More than meets the eye with funeral service

“A good funeral is one that gets the dead where they need to go and the living where they need to be,” writes undertaker and author Thomas Lynch.

In response to the Jan. 29 Spokesman-Review article “High Cost of Dying,” there are some important components of our profession that the members of the Inland Empire Funeral Directors Association feel were left out or misstated. To the Spokesman Review’s credit, it did issue corrections.

First, and most important, Riplinger Funeral Home is a locally owned, independent funeral home and not part of the national Dignity network of providers. Riplinger, along with over 20 funeral homes in our region, including those in the Dignity network, are proud members of our local association of funeral professionals, which encompasses the seven northeastern counties of Washington.

Second, it is important to note that all funeral homes are required to disclose their pricing to families using the Federal Trade Commission’s established “General Price List,” which includes several standard categories for the professional services of the funeral home, including any applicable evening or weekend charges. This information must be provided when asked for in person, over the telephone or via e-mail. Further, when making funeral arrangements after a death has occurred, every funeral home must disclose all charges at the conclusion of the arrangement conference. The prices disclosed on that statement should always match the prices disclosed on the GPL.

The implication by Kathy Long of the People’s Memorial Association that funeral homes might not be forthcoming with all their prices, such as whether or not it costs more to “pick up a body on the weekend” is not only factually inaccurate, but illegal under FTC guidelines. If a funeral home is going to charge you more for transferring your loved one into their care on the weekend, it must be included on the GPL. I know of very few funeral homes that assess an extra charge for evenings or weekends as many of us consider it an honor to be called upon to serve a family during a very difficult time, regardless of when the death occurs.

Third, remember that “cremation” and “funeral” are subjective terms meaning different things to different people. You may or may not know what you want when you make funeral arrangements for a loved one. Similar to having all of your legal options explained to you by an attorney or tax matters by an accountant, allowing your licensed funeral director to explain all options available is the most prudent course of action when making funeral arrangements. Funeral directors undergo years of education and specialized training, including a required apprenticeship. We are required to pass nationally administered tests in order to obtain the licenses we hold from the state and are also subject to continuing education requirements in order to maintain those licenses.

While the article did place a focus on price, as with any major purchase, it is very important to consider both the “price” and “value” in your decision making. According to a recent study conducted by MKJ Marketing, 65 percent of consumers feel all funeral homes are the same which, in reality, couldn’t be farther from the truth. Each firm has a way of doing things that sets them apart from other firms in their area.

When researching your options it’s important to consider the intangible and unique value offered to families by each individual firm. People see “value” in spending $60,000 for a wedding but don’t always understand the value of spending for example, $5,000 for a cremation and memorial service, to celebrate the life of the one they loved. You only have one chance to say goodbye and having the conversation regarding funeral arrangements with your loved ones, while also relying on the professional expertise of a funeral director, can help bring the value portion of this equation into focus.

And while the term “funeral home” is used to describe the business or institution, within that institution are the people who care for your family as you navigate one of the most devastating losses of your life. In other words, a funeral home should not be referred to as a “them” but rather as an “us.” Funeral homes cannot operate without funeral directors, and they live, work, worship and support the local communities they serve.

For funeral professionals, our business as a whole is one of service to those who call on us 24 hours per day, 365 days per year without fail. There are very few industries that are available to respond to a request for service at a moment’s notice. Maintaining appropriate vehicles, staff, equipment and facilities to accommodate these requests are among the paramount operating costs related to funeral homes and should be realistically considered when researching funeral prices.

In summary, our association encourages all families to do their research when planning funeral arrangements. But we also encourage you to see the whole picture – both price and value - because there is certainly more to planning a funeral than meets the eye.

Henry D. Johnston is a licensed funeral director with the Kramer Funeral Home in Palouse, Washington, and president of the Inland Empire Funeral Directors Association.