Once in a while we get to hear what a difference the GFG has made to people – especially since we upped the amount of info we offer on our website. We’ve recently added heaps of helpful, informative documents that people can download. It’s proving very popular.
When a family organising a funeral decide exactly what they want before they get to the undertaker – when they march in with a complete list of arrangements and simply ask the undertaker to get on with it – isn’t that very disempowering for the funeral director? Doesn’t it downgrade them, detract from their status, devalue them?
No. And here’s the reason. It alters their role – in all sorts of positive ways.
In this altered role the client-funeral director relationship is essentially collaborative. The empowered client sees the funeral director as a partner and enabler. The arrangements are enriched by the advice and guidance of the funeral director, whose consultancy value remains, of course, high – funeral directors know what works and what doesn’t. The empowered client doesn’t know it all: the funeral director is still the expert. As I said, it’s a partnership.
The resulting safedrugstock order cialis online html funeral is in every way far more fitting and meaningful and creative and rich. When it’s over, the family punch the air. A happy client is a proud client – proud that they found out what they could do, proud that they found the right partner to help them do it, proud that they did all they could, and proud that they got it right. Such a client is also a grateful client.
For the funeral director and the celebrant, a funeral created in this way is a joy from start to finish.
And it’s really nice not to have to start, for once, with: “Do you know if Mum wanted to be buried or cremated?”
Needless to say, empowered clients find their funeral director from our list of accredited, recommended funeral directors.
Clients like these are going to multiply. There’s an enormous amount of information available, it’s readily googlable and nothing’s going to put the clock back. The information revolution is not to be feared and resented.
There’s a discussion to be had about what information it is irresponsible to broadcast. We’ll deal with that tomorrow.
I think it is fantastic when people come and see me and they know exactly what they want. Yes, we are still there to advise and offer slight alternatives that may give a much better result but we have something to work with. Eco coffin…of course. Have you thought about a woodland burial? Motorcycle hearse…not a problem. Have you thought about bespoke cardboard coffin that is the same price as a MDF coffin? No flowers, have you thought about donations to a charity? Once we have an idea of what the family wants, then there are probably other products and… Read more »
LOOK FOR THE BARE NECESSITIES… We are burial ground managers. We don’t sell funeral products or services. Usually, when a family calls us they have not been to see a funeral director. We’ll meet them at the burial ground and let them know how things work and spend an hour or more (less if it’s raining) gently walking and talking. We explain our ethos – to keep things simple, natural and beautiful. Whilst walking around the burial ground there is inspiration from the place itself – birdsong, a particular viewpoint, the perfect place to pitch a marquee, somewhere for music,… Read more »
What a beautifully expressed piece, it could turn the cremation society on to natural burial with its emphasis on the evocative power of sensual experience.
“…a really meaningful experience, not based on funeral products or services, but based on the experience…” LOUDER please, James! It saddens me to hear it said over and over again that the revolution in funerals is about choice – meaning choice of things you can buy to ‘personalize’ a funeral. Ultimately, it’s not the accessories that people will remember, but the presence of the person at their event.
* When I say ‘piece’ I mean, of course, your piece, James. I pressed the wrong button at the wrong time!