WHAT DOES A FUNERAL DIRECTOR DO? WELL, ITS NOT ALL ABOUT THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR.....

GUESS WHO THIS IS?



 What Does a Funeral home STAFF do? and Ladies and Gentlemen, they probably do it all!

  

• Removal and transferring the deceased from place of death to Funeral Home.
• Professional care of the deceased, which may include sanitary washing,  dressing, hairdressing, casketing and cosmetology. (Embalming is only authorized by a licensed embalmer)
• Conduct a complete consultation with family members to gather necessary information and discuss specific arrangements for a funeral.
• File all certificates, permits, affidavits, and authorizations, as may be required.
• Acquire a requested amount of certified copies of the death certificate needed to settle the estate of the deceased.
• Compile an obituary and place in newspapers of family’s choice.
• Make arrangements with a family’s choice of clergy person, church, music, etc.
• Make arrangements with cemetery, crematory, or other place of disposition.
• The providing of a register book, prayer cards, funeral folders, and acknowledgments, as requested by a family.
• Offer the assistance of notifying relative and friends.
• Arrange for clergy honorariums, music, flowers, death certificates, obituaries, additional transportation, etc.
• Care and arrangement of floral pieces and the post funeral distribution as directed by a family.
• Arrange for pallbearers, automobiles, and special services (fraternal or military) as requested by a family.
• Care and preservation of all floral cards, mass cards, or other memorial contributions presented to the funeral home.
• Your funeral director, with his/her staff personnel, will direct the funeral in a most professional manner, and be in complete charge of the funeral procession to the cemetery or other place of disposition.
• Assist a family with social security, veterans insurance, and other death-related claims.
• A post funeral meeting, by the funeral director, with a family, to deliver such things as the register book, floral and mass cards, and to ascertain whether or not he/she can be of further assistance.

Now, as for the funeral director, they are responsible for signing the contract,  embalming and any restorative arts if needed, and if they own the buisness, spending the money.

Here at Avenidas Funeral Chapel have a wonderful staff to serve you, and yes, on that staff we employ a very much appreciated funeral director/embalmer. We also have very good assistant, administrator, gardener and so on, and to include me, the owner, who shows up every morning  and starts out by vacuuming and taking out the trash, and I have no problem cleaning the bathroom either.

The point is, the Funeral Director, as educated as they are with their associates degree in mortuary science are just as much a part of the team at any funeral home, unless they choose not to be.

My observation is that many choose not to be and refuse to take out the trash... or sweep the floor.

Now granted, I understand that the funeral home could not run without their license, but as a funeral home owner it is nice to see that we have a funeral director on our staff that is just as humble as the rest of us.

Don't be fooled, with a good staff and a small ego, it's not that hard and does not cost that much to provide these services.

Semper Fi

Miguel

JUST HOW MUCH DOES A FUNERAL REALLY COST?

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, back in 2009 it was broken down just like this. I think you will be surprised in comparison to my charges. These are Basic charges for the basic necessities to have a basic funeral. No bells or whistles, just the basics. No flowers, no cemetery charges. Nothing else than what you would find essential to have a service.


REMEMBER! These are charges you will pay at the Funeral Home ONLY! (funeral home services)

In the greater Phoenix area there is a cemetery were you can purchase a  plot for $3,100. This price includes the opening and closing and a grave box.

That's another topic and the cemetery price is not included in the funeral home charges I am presenting here.

Please review, the first column, this pricing was obtained from the General price list of over 3,000 questionnaires sent to various funeral homes by the NFDA to get the input required from their General Price lists. The prices reflected are "Averages" on a 95% return rate from the survey. This survey is TWO years old.

The second column is from Avenidas  Funeral Chapel General Price list. Please review the difference in pricing at the bottom of each column.

Amazing isnt it?

Again, I remind you that those prices presented by the NFDA were as of 5 years ago, I could not get my hands on package breakdowns for 2009. Only the total cost. Avenidas pricing is as of today, 2011.

