monkeyspanner]

I am sorry for your loss and that you had a bad experience. I have no knowledge of local directors but your post reminded me of this thread where several people mention Albins in SE16

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,2189069,2189069

[Sidll1]

I used William Dunphy from Brockley but have no reason to think Dulwich branch wouldn?t be equally good.

Unlike another we toyed with they pre-filled all the forms ( there are loads)and were a lot cheaper than others.

They were brilliant and most understanding, they didn?t want money up front and took all the strain they possibly could away from a most stressful time. Also they have excellent relationship with local crems and coroners

[val]

Would highly recommend the Co op Lordship Lane

[nivag]

val Wrote:

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> Would highly recommend the Co op Lordship Lane

I've used them twice and both times very considerate.

[intexasatthe moment]

Klockton ,I'm so sorry to hear of your experience .

We used Albins ,near the Walworth Rd and they were very helpful .lovely ,kind and understanding .And no more more expensive than any others ,slightly cheaper I think .

[hazelnunhead]

I have had personal experience with Poetic Endings and found Joanne to be extremely compassionate and understanding throughout an incredibly difficult time. She helped guide me through a process I had no clue about

https://www.poetic-endings.com/

[malumbu]

I did some work on the wonderfully titled 'at need funerals' a few years ago. When is a funeral at need? When you don't have a funeral plan. And 'at need' encapsulates the issue - it is a distress purchase, something that you may not have expected and distress also applies to the way many of us feel when we have lost a loved one. So this puts the advantage in the hands of the funeral director - it is a business at the end of the day and most businesses want to maximise profit.

If you can, shop around, compare prices and packages, and how you find their attitude. There are plenty of on line reviews as well as those above.

Interestingly I had a chance conversation with William Dunphy, which was fine. Albins have a lot of presence around here and I have the book somewhere - Don't Drop the Coffin - although sadly it was ghost written (based on the experience of Barry Abin Dyer). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Drop-Coffin-Barry-Albin-Dyer/dp/0340786647 I think they also bring their horses and hearse to Nunhead Cemetery Open Days.

My family have always gone with the Co-op, stemming from the days when the co-op was exactly that.

[malumbu]

oh, and to add, you make the decisions. Don't necessarily go for the "what would she/he have wanted, as this is trying to get you to pay more.

I had one anecdote when the the person buying the funeral faced this question and said "well he/she wouldn't have been bothered and would have happily been put in an orange box and thrown over the wall of the cemetery"

[klockton]

Thank you so much everyone. I was very touched by all your kind words. Wishing you all the very best