Random Thoughts and Messages
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As many of you know, there are several states with laws on the books that outlaw casket sales by folks who are not licensed funeral directors.
Most of these states - with the exceptions of Oklahoma, Louisiana and South Carolina - do not enforce these statutes. But a current case in Louisiana targeting a group of monks that make caskets, has brought renewed attention to this issue. While there are many people out there who think that these laws are outdated, I wanted to get the opinion of some funeral directors out there. - What are the reasons, if any, to forbid unlicensed funeral directors from selling caskets? - Do you agree with these laws, and why or why not? - And for the states who have these laws on the books but are not enforcing them, should they? Thank you. Sincerely, Thomas A. Parmalee Executive Editor Kates-Boylston Publications www.katesboylston.com
Hey i Think that it should be ok for them to sell casket , i Bet you corsto dont have a license in each they sell them to
Thanks Dwight
There were a number of casket retailers in Ontario Canada. Most have gone out of business. Like the one store in Brantford that put a casket in the front window of the plaza store they rented. In the casket was a dressed department store mannequin. Needless to say it freaked a few. I have had situations where a family went to casket retailer and the retailer spoke to our clients telling them what we can do or not do. This was not a funeral director. How does he know what we can or cannot do? Does he know the funeral services act in Ontario? This retailer, filling the client with misinformation causes difficulty when we try to correct the facts. Now it looks like we are trying to pull the wool over the clients eyes, since they probably have reservations dealing with a funeral home anyway. If these operations are to exist, they need to be licenced, inspected and regulated like funeral homes
Thanks-Chris
It is the single greatest way to advertise your business. It can spread the word about you business like wildfire. It is also 100% FREE! I am talking about "word of mouth" advertising. Let your customers do your advertising, but just make sure you treat them right. As fast as a good word about your business spreads, a bad word spreads even faster.
Funeral Industry: Word of Mouth, It Can Make you or Break You
By: Ryan Thogmartin
Companies have been using word of mouth advertising for a long time. Why is word of mouth advertising so great? Because when someone has a good experience they love to talk about it to other people that they are close to. Businesses call this the "tool of lust". They use the emotions of their customers great experience to help spread a good word for their business and or product. In return, we as individuals trust what our friends tell us, and are more apt to use the same business we just heard was so great.
Here is a example of how "word of mouth" advertising has worked to benefit a certain business.
We all have heard of AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). AIM use to be ICQ (AOL Bought ICQ), when ICQ started their marketing plan was based solely on word of mouth advertising. They didn't have the money to run a national advertising campaign. So, they told 40 people about their new "buddy system" they invented to chat with friends online. Through word of mouth from those 40 people ICQ had 65,000 people download their program in the first two months it was online.
Is your business a free chat program? No, of course not, but the principle remains the same. Let free word of mouth advertising from your current customers bring you new customers. But always remember the "10 to 1" rule: for every one person your clients will say something to about great service they had, they will tell 10 more people when they have had bad service.
Let free word of mouth advertising work for you.
On Sunday night embalmer.com holds an online chat room for funeral service professionals. Each week they have a different topic that is discussed. This weeks discussion was "Telephone book advertising, big or small?" Though I was unable to log on for the discussion, this topic did spark some thoughts.
Funeral Industry: Bye, Bye, Phone book Ads
My first thought was: "Do people really use the phone book anymore?". I am sure that people still do, but there are so many other ways to get numbers for places. There are free 411 services, yellowpages.com (different from a printed phone book ad) and not to mention just plain old google.com.
"What return do people see on their phone book advertising?"
"Are you tracking where your calls come from?"
In my opinion the advertising dollars spent on yellow book print ads can be used in a much more productive way.
Print ads are fading fast. People like change and you can not change a ad that has already been published in the phone book. If it where me I would only pay for a very small listing in the yellow pages and direct my dollars elsewhere.
I would direct my dollars to the web and local radio. It might sound cheesy but I love radio jingles, and they are very catchy. Every time I hear the Freecreditreport.com jingle it stays in my head all day. Wouldn't it be nice to hear someone whistling your radio jingle?
