The Service is good. The price is good and stress free for first time to deal with sadness situation. Highly recommend Tulip Cremation!

I reached out to Tulip to help my mom make arrangements for her passing instead of putting the financial burden on the family. Unfortunately, because she was actively sick, she was ineligible to do so. My mom went to live at a SNF and I gave them Tulips name as the place we would use when she passes. A few weeks later I got a call from Tulip and the man said he was sorry my mom passed and was calling to help with the arrangements. I said "I didn't know my mom passed, thank you for letting me know" I was a little surprised that the skilled nursing facility did not call me first. He then said "Oh my mistake, I thought she died," she had not died, it was a follow up sales call. When my mom passed yesterday, my family and I decided to use Tulip, and called to make the arrangements. The gentleman I spoke with told me that the "turn around" time would be six to eight weeks because the crematorium is BACKED UP. BACKED UP??? SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS!!! So that was an immediate NO. Please, please, please know that a crematorium that is backed up six to eight weeks is a HUGE RED flag. There's so many horror stories about funeral homes and direct cremation companies, please do your research. read more

Obviously this is emotional, my mom died. I was referred to Tulip and at first they were super. I had a specific outreach person to go to, they were kind and explained to me what would happen. They said I could get the death certificates myself, or they could do it but it would take six weeks. When she died on 12/14 they were contacted and i was told she would be cremated within a couple weeks. around 12/18 i got an email that she had been intaken and the cremation would happen within a couple weeks. the next monday I got a notification from USPS that she was being delivered that week, in the middle of the holidays, well before i was emotionally prepared for it. I called Tulip and got a lot of apologies, they assume the Crematorium wanted to get it done before the holiday; i did not appreciate it. then, although i did all the paperwork correctly, the county sent back my request for death certificates. not Tulip's fault, but when i said i'd just wait six more weeks at this point and could they please do it, is when they let me know there was a $100 charge. I asked if they wouldn't wave it, since they sent my mom's ashes early, during the holidays, and they said no they couldn't. considering i'd already given them so much money and they'd made my holiday's worse, it would have been really kind and i would not be here writing this negative review. find someone who cares to take care of your loved one, this company only cares about money. oh they also told me they had resources for the bereved, but it's just a page of articles. google is better. read more

So far my experience with tulip cremation has been a nightmare. I started to make arrangements had to get some more info to let them know called back was told I would receive a call back never did, so I called back, was told I would b called back, then I was told Christina left for the day after I've been waiting all day for her to call me back. Now they're close but they have people after hours that never got back to me. I was told by their answering service somebody would get back to me. They have not made this process very easy and they use the excuse theyre working with another tulip cremation family!! read more

Efficient and loved the reduced cost from traditional funeral homes. Like half the price! It was easy and they walked us through every step! I will definitely recommend. read more

Review of Tulip Cremation Services We are writing to thank Tulip for their excellent support caring for all of the issues surrounding the recent death of Bob Pendleton, of San Leandro, CA. We wanted a simple event, without a ceremony or other religious services. Tulip personnel listened carefully and made sure that our wishes were respected. Tulip made sure we were able to satisfy the legal requirements without interfering with our family members. They were sensitive to our need for peace and quiet during the hours of his passing and afterward made sure that we had fulfilled all the necessary requirements. Most of our contacts were by phone or online, finishing with our accepting his ashes. We recommend Tulip to others in this area. read more

Another smooth transaction. A few weeks before we actually needed Tulip, we completed all of the on-line forms. Payment method was placed on file for that fateful day, We were given a case number & 800 number to call 24/7, when that time came. When it did arrive, one simple call took care of everything. They responded to the house & retrieved Mom's remains. Professional, courteous and efficient during our time of stress. read more

I called in May 17th at 3:38PM (so Tulip can locate the staff that I spoke with) because my good friend gave birth to a stillborn baby girl. The woman on the phone said they "we don't cremetae fetuses" in a rude, unprofessional tone, as if she was annoyed of my very simple and warranted question. I said what "if the baby was 3 months old?". she said "no". I said "do you offer cremation services for older children?" She said "no, not that I've ever seen". I call 4 other cremation businesses in the area and they all cremate babies & children who have passed away. Why is Tulip against serving a family who just lost their baby? Repulsive service with no regard for families dealing with loss. Would not recommend them to any grieving family member, especially a parent. read more

I've assisted many clients who chose Tulip in my years as a Hospice nurse. Their prices are competitive, there service exceptional. They are efficient and kind in assisting patients and families with their final transition. I highly recommend Vee read more

I can't express how glad I am that I found this company. The staff was so incredibly supportive and helpful. I lost my mother unexpectedly and was so overwhelmed with the loss and having to figure everything out on my own. I found Tulip via google search and received a call shortly after. The process was simple and I was provided with daily updates. read more

There great quality service. If your Planning your own funeral. They are very helpful and affordable.

