When you are looking at planning your funeral or the funeral of a loved one, would you pick a family owned or corporate owned Funeral Home? What’s the difference? Is there a difference? To someone who isn’t looking very hard there may not seem like there is any difference at all. For someone like myself who works for a Family Funeral Home in Brisbane the difference can be glaringly obvious, although I didn’t notice it at first.
I would never expect anyone who didn’t work in the industry to be immediately aware of the differences but, knowing what I know now, I would hope that people are open to seeing the differences because I do think it can have an impact on families.
What’s Difference?
The most obvious difference in my opinion is that a Family Owned Funeral Home has the ability and the desire to give the family more personal attention and support before, during and after the Funeral. I take pride in the level of support and care that not only myself but the whole team at McCartney Family Funerals gives to our families. They become part of our family. I have heard Lea-Anne speak to me about how when she worked at a corporate Funeral Home, she would be reprimanded for spending too much time with a family, which I think is just so wrong. Sometimes there are families who need that extra care and support and, not only as Funeral Directors, but as human beings, we should be allowed to give that to them without fear of being reprimanded.
Aren’t Corporate Funeral Companies just like Family Owned Ones?
Corporate big named Funeral Homes are answerable to a board of directors, who, in turn, are answerable to shareholders and investors. The bottom line for them is money, they want to see a good return on the money they have invested into the business. It makes sense, that’s how the corporate world works. How does that translate though to the experience a family has when they are grieving the loss of someone who meant the whole world to them? When the people that you are trusting to care for your loved one is being held accountable for the money they can get from you and are expected to spend minimal time with you and still get maximum profit. Its not the funeral directors who want it this way, the big corporate funeral homes don’t have great staff retention, it’s the process that they are expected to adhere to set out by the directors, shareholders and investors.
Another difference which people may not be aware of is that a Funeral Director of a big named Funeral Home can almost have absolutely no involvement in the process of the funeral after doing the arrangement with the family and may not see your loved one until the day of the funeral. That may not seem like such a big deal, but if you think about it where is the connection then to the family? They may not have been there to bring your loved one into care, they would have had no input in any of the finer details of the funeral like how the tribute cards look, how the photo reflection is put together and can sometimes have no contact with the celebrant.
How Do Family Funeral Homes Do It Better?
At a Family run Funeral Home, we are there with you and your loved one the whole way through the process. More often than not, we are there to bringing your loved one into care. We sit and do the arrangement with the family, help with the tribute cards, photo reflection, speak with the celebrant. We are there from start to finish, for the entire journey. After everything is done, we are still there to talk with the family. This can be not only days but weeks or months and even years. We form those connections and are always available for support. Your loved one and you are part of our family and we care about having those connections. Families to us are not a dollar sign or just a number, they are important and they matter.
If you have questions about Family Funeral Homes, Funeral Directors or Funerals, why not get in touch with us on 1300 043 522 or email [email protected]
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