Providing essential guidance and practical help for everyone facing a bereavement throughout the UK
For funeral directors
This website is dedicated to providing a funeral service a unique funeral service. We aim to give impartial advice, guidance and practical solutions to problems that bereaved families experience when a loved-one dies.
The idea behind this website was conceived by a fourth-generation funeral directing company to provide a service for their clients in its local geographical area. It soon became apparent that the services, products and guidance offered were needed by more than just their clients. Enquiries came from all over the United Kingdom and the world. Consequently we have adapted the website to accommodate the obvious and requested need.
We cannot provide a physical funeral service outside our local areas, but we are prepared to work with other like-minded funeral directors who have the ability, willingness and vision to recognise certain needs that bereaved families may have and that might be outside the "normal" funeral. These requests may include a low price funeral, a "green" funeral, a non-religious service anything that might be considered unusual.
When considering the implications of this website, it is worth remembering what we have said before ... that the website and the whole concept behind it was designed and built by a fourth-generation funeral-directing company: many of the pitfalls, problems or opportunities that a funeral director will be considering have already been thought through.
One of the services this website aims to provide is to tell the bereaved just how much a funeral costs. Each year that the total cost for a funeral increases by more than the rate of inflation, there are more and more bereaved relatives who find it necessary, under difficult circumstances, to ring funeral directors for quotes before committing themselves to a particular funeral provider. This web site provides those with the responsibility of making funeral arrangements with all the information, including price, that they will need to find a funeral director who can provide a caring, dignified "value-for-money" funeral service.
There is no doubt that society as a whole is becoming more and more conscious of 'value for money'. Funeral directors are recording an increasing number of people who are expressing their concern about funeral prices, either directly by ringing for a price before committing themselves or indirectly by the increasing number of bad debts that many funeral directors are experiencing.
For some funeral directors, the chance to become part of a network providing a dignified value-for-money funeral will be seen as an 'opportunity' a chance to add greater depth to their advertised service, and the possibility of increasing the number of funerals they carry out, thus better utilising high fixed cost items like the hearse, premises and their staff.
Other funeral directors those who will neither want nor be able to provide a dignified low priced funeral will consider it to be 'impossible' to provide such a service, or will see the whole concept as a threat to their existing business. They may say to themselves "Why should I work for 'nothing'? I'm alright as I am!".
To address some of the questions funeral directors will have about this website and the implications of a low price funerals service, we have prepared a question and answer section below to address the issues involved:
Q: Why offer a low price funeral in the first place?
A: We believe that there is a need for a dignified low price funeral. Every year, without exception, the cost of funerals increases by more than the rate of inflation. Funeral directors know why disbursements now represent a higher percentage of the total funeral invoice than ever before; in some areas the death rate has decreased significantly; the quality of competition is increasing; vehicle costs are increasing, not to mention staff costs; the increase in 'red tape'; and the increase in 'bad debts'; to name but a few reasons. From the client's point of view, the contribution from the DSS (where applicable) does not even cover the average price of a funeral.
Finally, people generally are looking for 'value for money' more than at any time in the past the evidence is all around whether you are shopping for food, clothes, cars, flights, holidays, telephone services, computers, residential care, books etc.
We have had a trial website offering a low price funeral for several months and we have been very surprised by just how many enquiries we have received from all over the country from Birkenhead to York and Birmingham, from Aberdeen to Southend-on-sea.
Q: How can a funeral director afford to provide a funeral for £690.00 plus disbursements?
A: If you are a funeral director who becomes part of this funeral network, you will do so because you can carry out a few more funerals than you do already. Your existing clients will not be affected and you do not need to advertise the price or even acknowledge you are part of the low price funeral network. If you are a funeral director employing staff, running vehicles and maintaining premises, can you afford to lose funerals to a neighbouring funeral director who is part of the network?
Q: How many Funeral Directors in my area will be part of the network?
A: The priority is to establish a nationwide network with funeral directors in each area. Any funeral director who wants to join the low price funeral network can do so providing they are prepared to provide a dignified caring service and will be subject to agreement. Funeral directors will not be discriminated against on the basis of ownership.
Q: How does the system work?
A: Any family that require a funeral through this website will initially contact our call centre using the freephone telephone number and the 'first call' details will be taken. The 'first call' details will be sent directly to a funeral director in the deceased's area. The funeral director will then make contact with family directly and this websites involvement will end at this point. The funeral then 'belongs' to the designated funeral director who must look after the client as they would any other client.
To ensure that the client is satisfied with the service they receive, both from the website and the Funeral Director concerned, a follow-up call will be made to the client following the funeral. This follow-up will ensure that any outstanding issues are resolved as soon as possible. The integrity of the network can only be maintained if the standard of service across the network is consistent and high. It is the duty of everyone concerned to ensure that the integrity of the network is maintained through the provision of a high quality service.
Q: How much does it cost to be part of the low price funeral network?
A: There will be no charge to become part of the funeral network. Separate application forms are required for each branch office/chapel that a funeral director may have. The original application form may be photocopied but original letterheads will be required for each branch office.
If you represent a funeral directing business and you are interested in joining the network, please write using your company's letter headed paper and request an application form. Please write to: Mr R J Morphet, 470 Great Horton Road, Bradford, BD7 3HR, or print off an application form from this site by clicking here and following the instructions. Please mark the envelope 'Private and Confidential'.
On each and every occasion a funeral is referred by the network to the funeral director concerned and the funeral is completed, a charge of £23.50 (inc VAT) will be required to cover administration costs. This will be invoiced separately and it should NOT be added to the price of the funeral.
Q: How long does a funeral director remain part of the network?
A: Once a funeral director is accepted to become part of the low price funeral network they will remain registered for a period of one year. After that the funeral director will be invited to reapply for a further 12 months.
Q: When will the £690 funeral increase?
A: The funeral directors price will be kept under constant review and may increase at any time. All funeral directors who are part of the network will be informed prior to any increase.
Q: Do Funeral Directors need to have computer or be connected to the internet?
A: No, the initial enquiries will dealt with by the call centre and the 'first call' details will be either rung or faxed to the funeral director concerned.
Q: Do Funeral Directors need to be able to accept Visa cards etc?
A: If the funeral director accepts payment by a credit or debit card and does not have the facility to process it, we can accept the payment on their behalf and reimburse the funeral director with the payment by cheque, less a small administration fee to cover commission costs, the cheque and postage etc.
If a funeral director requires any further information, please contact us directly on 01274 571021.
"Providing essential guidance and practical help for everyone facing a bereavement throughout the UK"