I sent one email inquiry and then found another company for cremation services. The rep then emailed and called me twice a day for 4 days, including on Yom Kippur. Too aggressive and also upsetting. Perhaps their salesman is hawking the wrong product for his skill set. read more

Tulip has been a NIGHTMARE. Not hearing proactively from Tulip w status updates along with way and having expected to receive my father's death certificate in 4 weeks, I followed up. I learned they had spent the entire month reaching out unsuccessfully to Pathways hospice in San Mateo Co and getting paperwork started in San Mateo Co. I told them my father died in Santa Clara Co and was under the care of Pathways in Santa Clara Co. It's beyond me how Tulip could make such a mistake, given Pathways in Santa Clara Co made the phone call to Tulip to report the death and arrange the pick up. Then, four weeks after my father's death, I set Tulip straight and was told they would expedite the process in Santa Clara Co, so I gave them another week before I called again. In that week, NOTHING had been done! I was told, "I'm so sorry" and "be patient" but with nothing being done to actually pursue resolution, I was livid. That day, I had the bright idea to call Pathways in Santa Clara Co -- they were outraged that they had not been contracted by Tulip in the five weeks since my father's death. Pathways suggested they reach out to Tulip to provide the info (cause of death and attestation) that Tulip should be seeking from them. Pathways called me later that day and again the next day to give me status updates. Thank goodness Pathways took the lead, cuz Tulip nothing productive in five weeks. Now, thanks to the stupidity of Tulip, five and a half weeks after my father's death, he was finally cremated. It makes me sick to think about. read more

We hired Tulip Cremation and pre-paid while my mother was in home hospice care several days before she passed away. My father, sister, and I had been at mom's bedside for two weeks awaiting the inevitable and counting on Tulip to fulfill their obligations when the time came so we wouldn't have to make the final arrangements while grieving. They did not come through. When my mother passed, the hospice nurse informed us several hours later that Tulip was full, and couldn't help us. Tulip didn't bother to contact us themselves, so at 2:00 am, we were forced to find another company, that was sympathetic, removed my mother quickly, and was compassionate. Don't use Tulip! read more

Expect a law suit in the near future, tulip if you're reading this. You are all crooks. This place never decided to notify us of the passing of our dearly departed. Instead they kidnapped them and held them hostage and waited a week to cremate them and then send them IN THE MAIL only God knows where and refused to tell us, the family, because someone else who isn't related some odd years ago was listed as a point of contacted. It wasn't until we found out from nurses at the hospital where our family was what had happen because of a terrible mix up in the names and the locations. All because of who? TULIP!! Who was NEVER supposed to cremate our loved one because we paid for a plot 12 years ago!! Something is wrong with that place. Never do business with them if you want your family taken care of. No wonder they only have such low ratings and a ton of complaints with BBB. It's not surprising! Listen lady, I won't put your name on here..but you know.. read more

