August 2020

Page A4 AUGUST 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A Funeral Directors Research,Inc. AMRA INSTRUMENT, LLC 623 N. Tower (P.O. Box 359) Centralia, WA 98531 “the shorter the supply line the better off you are” WEB DIRECT GIFT & PRICING TM ® www.amrainstruments.com www.preproomdirect.com Sheesham Our popular hand-carved Rosewood urn now comes in a Jumbo size. This 260 cubic inch urn is perfect for families planning to scatter their loved one’s ashes or for those on a budget. The dimensions of this urn are 9.8” x 6.8” x 5.5” tall and they come 8 to a case and cost $25 each. Sheeshamurns.com • 651-450-7727 • service@foreverpets.com SCATTERING URN By Nancy Weil I simply cannot bring myself to read yet another ar- ticle focused on how the funeral industry charges too much and how the consumer needs to be wary of where they go and who they use. If they substituted the word “wedding” for “funeral” somehow the price would seem reasonable and acceptable. Yet for a cer- emony designed to honor their loved one and help the family with their mourning process, we are suddenly the bad guys who prey on their emotions and pry open their wallets to get everything we can out of it. I have tried to respond to every journalist who has written a one-sided article requesting that they speak to a funeral director to get their side of the story, but have never heard back from even one of them. It seems that the negative bias towards funeral costs remains and there is little interest in providing a balanced narrative. Funeral professionals should never be lumped in with the “used car salesman” level of consumer trust. Hav- ing just gone through a true “used car salesman” experi- ence, it only makes me more determined to defend the funeral homes and cemeteries who are going above and beyond to help families at a reasonable cost. The dealership where I leased my car mailed me a fly- er advertising the opportunity to “terminate my lease early.” Since my lease is up in November, I thought it was worth getting more information about my op- tions. During rising COVID-19 rates in my state, I Random Musings went to the dealership with an appointment, met the salesman and asked him to meet me outside the show- room. I shared with him that I was only interested in leasing the same model of car I currently have and so he went back in to work up some figures. Imagine my sur- prise when he came out with the proposal and it con- tained both the new lease as well as all of the remaining payments for my current lease. When I questioned how that was “terminating” my lease, he explained that the lease would technically be terminated. I explained that if I had to pay for a car that I did not have the benefit of driving, that is hardly a fair deal. In fact, I considered it a bait-and-switch ad that put people at risk by enticing them to venture out during a pandemic. I later heard from the general manager who questioned what I thought would happen. I told him that I expected the dealership to absorb any costs in order to make a sale and that my lease would be terminated. He argued that they should not have to pay for this and I could see that this conversation over what the word “terminate” means was going nowhere. Next, I turned to the experts, or as most would call them, my Facebook friends! All who had turned in a lease early had their dealer take care of any costs involved. Feeling vindicat- ed that my thinking was not in error, I wrote to the owner of the dealership group. I now wait for his response. I do know that I will never do business with his company again. I share this story to illustrate the frustration I have when our profession is viewed as if we are the ones treating consumers this same way. While there may be a minority of funeral homes who do not operate under ethical business practices, most do every day…no mat- ter what…fair prices charged for extraordinary service. I am proud to be associated with you (and in Novem- ber I’ll let you know what car I am driving!) And They Say We’re Bad???? Serving as Member Resources Director at the International Order of the Golden Rule, Nancy Weil brings her years of experience work- ing in the funeral industry to funeral directors across the globe. Her professional experience includes serving as Director of Grief Support and Community Outreach at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, FL and at eleven cemeteries in Western New York. Nancy travels throughout the country offering presentations on how to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and offer support for those who are grieving through her company, The Laugh Academy. With certifications as a Grief Services Provider and Grief Manage- ment Specialist, Funeral Celebrant, Soul Injury Ambassador and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified to bring new perspec- tives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. For more information on how Nancy can help you and your company grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or e-mail Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.com. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Industry Leaders share Insights in New Video Series by Funeral Innovations: Trends, Tips, and Technology Heather McWilliams Mierzejewski, Director of Marketing Joey Haas, Marketing and Design Coordinator WEST DES MOINES,IA— Funeral Innovations, the dig- ital marketing experts, now publish weekly videos where they chat with funeral industry leaders to share insights, ideas, and innovation relevant to funeral professionals. Viewers can learn about upcoming industry trends, get tips from others who are succeeding, and learn about how new technologies can help businesses grow. Funeral Innovations: Trends, Tips, and Technology is an easily accessible and personal way to see what others in the industry are doing to adapt as the funeral indus- try continues to evolve. Hearing first-hand experienc- es helps funeral directors take charge of their business, learn what marketing efforts are working, and see what products and services industry partners offer. ing has changed services and offerings, and how to most ef- fectively resume services. The videos also share the valuable and creative ways funeral homes and cemeteries across the country are thinking creatively about marketing and services to continue to serve their communities. Interviewees include small funeral homes in rural regions, large, family-owned firms, and multi-rooftop companies. Funeral Innovations looks for cemetery interviewees, too, and finds death care vendors willing to offer practical advice for improving and growing funeral homes and cemeteries. To access the video series, visit Funeral Innovations’ You- Tube channel, their Facebook page, or blog . These 20-minute inter- views cover how firms have adjusted during the pan- demic, how social distanc- Caver Funeral Home takes Delivery of Two New Coaches DETROIT,MI— Johnell Caver Sr. (center) recent- ly took delivery of two new 2019 Kensington XTS Ca- dillac coaches. The coaches were custom ordered to his specifications from Ameri- can Coach Sales of Cleve- land, OH. Mr. Caver is the owner of Caver Memorial Funeral Home in Detroit as well as the Johnell Cav- er Your Home for Funer- als in Lake Wales, FL. Mr. Caver is a longstanding member of both the Inde- pendent Funeral Directors of Florida and the Michi- gan Funeral Directors Asso- ciation. Also pictured: (left) Steve Burgess of American Coach and Pastor Ryan P. Johnson. S E N D U S Y O U R N E W S ! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 1-800-321-7479 info@nomispublications.com