Keep these thoughts in mind as you are mapping out your advertising dollars for next year. Track where your best ROI will come from. Are you getting any feedback from the telephone book ad you are currently running? If not, then it could be time for a change
I think people still do use phone book ads. It has been my experience that older people tend to still use the phone book especially if they do not have the computer and don't necessarily want to pay for the 411 call. I think it is wise to still have atleast a one inch ad in the yellow book. Ofcourse the internet is a great way and you are right that more designated dollars should go towards that. Radio advertisement is great. I personally like the billboards as I tend to read those as I drive so its a nice way to get some publicity if you get a billboard near your facility.
However, I wouldn't rule out the actual physical book yet. I read online there was one guy that every time he travels he goes to the hotel and looks at the funeral ads in the yellow pages. You would be surprised at how archiac some of the language is in the ad. I think that you should advertise but make your ad stand out in such a way that it sets you apart from the competition.
@ldiaz75
I agree that many older people still use the phone book. But who are the ones planning the funeral and taking care of the arrangments? Do you see more younger people (who use the interenet), or do you see more older people?
A one inch ad in the phonebook is great... but i can't say I would go any bigger.
WALL, N.J. - Kates-Boylston Publications has named Thomas A. Parmalee as its new executive editor. Parmalee will take over Funeral Service Insider, the most widely read funeral service newsletter in the United States.
Parmalee, who has been the associate editor of American Funeral Director and American Cemetery magazines for the past two years, replaces outgoing editor Stephen Lee, who has left the company to pursue other career options."Since 1975, Funeral Service Insider has been one of the most respected publications in funeral service, providing business tips and breaking news stories of the utmost importance to people in this industry," Parmalee said. "I look forward to continuing this tradition."Ed Defort, publisher of Kates-Boylston Publications, noted that Funeral Service Insider subscribers can continue to expect a sophisticated level of reporting under Parmalee's direction. "The readers of American Funeral Director and American Cemetery already know that Mr. Parmalee has an in-depth understanding of this industry," he said. "Indeed, he's already been contributing stories to FSI on a regular basis, so this will be a smooth transition, and we plan to do our best to make FSI better than ever."Before joining Kates-Boylston in 2006, Parmalee held various positions as a journalist and public relations person. The Specialized Information Publishers Foundation recently awarded him second place in its Best Investigative Reporting category for a series of stories he wrote focusing on Clayton Smart, a previously unknown oilman who came under scrutiny after voiding the contracts of thousands of prepaid funeral holders and allegedly mismanaging millions of dollars in cemetery trust funds. Parmalee has also won numerous other awards for stories that pertain to funeral service.FSI has won several awards for editorial excellence from the Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Association. In 2003, the association named it the "newsletter of the year." To subscribe to the weekly newsletter, which costs $295 per year, call 1-800-500-4585. To view a sample issue, email tparmalee@katesboylston.com.Kates-Boylston Publications publishes American Funeral Director and American Cemetery magazines as well as Funeral Service Insider and the American Blue Book of Funeral Service. The company has been helping funeral professionals succeed and serve since 1877.
Brookfield, Wis. – On July 15, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees for its 29th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards. The PBS FRONTLINE documentary “The Undertaking” received a nomination in the “Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming” category.