I don't know what happened to my dead brother's ashes. And I suspect Tulip doesn't know either, or they might've responded to any of the many messages I've sent to them over the last three and a half months. If knowing what happens to your loved one after they die is important to you, I would strongly suggest contracting with a different agency. My brother died in June of 2022. I contacted Tulip, and paid for an arrangement in which his body would be picked up from a morgue in his home state of Oregon, then cremated, and his ashes delivered to and scattered on the San Francisco Bay. When you first contact Tulip, a representative will return your message promptly. While setting up the arrangements, they stress you how much they care and are are there for you. Once they have your money, good luck getting a response to your questions or concerns. On June 22nd, after filling out the requisite paperwork, I was informed that the death certificates I ordered through Tulip would be delivered to me "in approximately 2 weeks." Three weeks later, July 13th, I emailed to ask where the death certificates were. No answer. July 20th, I emailed to ask where the death certificates were. No answer. July 27th, I emailed to ask where the death certificates were. I got a response July 28th containing an itemized timeline and a letter stressing that the delay was not their fault, that in fact they followed up with the county every time I had complained about a delay, and now everything was taken care of and that the certificates would arrive 2-3 days from this message. All well and good, but why had I not been informed of any of this while it was happening? Even just a "we're looking into it" email? Also, by this time I had already ordered a copy of the certificate directly from the county. It arrived a full week before the Tulip-ordered ones. June 29th, 2022, I was informed that the cremation had taken place and that my brother's remains would be scattered "a little later in the year," and that I would "be notified before this takes place." October 2, 2022. I follow up via email, asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. November 20, 2022. I follow up via email, asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. December 7, 2022. I follow up via email, asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. December 18, 2022. I follow up via email, asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. December 29, 2022. I follow up via phone, leaving a message asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. January 1, 2023. I follow up via email, asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. January 2, 2023. I follow up via phone, leaving a message asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. January 5, 2023. I follow up via phone, leaving a message asking when the ashes would be scattered. No response. Tulip will assign you a representative when you contract with them - that rep will never answer their phone. You leave messages, and maybe they'll return them, maybe not. If you call Tulip's direct line, you get an answering service that lets you know they don't know anything about the company, they just take messages. This company is an internet middleman "disrupting" the old funeral service industry by promising much more than they can deliver. Don't make the mistake I did, entrust your loved one with a company that cares. read more

Very non-responsive. Multiple emails and phone calls have gone unanswered. Given a date for pick up and they didn't communicate to their "partner" company. Even with email confirmation and promises from agent the information given to me was incorrect, none of it was documented or accurate. Tulip is placing blame on the partner company and same vice versa from Bay Area Cremations. This has been an uncomfortable, disrespectful, and unnerving experience while my family grieves. BEWARE of their bad business practices. read more

The price is very good, if you do not need anything more than the basics. Communication from/with Tulip was actually excellent. But, the cremation provider was a less than caring enterprise. It took a couple weeks to receive the remains. Their office was a bit sketchy appearing. The urn was in a paper bag next to the coffee machine. The attendant had no idea how to open the wood box urn. For all we know, there could be a couple pounds of Folgers Coffee in there. There was no "sorry for your loss". It was like picking up my lawnmower from the repair shop. Still, if you're not vested in a solemn and empathetic experience, it works well at half the cost. read more

Very very impressed with the dignity and caring of Tulip Cremation. I did most of my cremation research online and at first booked All County Cremation Service. They have you sign a Docusign contract. When I called on a Sunday night (the day after the death) to ask why I did not get a Docusign verification email of the signed contract. The representative got very upset with me for calling on a Sunday night! She said this was not their problem but Docusign's problem and why was I bothering her. So we agreed I was being too demanding and I got a refund. I went to Tulip Cremation instead, where the online response is almost immediate. They assign a specific person to you, but the whole staff replies as they can easily check the progress of the report. Their completed Docusign contract showed up as expected in my intray immediately upon signing. They are a 24 hour service and have people that can respond to questions. They also sent me frequent updates on "where my loved one was." This was important because the Medical Examiner deemed it a "sudden death" and my mom went to the ME first. (BTW you pay an extra $210 to get your loved one released from the coroner. Taxes do not seem to cover death.) But it was only 16 days from pickup at the ME to physical receipt of my mom's by USPS. This cremation service was straightforward, compassionate, reliable, and efficient with a good support staff. For the basic cremation price, we received my mom's ashes in a beautiful dark wood box, not a plastic box like many of the other places. Highly recommend. read more

This is so horrible!! I am in the process to dealing with Tulip to cremate my stepdad and their customer service is the worst! They took my stepdad on a Sunday and it's been 2 weeks and I still haven't heard from the care team specialist. When I called and spoke with a supervisor, she told me that Tulip doesn't file for the death certificate and that I would have to do that on my own. I then read the welcome letter to her, that my stepdad received; when I got to the line about the death certificate the phone disconnected. When she called back she apologized and said that what she meant to say was that the county issues the death certificate. When I called the office to follow up with the email and to speak with the care team specialist, who I still haven't spoken to, the receptionist Natasha answered the phone I asked for the supervisor to follow up with her, she asked my name and then she starts laughing and said "oh you must be so and so's family. She put me on hold and said that person was in a meeting but would not give me the contact number for Eric the so called "care specialist", these people do not care at all! My family is heartbroken over the loss and they are laughing, no concern for people.They are insensitive and rude. My mother also has a contract with them but we will not be using it! Do Not put your family member in the care of Tulip!! I wish I would've read the reviews first. read more

