Funeral Words

Now On FuneralWire

I have had to wait a few weeks for the piece to get posted but as of today www.funeralwire.com has posted a feature article I wrote about the pricing pressures related to increases in cremation and preneed shortfalls.

I think you have to "subscribe" (free, they just verify your email address) in order to get full access to the article but here is the link.

The Cre-Need Squeeze

If you don't know about FuneralWire, you should put it on your regular reading listed. Doug Hernan (formerly of the Funeral Service Insider) does the editing and posts a regular stream of articles. You will also find regularly updated news service items related directly to funeral service.

BT

P.S. I have finally started to shake off the pneumonia. Wow, never so sick as an adult but my energy has started to return and I can't wait to get working again. You should see some new stuff from me soon.

Could not resist

I have a habit of sifting though off-beat websites in search of inspiration or just good examples of true out of the box thinking. Keeps me on my toes, etc. etc.

Well today I came across one of those elegantly weird ideas that also can't help but make make you laugh on first site. Follow the link below to get the full scoop. According to their site it encourages good posture, strengthens abdominal support. I just want to see what they would do with it on a comedy show like The Office. Imagine the possible story lines! 

Doctor Ritter's ErgoChair

Flu Bug, not Computer Bug

I apologize for the limited postings this week. I got a nasty bug which sapped the strength right out of me. I still have some more recovering to do, but within a day or two I should get back to my regular posting routine.

Thanks for your patience and have a fantastic weekend.

BT

Marriott is not our biggest competition

I received the latest digest from FuneralWatch the online message board organized by Kates-Boylston (American Funeral Director, Funeral Service Insider, etc.). It contained a question from a funeral home in Ohio asking how to price for a memorial "gathering" which the family held at the funeral home.

Somehow, I think they left out part of the story but that's okay, it still got me thinking again about the challenges we face in a growing cremation marketplace in the East.

In many cases with cremation, we find ourselves competing with the local church hall or other non-profit facility which through donations or offerings some member of the family has already paid the "dues" to use. That means FREE!!! or something very close to free in many cases.

Given that situation, the funeral home HAS to invest in their own facilities to make the space better suited to a memorial gathering than the local church hall. For instance, higher quality audio and video resources to display memories. Unique display equipment and a more comfortable decor. Each neighborhood will be a bit different but when the casket goes away, our traditionally unique resources (everything from casket biers to hearses, on and on) have very little meaning. We have to replace those unique resources with something else. Otherwise, we have nothing left to do but watch those families head off in another direction.

Easy? Hardly, but what other choice do we have?

Grief on the Web

Here's a new piece from MSNBC which describes the increasing use of the Web for teens to express grief. Well worth the read.

Social networking and blogging sites offer forum for condolences

This is WalMart???

MSNBC.com posted a special report today which outlines the many changes at work with the retailer WalMart. Despite many years of non-stop growth, the discounter has run into problems lately continuing the streak and now all of a sudden they find themselves chasing other stores such as Target. Consumer tastes have grown a bit more sophisticated in recent years and the cluttered stores do not appeal to a wide enough audience to keep the company growing.

To keep pace, they have embarked on a plan to renovate 1800 stores in 18 months according to MSNBC. That's huge!

I have yet to see a major renovation at any of the stores close to me, but I have noticed how the displays in some departments have become more "designer" in look and feel. Just look at the photo above. Yes, that was taken at a Wal-Mart.

This represents a significant shift in retailing and yes, we as funeral directors need to pay attention. Our retail presentations (of our merchandise and services, selection rooms, GPLs etc. etc.) will get judged by other consumer experiences and if even Wal-Mart gets ahead of us in the style department when we're trying to merchandise multi-thousand dollar products and services, we really have a problem.

I already had the impression that the slat-wall systems typical of our major suppliers had gotten out of date. Now I REALLY think so. We need to push the designers of these systems to get out into the real world of retail and start bringing us options that meet the new style challenges our consumers present.

For further review you will find the MSNBC article here: Wal-Mart Spiffs Up

"Open Access" Hospice

Under traditional insurance rules, when someone transitioned into hospice they had to give up most forms of medical treatment for their disease. In the process, many people chose to forgo hospice until the very last because the word "hospice" also meant "giving up".

Now, at least a few health insurers have started experiments which allow for traditional medical treatment to continue while a person also enrolls in a hospice program. This way individuals and families get the help they need earlier in the end of life process, rather than using emergency room visits (a much more expensive approach) to manage the later stages of the disease.

To read more, follow this link to a full article on the New York Times website:

NY Times: A Chance to Pick Hospice and Still Hope to Live

Uniform Alternative

One of those dreaded moments arrived at the funeral home a couple of weeks ago. Our supply of staff ties had run out and we needed to purchase a replacement. In our case, that means buying more than 100 matching ties. Not always and easy thing to do.

Thankfully, one of my staff came across Twin Hill, the corporate apparel division of the Men's Wearhouse retail chain. They did a great job handling our requests. We ordered a few samples which arrived in a couple of days. One more phone call and we had a full supply within another four or five days. Easy, simple and very reasonably priced, less than $15.00 each for teflon coated polyester which will resist stains and should wear well.

I don't have the catalog right in front of me (been home sick this weekend and still recuperating) so I can't quote prices, but they also sell men's and women's business separates for uniform purposes. They also have a full custom shop, where you can design a uniform specific to your business.

Well worth checking out. You can find them at:

TwinHill Corporate Apparel

For the Golfers in the Crowd

Take a look at SkyKap: Sky Cap Product Page

I am not much of a golfer but I do have an eye for gadgets. According to the website, they have incorporated GPS and a simple voice recognition computer into the bill of this hat. When combined with a golf course map on your computer, it can track your round, keep score, help you mind your play pace, on and on.

They only introduced it a couple of weeks ago at the PGA Merchandise Show, so don't expect to find one at the local pro shop just yet. In a few months though, could be a hot item assuming the voice recogition works reasonably well.

I would love to hear a user review at some point. Let me know if you get one.

BT

Like Using the Drive-thru

As I drove to the grocery store this evening, I passed by a McDonalds which looked nearly empty for supper. During my childhood and youth, McDonalds would crowd with people most meal times. Of course things have changed.

Then something dawned on me. McDonalds continues to make money and serve people just fine. Only they must do this with drive-thru customers instead of sit down diners. This probably means they can operate with a smaller dining room and such. Nevertheless, people do not get a discount just because they choose to skip the dining room. Doesn't something similar apply to funerals?

Families may indeed choose a do-it-yourself approach to holding a funeral. Nevertheless, the funeral director and the funeral home brings a variety of expertise and accomplishment to the services the family does choose.

Perhaps the next time someone questions your pricing as relates to a limited or direct-type disposition, you can use the analogy of a drive-thru or take home service at the restaurant. Under those circumstances we expect to pay the exact same amount as the people sitting at the tables in the dining room.

Who knows, might help you work things out once in a while.

BT