“The Undertaking” presented a moving, insightful view of funeral service and the important work performed by funeral service professionals every day. The documentary featured multi-generation, National Funeral Directors Association-member (NFDA) firm Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors, which operates from several locations in suburban Detroit, Michigan. More information about “The Undertaking” can be found at www.pbs.org/frontline/undertaking.Along with “The Undertaking,” other films nominated in this category include: “What Remains: The Life & Work of Sally Mann” (Cinemax), “Czar Putin” (CNN) and “NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell” (VH1). The awards will be presented September 22 at a ceremony in New York, New York.“We’re very pleased,” says NFDA Secretary Patrick Lynch, CFSP, of Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors. “The Emmy nomination honors the art and eloquence of filmmakers Karen O’Connor and Miri Navasky and the rest of the FRONTLINE crew. It honors the gift of those grieving families that allowed a look into their lives at the most difficult of times. Our family is honored and humbled to have been a part of such an important project.”In conjunction with the premier of this film in October 2008, NFDA developed a comprehensive community-outreach package, which includes a DVD of the FRONTLINE episode, a copy of the award-winning book The Undertaking by Thomas Lynch, a study guide developed by faculty from the University of Michigan based on these two works, a community presentation that imparts the value of the funeral, and suggestions on how funeral service professionals can best use these tools in their communities. Copies of this package can be ordered through the NFDA Resource Store (www.nfda.org/resources.php) or by calling an NFDA member services representative at 800-228-6332. The cost is $55 for NFDA members and $75 for nonmembers.
Are you always on the go? Don't have the time you would like to sit down everyday and log on to ConnectingDirectors.com to read the latest blog post? Your solution is finally here. You can now access all of the CD.com featured blogs on the go.
From any mobile phone (that has internet access) you can log on to http://connectingdirectors.mofuse.mobi. You will see four featured blogs. Click on the blog you want and you can read it right from your cell phone. Now there is no excuse for not being able to read your favorite blogs on Connectingdirectors.com.
If you are using an iPhone you will be able to post the blog link to your Twitter, Digg, and Del.icio.us accounts. You can also email the link to you contacts all from the CD.com mobile site.
This has been a huge task and I am very excited to be sharing it with you. If you have and questions or comments I would love to hear/read them.
If you are interested in being a guest blogger and having a featured blog on CD.com please email me.
Are you a licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer in Ohio? If so, we are seeking a Cemetery General Manager who can direct and lead the operations of our cemetery/funeral home location.
Ensuring that a premier level of client satisfaction is provided that exceeds the expectations of the families we serve will be your primary goal. In order to achieve the financial goals of the location, you will partner and collaborate with members of the Sales team to execute the marketing strategies of the organization. Additionally, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining a work environment which promotes performance excellence.Are you up to the challenge?Success in this role will be determined by the ability to manage, lead and develop others; pro-actively engage in community organizations and events; communicate effectively with internal and external partners; and analyze financials in order to determine actions necessary to maximize the effectiveness and profitability of the location.Position is located in Fairlawn (near Akron).Contact Brandy Estes at 713-525-5571 today!
Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has taken steps to simplify the advance funeral planning process for consumers by developing a series of customizable forms and contracts—available at no cost to its members.
Under the standard of Preneed with Integrity™, NFDA continues to focus on raising the bar on preneed practices and ethics. NFDA’s new business form templates, written in consumer-friendly language, will help funeral directors educate families about the preneed agreements they are signing. “When a family is preplanning a funeral, there are so many things for them to consider and choices to make,” said Shaun Myers, CFSP, a member of NFDA’s Executive Board and chair of its Preneed With IntegrityTM Work Group. “Even though we do our best to try and make the process clear and easy to understand, we can do better. Anything we can do to simplify the preplanning process and be more transparent is beneficial to families.” The two new packets of forms are: · Sample Preneed Funeral Contract PacketNFDA’s Model Consumer Protection Guidelines for State Preneed Funeral Statutes list more than 30 disclosures that should be contained in preneed contracts. Using those disclosures, NFDA has developed 10 contracts covering a variety of preneed scenarios – insurance or trust funded; irrevocable or revocable; guaranteed price or non-guaranteed price. Each sample contract incorporates the information and disclosures recommended in NFDA’s model guidelines, giving consumers an easy-to-read, comprehensive description of the terms and conditions of the preneed contract. · Insurance Assignment Forms and Information PacketInsurance is widely used to fund preneed and at-need funeral arrangements. Therefore, it is important that insurance policies and proceeds be properly assigned and paid to the funeral home. The packet contains forms for verifying information needed for at-need funeral arrangements; verifying insurance information for preneed funding; assigning insurance policy proceeds to fund an at-need funeral; and assigning a life insurance policy to fund a preneed contract. All of NFDA’s forms can be customized by funeral directors to include their specific funeral home policies and state-mandated information and disclosures. NFDA members can obtain these forms free-of-charge via the NFDA FaxBack system. The system can be accessed via the NFDA Website, www.nfda.org/faxback.php, or through a toll-free telephone number, 800-713-0661. If members have difficulty accessing the forms, they should contact their personal NFDA member services representative at 800-228-6332 for assistance. NFDA is the world’s leading funeral service association, serving 19,500 individual members who represent more than 10,000 funeral homes in the United States and internationally. From its headquarters in Brookfield, Wis., and its Advocacy office in Washington, D.C., NFDA informs, educates and advocates to help members enhance the quality of service they provide to families. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
As you probably heard by now, Stewart Enterprises has rejected SCI's bid to buy the company in a deal valued at $881.7 million. I was wondering what funeral service think of this blockbuster news?