Due to unforeseen circumstances it was necessary to find a place that could take care of our needs pretty quickly. We were quite pleased with the service from Tulip. The communication was on-going as were the updates related to delays of cremation and shipping of ashes. They responded quickly to my initial voicemail which was 6 a.m. PST and got thing rolling quickly thereafter. Thank you for the great service. read more

They kept calling for payment before we had decided on them for service. Said the would not send anyone out before we paid. Then they called back and said we needed to pay because they had somebody on the way to pickup my relative. Great time for us to be pressured and lied to.!!! You get what you pay for!! read more

Well I must say Marsha, and Anne, Angie made the rest of my experience worthwhile. They were both very empathetic, and understanding. Both of those women have a mild spirit. I'm not going to let a couple of employees take away the beautiful experience that I had with Marsha, Ann and Angie. Good work ladies and God bless all three of you read more

For dad's cremation we chose Tulip at the recommendation of his home hospice provider. He passed at his home family at night, and a mortuary service came in the wee hours to transport the remains. That morning, Tulip reached out. They're called "Tulip Cremation Services," but Tulip also performs the things a mortuary does, including notifying social security and applying for the death certificate. Tulip's morning call was followed by a sympathetic introductory email and forms to fill out and verify, including request for payment. There are 9 emails from Tulip that day. 22 days after payment we were told Dad had been cremated. Then Tulip worked with us on timing the shipment of the ashes via USPS priority. One important note is that we live in a state where it can take weeks to process a death certificate. Regarding the death certificate, the "Final Disposition" information was severely botched.  This is the section the Funeral Director "completes." On the death certificate, it states Place of Final Disposition is our dad's home address. He is a WW2/Iwo Jima veteran, and his place of Final Disposition is a national cemetery, planned since 1960 - something we would have wanted to get right. Tulip can say I signed off on the mistake on the electronic form I reviewed soon after our dad passed. But I am certain I did not sign off on words Tulip added and submitted to the Health Department for permanent record (that the address of final disposition is "my residence" - because as of this writing it never has been, and they have my true home address in the same forms). At the start we requested for the ashes to be divided, part for burial and part for scattering - neither of which equate to "final disposition" at anybody's residence. But mentioning those details to case managers at Tulip is not the same as conveying your wishes face-to-face to a funeral or mortuary director in a more direct process, during a challenging time. We are now going to need to amend the record, but the certificate itself will always have the wrong info. Tulip is disrupting the funeral industry with a templated electronic process and pleasant customer service but we were left with the sense their dispersed team was not really thinking about our dad. read more

STOP!!!!! This company is becoming questionable. I and several of our relatives have been trying to call their only registered number indicated on the website for over 8 hours. The number is not a working number per the recording. Hang up and try again. My relative is on his deathbed and the cremation policy is not yet completed because the website has up and been down and broken .. It has been over a week to try to complete the documents and three days working on phone calls. Conflicting and misinformation from all the customer service reps. They have my money and they better hope Rick doesn't die in the next few hours!! What if he does and no on answers the phone?????? What are we supposed to do? How can we get ahold of these people???? read more

I got what I paid for , but I wish my case manager had not waited 14 days to Get the death certificate certified and sent on, This whole process could have all been done in less than a week if my assistant would have been more attentive and hands-on with me. I did NOT like that I had to play "Phone Tag" and that my assigned helper worked from 2am until 9am After she took a vacation and I couldn't get ahold of anyone but an answering service I had to complain. I got her bosses' boss on the phone and I made some noise... I didn't want to do that BUT after making some noise , I got remarkably fast service and everything after that was smooth sailing... Would I recommend Tulip? Yes But don't expect the process to be as easy as the website promises , it was not. ‍ read more

