Coop Funeral Care in Hayes was featured in tonight's Chanel 4 'Dispatches' programme and it didn't look good.

The TV makers made a big deal of the warehouses used by the firm and the industrial nature of the process, including the stacking of bodies on an open racking system. I am not so bothered as not much of that came as a surprise to me. But for me, all that pales into (almost) insignificance when compared to Hayes's staff lying to customers and selling them services and expensive coffins they didn't necessarily want or need. The Hayes boss show undercover reporters how to present the coffin catalog in such a way, that the grieving customer would not see the cheaper coffins on the rear of the brochure. Many were told that an optional hygiene service (embalming) was compulsory when it is not

Then in an area branch meeting in the Adam & Eve showed an area manager talking about sales targets and the danger of investigative TV programmes (with hidden cameras), exposing what they got up to - of course all capture on the same device he was warning of

It was a disgraceful, illegal and shocking manipulation of people in shock to meet targets and make profits. I hope Hayes plod or Hillingdon Trading Standards take a look at this evidence

The film is probably on Channel 4 OD(if you know how to do that), but here's a DM write up (with stills) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml

Coop have replied with this load of corporate nonsense http://www.co-operative.coop/funeralcar ... tAodsk4swA

Let's just hope they go out of business as a result then, can't stand liars

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Lets be careful out there !

Are their drivers on a bonus scheme ? I wonder

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

All said and done and this is no defence of their methods the Co-op are one of the cheapest operators around.

They would argue it is because of their central storage arrangements that allows them to keep costs down..

As for all the other stuff they are still a business same as any other and and such exists to make a profit. It might sound callous but that it what all Companies do. Banks are notorious for being involved in huge mis-selling scams such as the PPI netting Billions and which they all paid themselves huge bonuses but Channel 4 does not castigate them even though that scandal was many times greater than the magnitude of this.

End of the day people still have the right to choose who their supplier/tradesmen will be. If 'advantage' of persons grief has been taken to gain an advantage then that is clearly wrong. Trading Standards should investigate and prosecute if necessary. My experience of these sorts of things demonstrate that it is usually a senior sales manager driving the agenda and once that is removed things return to normal.

All that said I will do my best to try and view the program...........

I noticed when I drove past the Co-op the other day that there was a "To Let" sign above it. I wonder if they're closing it down?

It's shocking! I remember my mother in law using the Co-op when her husband died because they had used the Co-op for years and trusted them. A lot of elderly people might think like that.

Preying on people at a time when they are vulnerable is dreadful. I certainly would never use that company and I hope they go out of business!

MADE ME FEEL VERY UNEASY they did the arrangments for my dad in 1968, then my mum in 1998.

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

On the way home from school once I saw them filming a scene for a sit com there, I think it was Doctor in the House. The star was in a vintage car, which sped out the back gates in Gledwood Drive.... several times (they kept re-taking the shot).

At the time, most of the premises was a Co-Op supermarket, the funeral shop was much smaller.

a dead end job, but they are the last to let you down, lucky stiff.

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

I did a bit of part-time Limo driving, working out of many local local companies about 9 years ago. I was very impressed with the Hayes Coop.

Ok, I had very little to do with the front of house office staff, but the guys at the 'sharp end' were everyday normal blokes, who talked about football, beer and birds. But as soon as they left their rest room - their professional faces & attitudes came into play.

It was refreshing to she normal people, as some companies have staff who are constantly morbid, including behind the scenes - That's a little odd if you ask me!