Do you think that given the fact that SCI has said it could possibly boost it's offer, that this might eventually go through? If it were to happen, what would the impact be on the funeral industry, on suppliers and for consumers? What positives and negatives would result from such a deal? And also, does this signal that the industry is ripe for consolidation? Even if this deal is rejected, does this signal that SCI will double its efforts to acquire properties, and that other large players out there might do the same? I'll be taking calls from people on this subject until noon on Thursday, and if you have any thoughts to offer that you think might put this deal into perspective and highlight what it means for the profession, then I hope to hear from you - either by the phone (732-730-2586), or if you prefer, in writing, or on this very message board. I may be using comments as quotes in my story, so please keep that in mind. Thank you very much for your time. Sincerely, Thomas A. Parmalee Executive Editor Kates-Boylston Publications Phone: 732-730-2586 Fax: 732-730-2515 www.katesboylston.com To subscribe to Funeral Service Insider, call 1-800-500-4585.
No matter how much money is paid or offered for the "big chain" funeral homes, one fact is clear. Local funeral directors who take care of their families with service and low prices, will in the end succeed. The trend in west Kentucky is lower prices and caring service
Regardless of what type of firm (corp of Family owned) the goal should always be CARING SERVICE for a fair cost.
Brookfield, Wis. – This July, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) formally joined the Coalition for Affordable American Energy (CAAE), a group of 77 trade associations urging Congress to take swift action to combat rising energy costs.
CAAE’s first action was to send a letter to Congress expressing concern about rising energy costs and urging “decisive, effective and immediate action.” The letter, in part, states: “The skyrocketing cost of oil and gas is now impacting every industry sector, large and small businesses, and every American who relies on gasoline or diesel fuel for work and family needs … Continued escalation in the price of oil and gas threatens the U.S. economy and is having a devastating impact on the budgets of American households. Congress must act now to respond to the need for affordable energy with stable prices by taking every possible step to encourage the environmentally sensitive development of domestic energy resources.” The trade associations that comprise CAAE represent a variety of industries, including the American Bakers Association, American Council of Engineering Companies, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the National Retail Federation and the Society of American Florists. NFDA is the only funeral service organization to join the coalition. To help Congress better understand the impact of rising energy costs on funeral service, NFDA is currently conducting a survey of its members to determine how rising fuel and energy prices are impacting funeral homes and funeral prices. “We’ll share the data we gather from the survey with Congress so they can see how our country’s current energy policies are negatively impacting small businesses and why immediate relief is needed,” says NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy John Fitch Jr. NFDA is the world’s leading funeral service association, serving 19,500 individual members who represent more than 10,000 funeral homes in the United States and internationally. From its headquarters in Brookfield, Wis., and its Advocacy office in Washington, D.C., NFDA informs, educates and advocates to help members enhance the quality of service they provide to families. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
Apex Casket is pleased to announce our Inspiration Casket one of our newest casket for this summer of 2008. The Inspiration casket features Hand rubbed high Gloss finish and urn cut corners. This casket gives our funeral homes a luxurious casket offering at a price that is affordable for even the most budget minded family. These caskets feature white goose velvet beaded spread and full lining and a tailored pillow that is suitable for male and female alike. This solid Elwood casket will be available for delivery starting in the middle of August. Apex continues its commitment to quality and innovation at a very affordable price with the Inspiration Casket . The price to the funeral home is $1720; standard delivery included anywhere in the continental US.