Their customer Service is horrendous! Called 3 times with a request to be called back. Never did. Finally called a 4th time and got a person who could answer my questions. My brother died Christmas morning with the hospital saying they would contact Tulip. 6 days later I called Tulip but they had not been called yet. After getting that issue cleared up it still took Tulip over 2 weeks to collect his body. I paid Tulip for the death certs on 1-13 and was told they would be ordered that day. Called today (2-7) only to be told they were not ordered until 1-24. Two weeks later! Finally after the cremation I was told that I had to make an appt to pick up his ashes and it was at least a 2 week wait. Plus, I had to drive to Stockton as that is the only place they contract with. I live in San Jose. They did offer to mail his ashes for a $65 fee. My disgust with working with Tulip is EPIC! read more

I am currently recommending them as they've been responsive to my calls & emails. They offer good value for the families & seem happy to be helpful over the phone. More specific feedback will be added over time as we use them more frequently with other customers. But for now we are actively sharing this service with all local families in need of cremation. read more

While my mother was on Hospice, I prepaid for their services. I received proof of the prepayment by mail, and Hospice was informed to call them when my mother passed. On the day she passed, Tulip picked her remains up. Then crickets. No communication. I contacted Tulip a few days later asking where my mother's remains were, when would she be cremated. I heard from a representative who told me it would take 2-4 weeks!! And apparently their was some questionnaire that I never completed, but no one had let me know (FYI- when a loved one is dying on Hospice, it is a VERY stressful time). I completed the questionnaire. Again crickets/no communication. I sent an email request asking for a certain amount of copies of the death certificates to take care of estate business. Again, no response. Several days later, I get a call from someone else at Tulip saying that it would probably be quicker to contact the county directly. I could have saved time if I had known that earlier! I had originally stated on my paperwork that I would pick her remains up, but then found out that the crematorium was in Stockton!! Quite a driving distance, so I asked her remains to be mailed to me instead. Then "my" representative called me to tell me that my mother's remains were finally cremated (3 weeks after her death!!), and that she has a call out to the crematorium to find out when they will be mailed, and that she would call me as soon as she knows. Then one day, I get a slip from USPS notifying me that they tried to deliver a package, but I wasn't home, so please come to the post office to pick up the package. No sender name on slip. Because we order a lot of packages, I assumed my husband or son had ordered something, so went to pick up the package, and my heart sank when the postal worker brought out a box with "cremated remains" printed in red on it. NOT the way I would have liked this to have gone!! It was embarrassing and very sad/emotional to receive my mother's remains without the heads up that Tulip had promised me. So although Tulip is cheaper for a family who plans to have a small nontraditional service (ie. 8-10 people outside with a scattering of ashes), looking back, I would gladly pay the additional amount to go through a local traditional crematorium. read more

Friends of mine had used Tulip Cremation and were very impressed by the quality of their services, so when my mother was nearing death, I contacted them to arrange services. Just as my friends had experienced, Tulip arrived within 2 hours of her passing and took care of getting the exact number of death certificates I requested and informed Social Security that she was deceased. Everyone I talked with at Tulip was extremely caring and knowledgeable. I was particularly impressed with Alexis, who followed through after my mom's passing to make sure that all the information on the death certificate would be titled and spelled correctly and answered questions I had related to the delivery of cremains. After my experiences with vendors during COVID, I expected that there might be issues due to labor shortages about responding after my mother's passing, but that was not at all the case. Tulip gets extra kudos for being so responsive despite potential worker shortages. read more

I suggest that you do not use them. The lower price is not worth the agony they have put me through. I use them for my dad three years ago and they were excellent. Regular email updates and I received his ashes within a reasonable time. But this time my experience was much like Pat B (review dated 1/15/23). My mom passed away on 2/15/23 at the hospital and I called them. They have had her body since 2/17/23. They no longer send email updates other than the first few thanking you for using their services, will not respond to emails and it is very hard to get a hold of them by phone. Two weeks ago someone called me back and told me that the doctor had not signed the death certificate. Last week, the so called funeral director assigned to my mom told me the doctor had signed the certificate and the cremation would happen imminently and that she would call me. When she did not all, I left another message. This morning she called said the doctor had not signed the death certificate but refused to explain why she had told me something different last week. She hung up on me. I am already devastated by the death my mom and Tulip's handling of her cremation and the attitude of their staff has caused me more suffering and stress. They have my mom's body and I have no power here. read more

