Important Factors to Consider When Choosing A Funeral Home
The last thing most of us want to think about is the inevitable mortality of ourselves and our loved ones. Death should be in the distant future, not a looming threat. Just the same, not a day goes by without someone finding themselves in a state of grief and shock over the untimely passing of a loved one. Although we shouldn’t fixate on such things, there are some necessary steps and questions to consider, when picking the proper funeral home and director. Furthermore, by getting an idea of the process, before actually needing the service, you will be able to approach the situation with some measure of reassurance in your judgement and decision-making process.
Reputation Speaks Volumes
When choosing which funeral home is the right one for you and your family, consider their years in business or overall experience, as a funeral home. Their reputation, both professionally within the industry, and on a personal level amongst past clients, has to be an important factor. The overall demeanor and reception from the director and staff will be critical, especially considering they will be seeing you or your family at a time when compassion and professionalism are definitely needed.
Fortunately, in our day and age of technology, much of this research can be conducted online. Reviews of past service experiences, as well as ratings from the Better Business Bureau, should be available for potential clients. Furthermore, beware of funeral homes that don’t have any history of service to share with the public. This type of business often bases its success on word of mouth from satisfied customers, so there should be reviews and client testimonies available online.
Research and Compare Pricing
When conducting your research, pay close attention to how each funeral service stacks up to their competition or industry standards. If a funeral service is much more expensive or considerably cheaper than most, be a bit more cautious. Overcharging can be distasteful, but doesn’t mean the service is bad. But a large price tag doesn’t mean the quality of service will be any better, either.
And remember the old adage of “you get what you pay for,” if the price is too low. Asking why a business is able to undercut the competition so much may lead to an understanding of the level of service you can expect. Either way, this is definitely not what you want to be thinking about in your time of need. All the more reason to conduct research ahead of time, when you’re able to think and act with clarity.
Religious Protocol and Additional Services
Another factor to consider – how capable is the funeral home in handling special needs, such as preparations within certain religious standards or practices. If you have specific rules or timeframes to honor, ask ahead of time and make it very clear what you expect and need from the funeral home.
Additionally, any amenities or facilities needed for a wake, viewing, or special ceremony should be discussed and clarified ahead of time, in order to avoid confusion or unwanted surprises.
Contracts and Payment Methods
Finally, it is important to be frank and avoid ambiguity concerning contracts for services and methods of payment for the services rendered. These conversations will be much easier when you can think rationally and can consider the many scenarios which can arise in the future. This will also help you gauge the professionalism of the funeral homes you’re considering. You may also be able to open a more personal line of communication with the director or service you choose, allowing for a more personal touch, when the time comes to call upon this business.
As stated from the onset, this is not the type of planning most people want to do. Even more so, when in an emotional state. Find piece of mind now, and save yourself some amount of grief later.
I’ve been trying to help a friend of mine help prepare for the funeral of their aunt, so these tips were really useful. I like your point about how you get what you pay for when it comes to funeral home prices. I want the service to be meaningful for them, so we’ll be sure to find a funeral home that is asking for reasonable prices.
I liked how you mentioned that you should see how capable a funeral home is in handling special needs. I think that would be very important to know. I know that my family would want to have certain things done during the funeral of a loved one.
I like how you point out that you should take reputation into consideration when deciding on a funeral home. This would be important in my opinion since you’d want someone that has the highest level of professionalism to handle the funeral of a loved one. Your tip to check online reviews and the BBB would be great for determining their reputation.
Thanks for advising that we find a funeral home that will be able to accommodate special needs like religious practices. Since my grandma will be passing away soon, my family is looking for the best funeral home to hold her service at. Since we are religious, we will be sure to find a service that can help us with our practices.
My family is thinking ahead and we are trying to find a quality funeral home for my grandpa in the future so that we won’t have as much stress. You make a great point that reputation is extremely important and that you should consider how long the home has been in business as well as getting reviews from past clients. Also, we will make sure to ask about amenities that they provide as well as preparations with religious practices.
I totally agree when you said that choosing a funeral home should be based on their reputation, both professionally and on a personal level among past clients. I want to have my funeral service pre-planned as early as now. I’ll certainly keep this in mind when selecting which funeral home should I do business with.
My sister just passed away and I am looking for a funeral home that will honor her life, so I am glad that I found this article. You make a great point that you should research and compare the prices of different funeral homes so that we can get the best deal while still getting a quality service. Also, I want to make sure that the funeral home is able to cater to our religious needs because we have very specific traditions and practices.
I really like your tip to ask why a company is able to undercut all of their competitor’s prices, especially if they are cutting corners. My wife and I have been put in charge of planning our grandmother’s funeral, and we want the best possible service for our grandmother. I will be sure to tell my wife that if a company is really cheap, we should ask them how their prices are so low!
My friend’s mother passed away recently, and I wanted to help her plan the funeral so she can have some time to grieve. You had some great tips for choosing a funeral home, and I liked how you said to research several homes and compare them based on price. One should be wary of especially low priced services, as this could be a sign of poor business practice, and I’ll keep this in mind when helping my friend plan her mom’s funeral.
I really appreciate your tip to try and compare the prices of different places. My wife and I have been thinking of getting a funeral home ready for when we die. I will be sure to take the time to compare the prices!