                                      
                                                                                                    NFDA Survey Avenidas 

Basic Service of the Funeral Director and staff	$1,817.00	$750.00
Transfer of Deceased to Funeral home	$250.00	$225.00
Embalming	$628.00	$375.00
Dressing, Casketing and cosmetics	$200.00	$150.00
Use of Facilities and staff for a viewing	$395.00	$250.00
Use of Facilities and staff for a ceremony	$450.00	$275.00
Use of Hearse	$275.00	$150.00
Use of service car	$125.00	$50.00
Basic Memorial Printing Package	$125.00	$65.00
metal casket, 20 gauge non-gasketed	$1,195.00	$795.00
TOTAL	$5,360.00	$3,085.00

Last year, as of 2010, the NFDA funeral estimate is a whopping  $5,360

This years the cost of a funeral is estimated to be about $7,250 if we follow the trends presented by the NFDA graph thru 2011.


So there you have it, in a nutshell. This is not just some "disgruntled" funeral home owner sharing his personal views on funeral pricing. (I have been called that on more than one occasion)  Just a guy bringing you the averages of approximately 3,000 funeral homes on a survey conducted by the National Funeral Directors Association formal survey in 2009. Now it may be 2 years old but I also provide the same funeral package estimate at today's prices from the NFDA.

You figure it out and decide if you want to pay that difference of  $2,665.

That is ALMOST the cost of a second service with us here at Avenidas Funeral Chapel.

For more information on your options to pay for a funeral , click on the blue link and read: "How are we going to pay for this funeral?"

Buena Suerte and shop around.

BEWARE OF FUNERAL RIP-OFFS. (LETS JUST CALL IT LIKE IT IS, SHALL WE?)

I found this article in a newspaper back east, I think you will appreciate it, I know I do because it says what I’ve been saying all along. If you are reading this, you are making your local overpriced funeral director VERY uncomfortable, and that is EXACTLY what I am intending to do.

Death is big business. How big, you ask? The National Funeral Directors Association says the average funeral costs $7,323 ($3,400 average @ Avenidas Funeral Chapel, 2 day burial service) — and that doesn't include the cost of a cemetery plot, a gravestone and cemetery burial services.

In all, dealing with the death of a loved one can cost more than $10,000, making it one of the most expensive purchases most families will make. So why do we do so little research on the topic?

"People are in denial about death right up until the bitter end," said Ed Markin, who runs the Funeral Help Program in Virginia Beach, Va. "You delay talking about it at your own fiscal peril is what it all boils down to."

Markin said funeral costs vary widely, controlled almost entirely by the amount of research you do — and when you do it. He said you can save almost 50 percent by shopping around and getting written quotes before you need them.

He suggests talking to your loved ones ahead of time about what they actually want in their funeral: the type of casket, the tone of memorial service, and whether they want to be cremated or buried.

Markin said he thinks funeral home directors sometimes guilt loved ones into paying for more expensive caskets and services by implying that anything less would be disrespectful.

To protect consumers, the Federal Trade Commission established the Funeral Rule, which requires funeral directors to give you itemized prices in person or, if you ask for them, over the phone. When you visit a funeral home shopping for a casket, the director must show you a list of all the caskets his or her company sells, along with the prices and descriptions, before showing you any models.

The Funeral Rule also states you have the right to buy individual goods and services. In other words, you don't have to buy a package deal with commonly selected goods and services. Funeral homes must allow you to buy services a la carte, so don't be pressured into buying more than you want.

To find the full list of provisions in the Funeral Rule, visit ftc.gov.

Joshua Slocum, executive director of Funeral Consumers Alliance, said funeral directors sometimes try to "upsell" consumers to pricier, flashier casket models.

"Anytime (a funeral director) talks to you about a 'traditional funeral,' make a mental strike through those words and replace them with 'my highest-priced funeral,'" Slocum said.

READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH VERY CAREFULLY!

After a loved one has just died, the funeral director "is in full control of their mental faculties, and you are not," he said.

"THEY ARE NOT CLERGY. IT'S IN THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST INTEREST FOR YOU TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY AT THEIR FUNERAL HOME AND NOT, I REPEAT NOT FOR THEM TO SAVE YOU MONEY. THEY ARE NOT A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION"

THIS IS A BUISNESS, NOT A WORSHIP FACILITY AND YES, MANY WILL TRY TO GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION OF "MINISTRIES FIRST" APROACH. IF SO, ASK FOR CREDENTIALS.

Slocum says also to be wary of prepaid funerals. While prepaid plans sound enticing, they often come with strings attached. Funeral homes usually pitch the plans as a way to lock in funerals at today's prices, saving you the cost of inflation. Cashing in the plans, however, can sometimes prove difficult.

