Many people enter the funeral service profession for a variety of reasons. Some choose this career because of family tradition and others feel a calling to serve the families they serve.
The Board licenses funeral directors, embalmers, funeral establishments and crematory establishments. It also investigates complaints against professionals and imposes disciplinary sanctions when necessary.
Professionalism
As Mark Twain said, “They do it without praise and without complaint.” Funeral professionals offer guidance and support during a difficult time. They help families understand their options and guide them through a mourning process that may involve counseling. They also provide death certificates for insurance companies, banks and Social Security.
Your NFDA-licensed funeral professional is required to adhere to the Code of Ethics. This self-driven set of standards raises the bar for funeral professionals and ensures that if a problem arises, it will be dealt with fairly.
IFDA offers a variety of continuing education programs for funeral directors and other industry participants. These programs count towards your licensure requirement and are offered by a wide range of providers and sponsors including educational institutions, government agencies, professional or trade associations and foundations. Becoming a CFSP sets you apart professionally and lets your colleagues and customers know that you are committed to lifelong learning.
Customer Service
Customer service is often one of the most important elements of any business. Funeral homes are no different. Providing excellent customer service is a way to show families that your firm cares about them and their loved ones.
Many funeral homes have a chat feature on their website where customers can talk to a live representative. This is a great way to answer questions immediately. It also allows you to keep track of customer comments and feedback.
Funeral consumers can also get help and advice from the Funeral Consumers Alliance, which offers free pamphlets on funeral planning and a directory of local volunteer funeral planners. The NFDA Help Line and the ICCFA Cemetery Consumer Service Council may be able to offer informal mediation on complaints. Licensing requirements vary by state for funeral directors and embalmers. Some states require an associate degree while others do not. The American Board of Funeral Service Education has a scholarship program that can help students fund their studies.
Transparency
In a time of grief, transparency helps build trust. When families understand their costs upfront, they can focus on saying goodbye without worrying about exploitation or unexpected bills. Picaluna Funerals takes pride in bringing transparency to the industry and believes this is vital for their clients’ well-being. They source all necessary elements at wholesale prices and apply a modest 35% service fee, which they then donate to the family’s charity of choice.
The federal Trade Commission is weighing updates to the 40-year-old Funeral Rule to prevent deceptive practices. But the industry’s lobbying arm has a powerful presence in Washington and has used its influence to block efforts by consumer advocates to require funeral homes to post their pricing lists online.
The funeral directors association has argued that most consumers shop for a funeral by visiting or calling the home they intend to use, and that posting prices online would be counterproductive to their business. But consumer advocates say more people would shop online if they could easily find the general price list on websites.
Ethics
Members support high standards of education for the funeral profession and its members. They act conscientiously with families and the public in accordance with enlightened business standards and practices and maintain their establishments in a clean, sanitary condition.
They do not engage in unfair or deceptive marketing practices or make untrue statements of any kind. They disclose their professional credentials and certifications to clients upon request.
They do not accept kickbacks, rebates or bonuses from funeral-related vendors and report to their supervising licensed funeral directors any potential conflicts of interest. FCA Boards may collaborate with funeral-related vendors on projects that benefit the interests of funeral consumers, so long as they do not exert or appear to exert a self-interested or partisan influence. Additionally, if they volunteer for community or religious entities that offer low-cost burial services or alternatives to the commercial market, or if they are affiliated with university-affiliated anatomical donation programs, these do not count as conflicts of interest.