Trident Society

I spoke with salesman Al something-​he and he cut me off in mid conversation, told my brother he had given me a quote which he hadn’t, and then talked to my brother promising to e-​mail him information yesterday, 8-​21-​2015, which he didn’t. He is a terrible representative of your company, a liar, and a sham. I would fire him immediately. If you get our business, you will be lucky!

i don’t expect these folks to be a source of comfort in a time of loss, but i also don’t expect them to add stress, either. i was referred to them by the hospice, as i had no clue where to go or what needed to be arranged in advance.
in complete disclosure, they did go out of their way to find me the right urn. i am truly grateful for not having to settle for something convenient that i didn’t like, so i do want to point out they did a great job there.
however, receiving phone calls 1 – 2 times a week wanting to know about payment was a source of stress for me, on top of an already stressful situation. they knew i was coordinating with an insurance company and i’d imagine they understand it can take a few weeks to get everything processed. the minute i told my trident contact they should have received the check, he rushed me off the phone with «oh ok» and that was it.
other things to note — how they handled my dad’s remains wasn’t ideal. nothing wrong or inappropriate, but they were more rough than we expected, it was upsetting. also, when we were in their office we could hear a woman gossiping in the next room about someone she used to work with or knew in the industry. sorry, but those convos aren’t ok when a customer is there handling these types of affairs.
i would expect a higher degree of professionalism and sensitivity from this type of organization. i never once heard a «sorry for your loss», it was all business. if i ever need to make arrangements again i’ll make another selection.

This company really sucks. This is the third time I have received pre-​paid cremation information for my mother-​in-​law who died in 2011 and never lived in California. See my prior review. Seriously, who would want to work with a company that can’t get their act together? NOT ME. They are uncaring people…

I waited to submit a review until I had my mother’s ashes in my possession.
My mother told me years ago that when she passed she wanted to be cremated. She set up an appointment with a Trident Society representative several years ago and received a wealth of information, but she never went through with purchasing a pre-​need plan. Fast forward to now. Knowing her wishes and the fact she was happy with the information she was given by Trident, I contacted the Walnut Creek office the day that she passed. I was put in touch with Mary, and she never ONCE made us feel hurried or put on a hard-​sell. We scheduled an appointment, and she explained everything in a very professional manner. This process could not have gone smoother!
When it came time to choose an urn, we did not find one in their selection that my Mother would have picked for herself, and I asked if it were possible for us to purchase an urn elsewhere and drop it off. Immediately I was told «of course» — I wasn’t pressured to purchase one from them, and was also informed that if I wanted to do that, to choose the least expensive plan, as that plan did not include an urn, and then we just needed to purchase copies of the death certificate (the higher-​priced plans came with some included). We wound up finding an absolutely beautiful urn online — my mother collected angels — and the entire family walked away from this feeling very good about our choice, and know that my mother would be happy.
We had scheduled Mom’s memorial for the following month, so we did not «need» to have her cremains returned immediately, and we also allowed extra time to find an urn she would love. All told it took 2 weeks from the time she passed until I had the urn and Mom’s cremains in my possession. I have plenty of time to prepare for the memorial without feeling like I am pressed for time. My husband and I have already discussed purchasing a pre-​need plan for ourselves so our children won’t have to worry about those details down the road.

I purchased a plan for my daughter’s father three years ago for $ 1823, including almost all costs: picking up the body, cremation, two high quality wooden urns (one large, one small) plus a keepsake candle urn, arranging for death certificates and cemetery permits. When he died recently on March 28, it took two lovely men an hour to pick up his body after 9pm. There were some additional charges amounting to ~ $ 700, which were fine and reasonable, still quite inexpensive. He was cremated April 11 and we were able to pick up his ashes, very good quality, at our convenience. We were fortunate to receive consistently good and knowledgeable service from Mary as well as excellent resources. The gentleman who sold me the package (i wish i remembered his name) came to meet me near my home at the time, was very low key and not at all «salesman» like. He was very helpful. The prices of urns and other such items are high but comparable to other places. However, the same items by the same manufacturers are available for about ¹⁄₃ of the price on eBay. But I digress. I hadn’t yet decided whether to be buried or cremated. However, this experience was so smooth, I am seriously considering purchasing a plan for myself (but selecting a biodegradale urn) just to make things easier for my daughter. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Trident Society based on our experience. The death was very difficult but the service we received helped us to navigate some of the more difficult parts of the process.

In response to Nadine of the Trident Society insisting that how I said I was treated is not how I was treated.
I assure you, Nadine, that what I wrote is correct. Perhaps it is no longer true: this occurred several years ago.
Please do not pander to me with phrases such as «sorry for your loss.» And do not tell me that what I, a journalist, know to be true (would you care to have me share my notebooks documenting my statements?) is not true.

I am so confused — I filled out a form on a neptune society website and an OBNOXIOUS trident sales person called me. So awful — nasty and aggressive. What is the difference between Neptune and Trident? Nasty saleswoman told me that it was the same, but the different websites seem to be competitors and trying to confuse potential customers.

I find it amusing that people don’t think they need this service or one like it… wake up & smell the coffee, we’re all going to need a service of some kind be it burial, or cremation. Just because you’re 34 doesn’t mean you’re living forever… or do you know something I don’t??? Ever heard of a car crash? I wasn’t planning on a service either but my husband at 34 died in a car accident on his way home, it would have been nice if we had a plan in place. Instead, I had to deal with the sales people at the funeral establishment. They make you feel like crap if you don’t spend a fortune on their casket & services. I’ve now seen the sales process 4 times, twice with people under 22 & it’s always the same. They get you at a vulnerable time & tell you what you do now is how you show your love & respect for the dearly departed. The more expensive the casket & the plot, the more you must have loved them I guess. Don’t have the money? No problem, there’s always credit cards or they have financial plans so you can spend more & they can make more. This is a business to make money, like buying anything, there has to be a profit. Wish we had had a plan in place. I think a plan should be in place early on in life as we all end up in the same place at the end, some earlier, some later. Less headaches & expense for those left behind.