Chambers Funeral Home And Crematorium

We at Chambers Funeral Home would like to take this time to apologize to you and your family for the listed concerns and to address them for you. At the time that you made your arrangements, we did not have access to the computer technology that allowed us to post funeral information on our website. However, we have since rectified that situation, and now have full access to posting funeral information. We thank you for calling this to our attention. On the matter of the funeral director, he waited in the outer room while the service was being conducted and was dressed in a light blue suit. We are sorry that his behavior and attire were distressing to you, and also the behavior of the funeral attendant. She is a part time employee who has loyally worked part time at this firm for over ten years. She is not familiar with where all of the office supplies are stored, and hence the problem with the sticky notes. We have since rectified these situations, and assure you that they will not happen again. As far as the beverages and food are concerned, at the time that the arrangements were made, a side room was offered to you for your use at no additional charge. We do not arrange food service for funerals; however, we do offer a room to set up and eat at no additional cost to the families. Other problems with equipment such as extra coat racks and extension cords could have been arranged ahead of time, so that no time would have been wasted on the day of the service. There were, however, sufficient chairs to place the extra coats, and an organist could have been arranged ahead of time, if one was desired. The hot water is available; however, since the building is older, the water needs to run sufficiently for it to reach the faucet. Our prices for funeral services are quite competitive, and we offer up to 20% discounts on many arrangements, as you may have noticed on your final receipt. Extra services may be added; however, this will be at an additional cost. As far as the newspaper article is concerned, it was completely sensationalized. In addition, statements are untrue and have been rectified with the Maryland Funeral Board. Since this happened over five years ago, we believe that enough time has passed for us to regain public trust. If you have any concerns with this, we will address them at your convenience. We hope that this has addressed your concerns. Again, we are so sorry for your inconvenience. If we may offer you any additional information or assistance, we would be happy to be of further service to you, and hope that we may rectify this situation for you and your family in the future.

I recently attended a funeral at Chambers, and I was surprised and saddened by the way the people from Chambers present at the funeral treated the deceased’s family and friends.
The lack of compassion and care demonstrated by the owner and employee present at the funeral went beyond what could be considered an oversight, accident, or miscommunication. They struck me as shockingly insensitive to the suffering of the family and the sensitivity of the situation.
I personally observed very reasonable and minimal requests on the part of the family be met by the people working at the funeral home with a shocking mixture of rudeness and lack of cooperation.
For example, at one point a family member pointed out to one of the employees that the toilet paper in the bathroom was running low. This family member asked where she might get more toilet paper to put in the bathroom herself. The employee replied by refusing to say where the family member could get more toilet paper, instead saying she wouldn’t put more toilet paper in the bathroom until the previous roll ran out. When the same request was made of the owner, he reiterated the line about only replacing the roll after the previous one had run out. This may seem like a small issue on its own, but this lack of basic cooperation, consideration, and care was unfortunately continued by both the owner and the employee throughout the day, and it extended to more serious issues.
After the funeral, a Google search revealed the article linked below detailing Chambers’ license having been suspended in 2010 «after a state inspector discovered what appeared to be 40 bodies intended for cremation haphazardly piled in body bags stacked in its garage.»
My family owns a small business, so I would not write or post a negative review of a small business lightly. But the immediate aftermath of the death of a loved one is such a sad, confusing, and vulnerable time for a family, and I was shocked at the lack of sensitivity and basic kindness demonstrated by the funeral home employees during this difficult time. I hope this review will help other families avoid the unpleasantness I witnessed at Chambers. I would caution anyone against choosing this funeral home for their family.
Ryan Bing
Philadelphia, PA