As I’ve been formulating this article in my mind before putting the thoughts on the computer screen and into print two words come to my mind — “Experiences” and “Vision”.  I think of “Experiences” in the realm of what do our client families expect for the “experience” of their funerals and or tributes?

 

And, I think of “Vision” in the capacity of how do we as business owners have a vision and put forth a financial plan for that vision that will create the “Experiential Tributes” that I believe our client families will be asking for in the future.

 

I’m of the opinion that moving forward our client families will be asking for more of an “Experiential” tribute than funeral homes are providing in today’s world as we move forward.  I also think that there is a roadmap of what churches are doing in America to bring in younger members that can help funeral homes with that visioning.  According to this article from Church Executive churches are bringing in more digital enhancements to lure these potential members to their church over others.  Included in those digital enhancements are the ability to bring forth multi-media presentations in the sanctuary.

 

To that thought process, the Westerleigh Group in Great Britain has recently promoted that their crematorium in Nottinghamshire is now providing the “World’s First” experiential funerals.  They are doing so with “theatre style” venues in which they have partnered with a United Kingdom audi-visual provider to the funeral industry, Obitus.  You can read about that partnership here. 

 

The Gedling Crematorium —  “One of its kind, uniquely personal, funeral venue in the United Kingdom”

 

Here’s what Debbie Smith, Chief Executive at Westerleigh Group says of their commitment and the Gedling facility:

 

“We’ve always been committed to making the services we host as uniquely personal as possible, which is also an ambition of our partners at Obitus.  Now, thanks to their research and development, our shared vision has become a reality, and we’re extremely excited to be able to offer the funerals of the future, today, transforming the way the bereaved say their final farewells.”

 

Funeral Director Daily take:  The Consumer Experience or CX is a rather new realization that consumers purchase on how the purchase makes them feel i.e. “The Experience”.  Think no further than going to a movie theatre and the fact that almost all movie theatres have now installed larger, softer, and more comfortable reclining seats.  Those seats do not change the movie. . . but, the comfort factor allows the consumer to have a better “experience”.

 

Or at the golf course. . . almost every golf course now has golf carts with yardage indicators in them to help the golfer know their distance from the hole.  Again, it won’t help your golf shot execution, but the idea of knowing how far away from the hole you are may help your strategy and give a better golf experience at that course than another course that does not offer carts with yardage indicators.

 

It’s my opinion, that as we go into the future in funeral service, we also need to bring that level of enhanced “customer experience” to a greater level. . . . or somebody else will.

 

So, the difficulty in moving forward is how does a funeral home bring these enhancements to life in the current environment.  That’s where the “visioning” comes in.  Traditional funeral services and memorial services are still adequate for many, but try to “envision” how your clients will want to celebrate or pay tribute to a deceased loved one ten years from now.

 

When you do that I think you come up with some type of facility like Westerleigh Group has created with the Gedling Crematorium.  But, for most family funeral homes building or remodeling into that type of facility will take a substantial capital investment. . . investments that may be difficult to make in a world, that until we do that and can charge for it, where death care purchases may be trending downward.

 

The local church I belong to recently made that type of investment in building what I call a “theatre style” worship hall complete with all the digital and sound expansions.  It came at an expense of about $6 million.  It also came while leaving the traditional sanctuary, complete with its traditional pews and architecture style, untouched so not to alienate those long-time traditional worshipers.

 

The key to the “visioning” with the church and your funeral home will be how finances are managed to make sure you can complete that “bridge” from today’s traditional worshippers or funeral clients to tomorrow’s more experiential consumers for worship or death care tributes.  I think that is the essence of the issue. . . .otherwise eveybody would be doing such.

 

However, I think the churches or businesses that can successfully navigate that path will be in a much better competitive position a decade from now.

 

Related Article — “Experiential Retail:  How a return to in-person shopping is inspiring a new retail model.”  Alvarez & Marsal Global

Related Article — “The shift to digital and experiential spending continues to shape consumer trends.”  Get Your Guide blog

 

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Last Writes:  Evolution of the Average Obituary.  Next Avenue
• Have you ever wondered what it is like to work at a local cemetery?   Beaumont Enterprise  (TX)
• Biolife announce record orders for the Living Urn in 2024. EIN Presswire

 

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