If you are considering such a plan, review the contract carefully and understand exactly what you are buying. Ask where your money will be held and who will manage it. Some accounts that hold money from prepaid plans have gone under in recent years, leaving the folks who invested empty-handed. Make sure the contract has a provision that protects you if the firm goes out of business. Also check to see if there are fees to cancel the plan, or what happens if you move.

"Prepaid plans “can be” a terrible idea,".  If you notice "I" said "can be" but it does not necessarily have to be that way. Read the small print, understand what you are signing up for, ask questions and ensure you are getting everything YOU want.

Be weary of funeral home owners who sell funeral policies for their own funeral homes. Consider an independent that promotes or offers many different packages for different funeral facilities.

Consider putting your money in a certificate of deposit, a savings account or a "pay on death" account at your bank. Make a trusted friend or relative the beneficiary, so that when you die, the money is immediately available.

Most important, shop around. Never look at just one funeral home. The more research you do, the better deal you will get.

Why you should know this:

Because the death of a loved one can scramble your common sense, it helps to study before you need the facts.

THE ALL NEW AND IMPROVED "RENTAL CASKET". DO YOU REALLY CARE?

Son!

Yes Dad!

Son, your becoming of age now and I think it is time that you and I sat down and had a talk, you see there are some things in life that you may not understand or may have been lead to believe and one of those things is what I am about to share with you. It may be a little uncomfortable but I think we can both get thru this.

What is it Pop? I can handle it, go ahead. WAIT! Let me get a little glass of water first. (sip)

Son there are things out there, things that people create to pull the wool over your eyes, things that  appear not quite as they should be, and things created to appear to be taking your welfare into account when  in fact……. It is not so, and one of those things is…, none other than………..

THE RENTAL CASKET!

Oh Pleas Dad, say it isn’t so!

I cant Son, it’s true, it’s out there and it’s waiting for the day that you walk into your friendly neighborhood funeral home.

(notice the sneeky little trap door)

The rental casket was a devious plan that was created so funeral homes can recover some of the monies lost when a family chooses to cremate over the almost outdated (notice I said almost) in ground burial. It is no secret, and yes even society is becoming keenly aware that a vast majority of the funeral homes revenue comes thru the ridicules mark-up of the casket. Well The Funeral industry had to come up with yet another idea to recover those lost charges.

How many times have you heard someone say “Oh, just put me in a box and burn me” well, believe it or not, that is possible, its called direct cremation, we will revisit direct cremation on another day. Direct cremation may be the wish of the deceased but some (not all) funeral providers do hope and prey on your desire to see the deceased one more time or have that final viewing so you can be “convinced” your friends can say goodbye (even though the deceased wanted to be put in that box and… well, you know)

So you agree on a visitation but instead of a simple cremation container or a cloth covered inexpensive cremation container, you are perhaps encouraged to consider “the rental casket” The rental casket DOES appear more traditional, I mean, it DOES look like a casket.  It looks classy and expensive and your friends will think you paid allot of money for it so now,......... you don't appear cheap! (thats is the sales pitch)

That’s just laying the ground work, now the counselor has you hooked, along with that comes the flowers and the cards and the service and so on, and so on, and so on. What started out as a simple little goodbye has turned into a $4,500 service topped off with a $400 Urn because gosh darn it your Pop deserve the best DOESN'T HE?, even though your definition of the best does not have to burst outside of your budget. Or non of this is really what he wanted in the first place!

The rental casket is nothing more than a casket that is built, traditionally out of oak but as of late, the industry is reaching outside of the box (no pun intended) for variety. It has no interior and is created with a trap door at the foot for removing the deceased after viewing to send them off to cremation. Remember that box? You still get it. Other names for it are “The surround” or “the rental”

A funeral home purchases “the rental for about $1,500. They the rent it out to the families for anywhere between $500 to $900. Most of the time it is listed on the general price list. If it is, and it does not read “insert included”,  or if it is listed on a cremation package and does not read “insert included” Then chances are, the insert is NOT included.

This is a rental insert

You need the insert to use the casket so if you pay for one, you will need the other. Expect to pay for the insert as well, between $150 to $250 more. The insert is what the deceased goes to cremation in. The box is removed from the rental after the service and a lid is put on it and the deceased is sent off to cremation. All of the insert, the pillow, the throw and any removable cloth parts that are purchased with each insert.