I found Tulip Cremation on Yelp and am so glad I did. From the initial contact through receipt of the remains everything was handled with care and professionalism. When a loved one passes, it's extremely stressful and you have a million things to coordinate. It was nice to have an organization like Tulip handle the most sensitive part so well. You have the initial contact pay with a credit card, then sign all documents on line. Easy peasy. My mother was in hospice so we knew the end was coming, just didn't know when. Hooked up the hospice people with Tulip so they knew who to call. My mother passed at 2am. The hospice called Tulip directly and they picked Mom up. I received message they had done so. From there, Tulip would email me every time something happened. From initial contact through receipt of remains first class all the way. read more

Initially didn't honor $25. coupon. Got back to me & did honor their isuued coupon!

Tulip helped with my Moms remains after her death, and the experience couldn't have gone better. Their process from initial inquiry to death certificates being delivered (the final step), couldn't have been handled more professionally, or with more care. They were thorough and kind and even submitted a permit for her ashes to be spread in the county I mentioned in the application process, which I wasn't aware was part of the services provided. I highly recommend Tulip. With all that we go through with the death of a loved one, they make it easy to navigate the arrangements part of our loss. One less thing to have to manage. Thank you, Tulip. read more

Avoid. Like others have said, they are nice and kind up until they run your credit card. It's all fake. Then they're unresponsive to emails and phone calls. They use a live generic answering service who supposedly passes on the calls to Tulip. I did look them up on the CA licensing system/database for the public to see, to find they are clear with no suspensions...thankfully. Their site is in Stockton so unless you live out there, you'll need to drive out there to handle any in person business. read more

At the time I needed Tulip's services a few weeks ago, the price was only $650 for a basic cremation with no extras. Seems that most other low-cost cremation services run $1000 and up. The website process with e-signing was a breeze, the people I talked to were all responsive and caring, and I really appreciated the email updates with each step of the process. I had a little hiccup in the beginning - not Tulip's fault, though. My credit card company declined the initial transaction for Tulip as a "software and services company". I called Tulip to inquire and they said it's because they provide an online customer service. I had read great reviews and trusted their answer, so I called my credit card company, authorized the charge, and everything went like clockwork after that. I was actually very surprised as to how easy the process was. A lot of other service providers could improve their offerings by learning from Tulip - a 5-star service from start to finish! read more

My father recently passed away. We knew he wanted to be cremated and contacted Tulip. The process was easy and fast. Tulip was so accommodating and provided the care and support to my family. I highly recommend them. read more

This lady: Myra Parker Herrera, Funeral Director FDR 3676 Tulip Cremation is absolutely terrible regarding customer service. I did get the service I needed by kind, efficient and thoughtful staff members but Myra Parker Herrera is not one of them. She is terrible. If you get her on the phone, hang up and call back until you get someone else. It isn't easy living in Chicago and dealing with a Cremation service 2,000 miles away when a family member passes in another City. Thanks for nothing Myra Parker Herrera. read more

The website is not clear about where they provide the services they offer. I was first told Oakland, CA is where I'd be picking up my Mom's ashes and then told upon the pick up of my Mom's body that she'd be taken to Redwood City. After her remains hade been cremated, I received a call telling me her remains were available for pick up in Stockton, CA, almost 3 hours away from where I live. Had I known there would be so much moving around and hassle I would have used a local cremation company that cost about the same, if not less. The customer service was fine, except that they continually called my deceased Mom's phone versus my phone. Oh, and even though I picked up my Mom's remains I was charged the $50 shipping fee. Now waiting for that to be reimbursed. I don't believe I'd use Tulips services again. read more

My husband of 17 years died suddenly at home. His remains were taken by the Coroner for autopsy. I had no idea of where and what to do.I found Tulip Care's reviews and decided to reach out to them. As it was a Saturday, I spoke to their answering service, and received a call from Meshell shortly thereafter. She led me through the entire process, and answered all my questions, A-Z. As the days unfolded, Tulip Care notified me of the status of my husband's remains at every step, til he finally made his way home to me. I cannot recommend them more highly. They were sympathetic and caring all the way. Excellent service at a terrible time. read more