Posting your Prices Online: A podcast about it
There was a lot of talk at the recent National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Convention about the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the upcoming review of the “Funeral Rule”. While it is true that we don’t know when the FTC will make a final ruling on the “Rule”, the consensus of those who stay on top of the “Rule” at the NFDA convention seem to expect the final result to include mandatory pricing disclosures on funeral home business websites.
With that as a backdrop, here’s a recent podcast from our friends Alan Creedy and Danny Jefferson on their podcast “Two Guys and a Question” about the issue. It’s a short 8-minute listen and gives some of their opinions and expectations on the potential ruling.
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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”
The problem is not about pricing, it is the character of the competition
The people who want to take all the business off the street tells it like it is
Families should not be told one price and when they get to the funeral home they nickle and dime families
And say negative statements about the competition
Do not gouge and give families value for money and then one would not only get that family but all the deceased of the whole clan . Families first please. Listing price is one thing- the follow up is what matters
We service 1400 families a year in three funeral homes in south Florida and all the competition do is to say nasty things about us while we get ahead and stay ahead. We happily give out freely our 10 page price list
When others do not even place their price list in their funeral homes.One must ask for it.
What are they afraid of? Bullshit baffles brains.
This topic has been discussed for some time, and I’m very torn on the issue. Many funeral home owners often get defensive because it feels as though we are being subjected to unfair regulation when many other professional services, like lawyers, dentists, and chiropractors, don’t have the same requirements. Meanwhile, private equity groups that own funeral websites see this regulation as an opportunity to add another profit-generating arm to their product lines—looking at you, CFS and Tukios.
Some days, I think it would be easier if our prices were posted online. This could provide families with at least an initial understanding of what our services cost, potentially reducing the sticker shock that can occur during arrangements—a feeling I hate more than anything. However, it could also lead to more tension and confusion when a funeral home 20 miles away is either more expensive or cheaper.
Ultimately, I always come back to the same answer: self-regulation of advertising prices in a free market is the best solution.
I’m happy to explain when people ask why “XYZ Funeral Home” in the metro area lists prices on their website lower than our rates. The scale is simply different in rural areas compared to metro areas—our expenses are similar, but our volume is lower. Anyone who has owned and operated a business understands this. Those who don’t, don’t want to, and will likely end up paying the same amount when they add mileage to whatever metro funeral home where they got a “deal.” And sometimes, certain business isn’t worth chasing; let those calls burn out their staff and waste their most valuable resource.
Thanks for the discussion, Tom – Happy Halloween!