This is a continuation of my previous post.
To review – we have had some challenges with folks, both at-need and pre-need, getting service and price quotes then going to another funeral home. Then the other firm quotes a lesser price for a completely different set of services and merchandise. Are we asking things in the wrong order? Is there a better way of giving information to folks that will help them make decisions that they will be happy with?
Just so you understand, I am a systems guy. I have an engineering degree in Management Science and I really believe that if the system is designed right, it will work. So I look at this as a decision tree situation. Like in computer programming we learn to do everything with If, Then, Else statements; If you want to view the body Then we’ll need to decide about public or private viewing or Else you don’t want to view the body and we’ll move on to the next section.
So this isn’t just about price shoppers, it’s about all people planning funerals.
There are four main decision areas that families need to make choices in for every single arrangement.
- Their Budget
- Burial Or Cremation
- Viewing the Body
- Visitations, Gatherings, Services and Reception
(Merchandise is a whole other topic and doesn’t come into play until the above choices are made)
Now none of these areas and decisions is more important than the other and you can talk about them in any order. But choices that are made in each one of these areas will affect the other three areas.
So where do you start?
Well, this is the way it has been for us and I’m guessing hundreds of other funeral homes;
In general terms, after getting the biographical info, we first asked folks if they had an idea about what they wanted to do. And for years, they did. Because over 75% of the calls were the same – embalm, casket, vault, visitation, service, procession, cemetery. The only variation was which casket and which vault. And when they did choose cremation it was either direct, memorial service or rental package. Then we pull out the price list, add it all up and say this is what it’ll cost. They’d say OK. Done Deal.
Things are different now. There are more options. The public is doing lots of different things. The economy is terrible and money is tight. Funeral Homes continue to get bashed in the press and there is a lack of trust. Plus the families are spread far and wide so they don’t always have personal relationship with the hometown funeral home they are dealing with. Consumers are bombarded with “Low Price” advertising for everything. Baby Boomers, no matter how well off they are, pride themselves in finding the best deal. And this list could go on for several more paragraphs.
Is it time that we, funeral homes, change our approach? Do we start talking about price first? Or will that make the public think (even more than they already do) that we’re only interested in money? Can we phrase things so that people will understand that we empathize with their situation, both financial and emotional. We’re trying to help them find the solution for them that will meet all of their needs, financial and emotional. Yes we need to be paid for our services, but we’re not trying to get them to buy something they don’t need or want.
Should we present folks with a piece of paper or a slide on the screen that has the 4 areas listed above and say “folks where would you like to start”? Would this help avoid sticker shock when we talk about how much everything will cost?
I want to carry this conversation on more with funeral folks and with the general public. Tell me what you think.
I’m Dale Clock. Thanks for listening.
Dale-Time 
Dale, great conversation starter. If you don’t mind I am going to ask my readers to help out. This is important. i have some answers but they are part of a 6 week course i have just finished. The first is to find out if there will be any one else participating in the final decision? if so, then you need to have that person there.
I will try and think about how I can lay out a system but it would be better to have other practitioners weigh in.
BY THE WAY. it is very impressive that they all came back. That tells me they wanted to use you. in the one case you just didn’t give them enough reason. Don’t know what would have swayed it because I wasn’t there. but I do know that having them return is a major win.
Thanks for the comment Alan. I’d appreciate all the input I can get.
Dale
The “Twin Sons” CD was the very first CD I ever purchased, when I bought a very early version of a CD player back in 1984. At that time, it was very new technology and I had probably less than a dozen titles to select from. My collection now numbers over 1,000 and that has been impacted by iTunes.
I often use the term “Twin Sons of Different Mothers” to illustrate the concept of Philosophical Congruency, simply meaning we think alike.
Back to the topic at hand…..
I am the owner of two funeral homes. Whenever I am there, I am the first one to answer the phone, unless I am with someone. When you get a shopper, you need to set the pace and be the expert. Turn away from your computer screen, put your feet up on the desk and make believe that you have nothing else to do other than talk to them. The longer you keep them on, the better your chances for getting the call. At the end, I always ask if there was anything I didn’t explain to their satisfaction and close by stating that as the owner of the funeral home, I promise that we will do everything we can to assist them and to get them through this difficult time.
Often, this works, occasionally it doesn’t. Being the oldest/largest firm in the area, any of my “colleagues” will be happy to discount their prices to get the call. We believe that people do that…get a price from us and then use that to get a lower price somewhere else. And that fact backs up a long held belief that most people in a community see no difference between funeral homes and give little, careful consideration as to why to select one over the other. Sure, every firm (hopefully) has their fan club, but most people do not pay attention to funeral homes and most funeral directors live in the illusion that they do.
From Aiken, SC, this is the Simple, Village Undertaker
Ray, good comments. but philosophy and “simple village undertaker” seem at odds.
I have volunteered to help out on this quest for answers so there are a couple of comments on this subject on my blog already. you can view them on http://www.creedycomments.wordpress.com
I understand how to handle phone price shoppers. I took Mike Kubasak’s online course through Rob Heppell, and Mike has great ideas that echo what Ray has said here and what Matt Grieco said on Alan’s site. I agree with all of that.
But what Phil Conway describes on Alan’s site is the challenge that I think many of us face. It’s what I refer to as having to “Cowboy the Funeral” to get the call.
You have to rope in the family, cut the deal, tie em up,give em a discount, throw in an extra visitation, whatever it takes to get-er-done because we can’t afford to let them walk. And that situation is coming up over and over again as of lately. I hate doing that. It cheapens who I am and what I have to offer. There was a time when I wouldn’t do it, but things have changed. And what I’m trying to figure out is a system of presenting our offerings that will eliminate the wheeling and dealing that Phil describes.
Dale