June 2018

Page A4 JUNE 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A By Nancy Weil Striking a Balance We are in a business of cycles. Unlike agriculture that changes with each season or football that has an actual season named after it, the funeral industry has unpredict- able fluctuations. It seems to go between too many funer- als all at once and the phone not ringing enough. What is the tipping point between this and a balanced workload? What does working in this predictable unpredictability do to a funeral professional? This occurs in both funeral homes and cemeteries across America. It makes it difficult to staff when you are not cer- tain of what you will need from one week to the next. I re- call many times our interment orders overwhelming a day and needing to call in retired staff to help out, while other days sat empty during the same week. I have witnessed the scrambling to cover all of our funerals one week only to see a trickle of calls come in the next. Yes, death is unpredictable, but I think it goes beyond that. Funerals occur every day, but not all occur at your funeral home or cemetery. When you are busiest, your neighboring funeral home may be quiet. When you are praying not to have too many burials on the hottest day of Random Musings the year, you will be overwhelmed with services that require not only excellence in customer service, but an eye on the health and welfare of your staff. It seems as if being too busy leads to stress and not being busy enough leads to anxiety. Yet this is the business you signed up for. It is the nature of it and it will not change. Ac- ceptance of this fact is the first step to maintaining your bal- ance in a sea of unknowns. You also have to have a plan for both the busy and the calm days. Your budget must address the peaks and valleys. Most of all, you need to know that no matter what is happening externally you have the power to face it with peacefulness internally. Here are some steps you can take to master this tool: • Make a check list of each step that must be done for each service. This way you will not miss a beat when you are juggling multiple funerals. • Just like the Ghostbusters, “Who you gonna call?” Have ample backup staff ready to call in when needed. • Determine what tasks are on your “gotta do” list and what is on your “wanna do” list. On slower days, tackle the “wanna do” list. • When it is slow, go. Head out the door and make com- munity connections. Market your company to senior fa- cilities, hospices, hospitals, doctors…anywhere that you can go. • Breathe. No matter the pace of the day, you can still take time for a few deep breaths to settle your energy and help you focus. • Eat. Have a plan for fueling your body on the hectic days. Keep healthy snacks nearby and simple food you can grab and go. Avoid the unhealthy options at a fast food drive thru window. Your brain and body respond to the food you offer, so be sure you plan ahead for the schedule you face and take the time to eat. While these steps may seem apparent, they are a start to your balanced living plan. In a stress filled working environ- ment, facing the day with a plan of action can help you stay in a better feeling place, no matter what shows up in your day. You take care of so many people, just be sure you are one of the people on your own list. For more ideas on how to reduce stress and find balance, check out my new NFDA on- line learning course Ten Tools for Stress Relief at http://www.nfda.org/education/online-learning/courses WithcertificationsasaGriefServicesProviderandGriefManagement Specialist, Funeral Celebrant, as well as Laughter Leader, Nancy Weil is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. A professional speaker, Nancy travels the country bringing effective tools to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and handle grief to companies, associations and conferences large and small. With a passionate interest in the healing qualities of laughter, she is known for her energetic, entertaining and content rich programs. In addition to talks geared to the general public, she has also been brought in by funeral directors to offer (CEU) programs to funeral staff, nurses, chaplains and social work- ers in their communities. Nancy has developed the most comprehensive aftercare program of any cemetery or funeral home in the country and is currently di- recting aftercare programs, community outreach and marketing at Veterans Funeral Care. She consults with industry professionals in how they can develop or grow their own grief support program in order to maintain contact with the families they serve and develop stronger relationships within their community. Her book, If Stress Doesn’t Kill You, Your Family Might , is filled with tools that work to reduce stress and find your “inner happy.” For more information on how Nancy can help you and your business grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or by email at: Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.com . www.nomispublications.com Funeral Home & Cemetery News Contributors share insights and exchange ideas. B logs 864-509-9199 $995 Daisies Your Journey Through Aftercare Newsletter Celebrates Third Anniversary FTC Undercover Inspections of Funeral Homes in 11 States Test Prompt Compliance with Funeral Rule Disclosure Requirement s In addition, the FTC identified a number of funeral homes, within the tested areas, with only minor com- pliance deficiencies. In such cases, the FTC requires the funeral home to provide evidence that it has cor- rected the problems. Since the FROP began in 1996, the FTC has inspected nearly 3,200 funeral homes and found 559 homes with violations that required referral to FROP. This year, the FTC wishes to thank Indiana Attorney General Curtis T. Hill, Jr., for the valuable assistance provided by his office. The FTC educates consumers in English and Spanish about their rights under the Funeral Rule, and provides guidance to businesses in how to comply. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a con- sumer complaint online at www.ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Continued from Page A2 CHICAGO,IL— Kyle &Associates Publica- tions recently celebrated the third anniversa- ry of their groundbreaking Daisies Your Jour- ney Through Aftercare newsletter series with a major announcement. They just signed on their 300th funeral home that will be utiliz- ing the aftercare publication. Alice A. Kyle, president, Kyle & Associ- ates Publications said, “The initial response we received from funeral home owners, when we launched over three years ago, was humbling. Through hard work and dedication, we have been able to distribute the newsletter to 300 of the finest funeral homes across the country. It’s an achieve- ment I could only have dreamt about a few short years ago. I can’t thank everyone enough who has always believed in us!” The twelve issues, copyrighted series were designed to be of genuine aid, consola- Through Grief, Moving Forward, Han- dling Special Days and Your Life Means a Lot to Others. Original written articles in- clude Making Your Wishes Known, Rea- sons People Plan Ahead and Effective Ways to Deal with Your Grief After Others Have Gone Home. The newsletter series can be purchased as a turn-key program, whereby each is- sue will be customized and mailed out by Kyle & Associates Publications or it can be purchased as an entire series in bulk sets, with mail and distribution han- dled by the funeral home. Free news- letter samples can be obtained by mail- ing your name, funeral home name and mailing address to daisies@netnitco.net . Visit Kyle & Associates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KyleAssociatesinc for additional information. tion, education and insight to the reader. Customizable from the funeral home, with a first-class postage stamp, the newsletter ad- dresses such enduring top- ics such as Helping Yourself Send Us Your News! FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS PO Box 5159, Youngst wn, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 • Email info@nomispublications.com