How can I best shop and compare funeral service providers?
Talking with friends who have used the services of a funeral home or your personal experience from attending funeral services of friends or relatives at a variety of funeral homes are excellent methods of comparison. You might also consider just stopping by a funeral home unannounced to experience how you are treated.
Undoubtedly, it is best to make your decision before a need arises. Friends and neighbors can be an excellent source of information. The best way to decide is to visit the funeral home and meet the funeral directors and staff. Many families prefer to deal with locally owned funeral homes rather than funeral homes that are part of large “chains” that must try to make a high profit to satisfy their stockholders.
Talking with friends who have used the services of a funeral home or your personal experience from attending funeral services of friends or relatives at a variety of funeral homes are excellent methods of comparison. You might also consider just stopping by a funeral home unannounced to experience how you are treated. To a lesser degree, you can also gain some experience from randomly contacting various firms by telephone. You can call your local Better Business Bureau to see if complaints have been filed against a local funeral director, and whether they were satisfactorily resolved. Also, you can call one of the national funeral trade associations, which have standards of ethics, to see whether your local funeral homes are members.
