Changing The Face of Funeral Services
Service Corporation International (UK)

Few people have a clear idea of what to do

Arranging the funeral of a family member is probably the most distressing purchase we will ever have to make. Death remains one of the few great taboos, with the processes surrounding it shrouded in myth and mystery. Very few people have a clear idea what they need to do when they lose someone close to them. Most pin their faith in the services of a local funeral director, who may be recommended by friends or care workers, or simply picked at random from the Yellow Pages.

Although the vast majority of Funeral Homes are run by caring professionals, distress purchases of this kind invariably leave the customer in a vulnerable position because cost is seldom to the front of the mind when arranging the funeral of a loved one. Some customers can find themselves spending beyond their means or making purchases they later regret.

Customers demand more information

There is, however, a wind of change blowing through the UK funeral industry. Recent research conducted for funeral providers Service Corporation International (SCI) (UK) shows that customers are demanding more information, more options and more control when arranging a funeral. This growing insistence on quality, service and value for money, reflects a raised public awareness of the funeral industry, which has been under the media spotlight in recent years and is currently undergoing an Office of Fair Trading review.

Family knowledge extremely low

Despite increasing expectations, the research, conducted on the basis of focus groups, also shows that knowledge of what a family must do when someone dies remains extremely low. Many misconceptions persist about exactly what happens between a death and the funeral, with particular concern about crematoria expressed in comments such as: 'they save and reuse the coffins' or 'all the bodies are burned together and you don't get the right ashes' or 'they keep the rings and jewellery for themselves'.

There is no overall monopoly in the UK funerals industry. Markets tend to be local rather than national and are often served by long established family firms. The largest group, the Co-op, has about a 25% share of the overall market, followed by SCI (UK) with just under 14 %. Independent businesses and small groups hold the remaining 61 %.

No qualifications or experience needed

There is remarkably little regulation and this is of great concern to SCI. No qualifications are needed to set up and trade as a funeral director and there is no single body setting standards across the industry. Membership of the two principal professional associations largely follows the division of market share between the bigger groups and independents, with both the Co-op and SCI (UK) subscribing to the Funeral Standards Council and the Funeral Ombudsman Scheme (FOS), which share a joint code of practice. Only seven out of ten funeral providers are members of the FOS, which acts as a conciliator and a final impartial adjudicator in disputes between funeral directors and clients. Approximately 1,800 independents belong to the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF).

Making the right choice may be a gamble

A strong case can be made for new legislation to enforce standards and protect consumer rights, but until it happens bereaved people will have to rely on voluntary codes of practice and the integrity of their chosen funeral provider. Making the right choice may seem a gamble, but there are certain guidelines which, if taken into account before appointing a funeral director, will help to ensure that the funeral takes place with proper gravity and no problems.

Customers should be told the costs up front

Most important of all is transparency. Any reputable funeral director will be frank and open about all aspects of the business, from the ultimate ownership to the full range of funerals and associated services on offer. Many customers are afraid to ask about the costs but they should request an itemised price list, and in the best managed Funeral Homes they will always be told in advance how much everything will cost.

Ask for a written quotation

It is the responsibility of the funeral director to make customers aware of the full range of options on offer, and the costs. They should also be able to meet any special religious, ethnic or lifestyle requirements, and provide suitable facilities for memorial services or other gatherings.Having decided on the funeral arrangements, customers should always ask for a written quotation.

Paying in advance

Pre-planned funerals can help to avoid bereaved families having to make purchasing decisions at a time of great distress. They presently only account for 2 % of funerals in the UK, compared with about 50 % in Germany, France and Holland. Consumers considering one of these plans should check the financial safeguards - some companies have set up independent trust funds for clients' contributions and offer guarantees in the event of premature death.

A better public understanding

Change may be coming late to the UK funeral industry, especially compared to many of the other family-oriented services that can have a major impact on our lives, but it is welcome nonetheless. Better public understanding of the way we deal with those who have died, and the special needs of those mourning the loss, will inevitably lead to higher standards, not only in the funeral industry but also throughout the caring professions. SCI is working hard, as are consumer organisations, to ensure clients are treated with the respect they deserve.

Further information

Further Information may be obtained from the:

Funeral Ombudsman Scheme
26 Bedford Row
London WC1R 4HE
Tel: 0171 430 1112 Fax: 0171 430 1012

What do you expect from a funeral director?
by Stuart Coverley

Shopping around for the best buy in funerals seems somehow inappropriate. When the necessity arrives to arrange a funeral it is probably the last thing one thinks about, but perhaps later one has the feeling that funeral directors have you at their mercy to some extent.

Do they abuse their position?

For many years NfCG has been concerned about aspects of the funeral industry, with several of our members involved in running Funeral Ombudsman Schemes. We organised a conference with the Department of Trade and Industry and representatives of funeral organisations, at which problems were discussed. Now at last it looks as if action is to be taken by the DTI to protect the public when they are faced with arranging a funeral.

Openness and transparency of pricing are what NfCG has been fighting for. We want funeral directors to present a fully comprehensive price list, showing all the options, when first visiting the bereaved family members. We advocate a single Code of Practice (there are, confusingly, two at present) that would cover the whole industry, and this would be one of the factors included in such a Code. There should be one Ombudsman to whom discontented customers can appeal.

For prepaid funerals there should be a safe trust fund set up for all amounts paid in, where it is secure until the money is required for the funeral. It should not be possible for the funeral firm to dip into it for help with running expenses of the business, particularly if it gets into financial trouble. We would like to see a minimum contract that includes the main items specified in the standard code of practice. This would not prevent a funeral firm from including extra items in the contract but it would ensure minimum standards.

Death and the Maiden
or anyone else -
environmental issues
Brian Locke, Scientific & Technological Network Leader

Bodies contain water, meat, fat and bone - and there are many organic and inorganic chemicals - such as food components, excreta, blood, offal and brain - hormones etc. In time all is turned into carbon dioxide, water and metal and inorganic compounds; little organic remains.

In the Ground

With burials there may first be some natural gas and carbon dioxide given off, along with liquids and solids formed by decay, worms, ground water, etc. and from the coffin and fittings (organic - wood and textiles; fittings are usually shiny polymer these days). This takes time and is not usually regarded as pollution, though, historically, any sparkle in water from wells beneath graveyards may have been phosphine from phosphates in the bones. Very old bodies found in peat, or even ice, may be recognisable as leathery preserved remains.

Cremation

Cremation is different. Rules govern the design and operation of furnaces, so as to minimise pollution, virtually everything, including the coffin and fittings, is supposed to burn away, leaving only calcined bones. Since each coffin is burned separately the bones, ground, should be specific to each body. There should be no organic material in the products of combustion, no particles or soot and the body metal content of the chimney gases should be very small, most being in the ash. All should be harmless and free of smoke or smell. All crematoria are required to match national standards in 1998.

(Incidentally, it is not considered reverent to heat the chapel with furnace waste heat).

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