In addition to the Inspiration casket, Apex continues to bring a full line of affordable quality caskets, both traditional and innovative, to our funeral directors. We have a continued commitment to provide the funeral industry with quality products in conjunction with competitive pricing. Watch for more new product releases in the coming weeks.
To see Apex’s entire product line, go to www.apexcasket.com . Email any questions to sales@apexcasket.com . You can also call to request a catalog at 1-888-680-6800.
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I love the 4th of July. A true American Holiday! Thank You to all the Service Men and Women serving our country. Land of the free and home of the brave.
I spent tonight with my family on our boat watching some fireworks. Above is a short clip.
I also think that I love this holiday so much because it was the only time of the year it was OK, as a little boy, to play with fire and explosives! If you have any cool stories of things you may or may not have blown up, please do share!!
Also, this 4th of July is special because is it exactly one week before the release of the new iPhone!
R u gettin' the new iphone? SWEET!
I wish I was getting the new iPhone!! I am a Verizion subscriber, but if it were available for Verizon I would be in line right now!!
This is an article I read on Boing Boing. Great blog, lots of off the wall stuff. The article was originally posted on Yahoo News. I found the article to be very interesting. Times are changing, and the way we do funeral services is changing. The funeral industry is being revolutionized!
Australians Making Odd Choices For Funeral Songs
ADELAIDE, Australia - Hymns are being replaced at funerals in one Australian city by popular rock classics like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," a cemetery manager said Wednesday.
At Centennial Park, the largest cemetery and crematorium in the southern city of Adelaide, only two hymns still rank among its top 10 most popular funeral songs: "Amazing Grace" and "Abide With Me."
Leading the funeral chart is crooner Frank Sinatra's classic hit "My Way," followed by Louis Armstrong's version of "Wonderful World," a statement said.
The Led Zeppelin and AC/DC rock anthems rank outside the top 10, but have gained ground in recent years as more Australians give up traditional Christian hymns.
"Some of the more unusual songs we hear actually work very well within the service because they represent the person's character," Centennial Park chief executive Bryan Elliott said.
Among other less conventional choices were "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by the Monty Python comedy team, "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead," "Hit the Road Jack," "Another One Bites the Dust" and "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead."
Robbie’s ‘Angels’, Sinatra’s ‘My way’ and Queen’s ‘Who wants to live forever’ or how about Monty Python - Always Look on the Bright Side of Life as well as Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
These have been top choices here in the UK for a few years. Others include"Light my fire" and "the birdie song".
Gee
It is not a fad, it is not a trend, it is the way our society has learned to function. It is the way people find information about things they don’t know a lot about. It is the Internet, and people use websites to find information out about businesses. Last time I wrote about getting your website up to par, now once that is done what is next?
Funeral Industry: Don't Let Your Competitor "One Up" You
Put your web address on everything. Put it on your business cards, stationary, checks return address labels, all advertising, and MOST OF ALL put in at the end of ALL THE OBITUARIES you submit to the newspapers. Don’t let your competitor “ONE UP” you and do if first. If they are already doing it, then you need to do it and do it better. Put your logo below the obit with your web address below it.
Why is this important? You just spend valuable dollars getting your website perfect, now you need people to traffic it. What is better than using an obit that the whole community reads, and it is free?
If you are already doing this then keep it up. If you are not, then you need to seriously considerate it. The more you get your firms name in front of potential customers, the better chance you have of being the first firm they think of in a tie of need.
I think it's great idea, why not?
