Meeting your clientele where they are at

January 21, 2026/Business, Cemetery/

There is no doubt over the past twenty-five years that consumers have made many changes about how they make selections. And, those selections don’t just relate to furniture styles, automobile styles, or television watching, such as binge watching, decisions.

That’s why the cemeteries and crematories of Hillingdon Council are moving to a seven-day schedule. No longer will these operations consider Sundays a closed day or a special day with increased costs. The council made this comment in their notice about this change, “This change will come into effect from mid-January 2026, allowing residents to book burials at West Drayton Cemetery, Cherry Lane Cemetery, Hayes, and Breakspear Crematorium on any weekdays, weekends or bank holidays, with the exception of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.”

That’s a stark difference from when I worked in the funeral profession and tried to schedule a Sunday committal service or a Sunday funeral or memorial service. Sundays, even though most family members are available on that day of the week, were virtually off-limits for churches and cemeteries.

However, as time moves on society’s choices change and the Hillingdon Council has ” . . .announced plans to extend its burial service for all faiths to seven days a week to reflect the requirements of the borough’s diverse communities.” Here’s a copy of the Hillingdon Council’s notice.

The community’s seven-day opening is probably also a reflection that there is less church membership, more secular services outside of a church, as well as differing faiths now residing in their community.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take: During my working years it was very rare if we had a Sunday or Holiday service. With a “highly churched” community and predominantly church funerals Sundays were mostly off limits at the churches because they were occupied until at least noon and the pastors already had a full day of work in. And, cemeteries would open but there would be a very expensive Sunday charge that most families did not want to pay.

However, with less church membership, more non-traditional service venues, more secular funeral celebrants, and cremation services that don’t necessarily need a cemetery, more and more Sunday services are being scheduled. And, immigration is bringing different religious customs to areas that never had those differing customs before. . . . .to many of those immigrant religions, such as is mentioned in the Hillingdon Council link, Sunday is not a special or Sabbath day.

As a private enterprise, for the most part, you have the right to determine when you will be open or closed. However, as our country becomes more and more diverse and religious affiliations less concentrated, your decision may have an impact on your business.

Related — If you were to ask Gemini Artificial Intelligence how immigration is changing the American funeral custom, here is the answer you will get:

Key Changes & Impacts:

Cultural Blending: Immigrant communities bring unique customs (e.g., specific rituals, burial preferences) that enrich, and sometimes clash with, mainstream American funeral norms, leading to hybrid practices.
Transnational Grief: Immigrants often experience “grief at a distance,” struggling with the inability to perform traditional mourning rituals in their home countries, creating feelings of isolation and guilt.
Repatriation Challenges: Families frequently need to send remains back home, a complex process requiring paperwork (apostilled death certificates, transit permits) from consulates, adding significant emotional and financial stress.
Shifting Practices: Traditional beliefs, like the preference for burial in some Asian cultures, are evolving; cremation is becoming more common due to logistical ease and changing views on the afterlife.
Services for Undocumented Immigrants: Fear of deportation can prevent undocumented individuals from claiming bodies, leading to impersonal, often cremated, disposition by health departments, a stark contrast to cultural needs.
Demand for Specialized Services: The growing diversity has increased demand for funeral homes that understand specific cultural needs, from burial arrangements to handling remains for repatriation.