IT IS ILLEGAL TO RE-USE AN INSERT FOR ANOTHER FAMILIES SERVICE!

 Let me repeat that! It is illegal to re-use an insert for another family. You see, sometimes disreputable or GREEDY funeral homes do re-use them to save a little money or double their income.

IF YOU USE A RENTAL CASKET, and there is nothing at all wrong with using one if that is what you want, ensure it's INSERT is, well…………………………………….NEW!

Look, I have a rental casket at AVENIDAS, I also have other cremation plans that do not offer the rental casket.  I also offer the rental at no cost to the family if need be because they truly cant afford much. This is my option, I am a business owner.

Remember. Two or three services for most funeral homes and the rental is paid off, the rest of the charges are pure profit baby, $600 and up to $800 at a time. 

PSSST! wanna know a secret? Visitations can be made in a simple cardboard box if that’s what you want to use. Very dignified and it falls right in line with the old mans wishes when he says

JUST PUT ME IN A DAMN BOX AND BURN ME!

Lined cremation container for viewing with pillow

Your cost $75.00  

It was your wish Dad, to keep it simple.

Not some funeral homes dream………………….

Buena Suerte my friends!

"My Simple Wish cremation package"

$985.00

Basic service of the funeral director and staff

Removal from the place of death

Embalming, dressing, casketing & cosmetics

Lined cremation box for viewing

2 hour daytime visitation, Monday - Friday
No later than 4PM

Administrative fees
County permits

Transport to the crematory

Cremation process

Plastic cremains container

*other costs may apply

HEY WAIT! HOW COME THEY DIDN'T PAY THAT MUCH?

So you have a recent death in the family, you take a recommendation from a friend who also recently had a death in the family to go to a local funeral establishment. You were told it is a bit pricy and decide to see what they can do with your budget.

Knowing the price that your friend paid, you go and sit with the counselor from this local establishment and share with them what you are looking for them not aware that you are friends with the individual that referred you. You find yourself asking for pretty much the same type of service that your friend asked for and the totals are tallied.

Surprising as it is, your cost comes out to substantially less than your friend paid. How can this be? You didn’t ask for any discount nor did you share any information with the counselor about your income or budget. As a matter of fact, the only thing you and your friend that recommended you DON'T have in common is............. the color of your skin.

This is called “Race Baiting” and NO ONE will admit to it or talk about it in the industry (taboo). There is an assumption in the industry by some (not all) funeral home owners, will use the color of your skin or ethnic background to provide a suitable price to accommodate your pocket book. This is great for you, but for all the wrong reasons. There is an assumption by THIS specific funeral establishment that minorities are a poorer class and can not afford their overblown prices, therefore they are provided a reduced price on the assumption that you are unable to afford the bill. Again, this is good for you, This is also YOUR diamond that can be used against the funeral home if the cost of your service gets out to the general public that the funeral home charged you so little.

At this point you also have the option of negotiating in YOUR FAVOR! no matter how low they may go, you have the upper hand to get them to go lower or you will go elswere. (elswere is probably still lowere than them) If you feel there is an assumption on the funeral homes behalf that you come frome an assumed poorer class of people, then be as poor as you can be and do all you can to get the funeral sevice you want for close to nothing.

The intent of the funeral home is not to assist you, it is to charge you what THEY think you can pay and assume that you are from a poorer class of people because of your race. This is not only sad, but a form of stereotyping you. It also is very unfair for the family that does come in that does not fit the funeral establishments assumed poorer class or race. These people are forced to pay the full price of a service only because they don’t fit the counselor’s mold of what an assumed poor person looks like.

In the long run, this also does more damage to the business owner when you have a variety of people coming in demanding the same price as the previous and insisting on the equivalent service at the same cost leaving the poor counselor to defend their actions while the owners sole intention was to take anything he could from anyone to fill their pockets.

Also, this can be VERY BENEFICIAL to the community if you find yourself in a position to RECOMEND this specific funeral establishment to others in the community and SHARING THE PRICE you paid with others so they to can put the funeral homes feet to the fire and see just how caring they are by charging everyone the same price you were charged. Chances are this may happen a few times, then it will stop.

Be weary of the “Race Bait” game. Ask yourself if you are being played because of an assumption that you are of a poorer class or a specific minority only because the location is trying to get what it can out of you, and nothing more. The damage may not be to you, but more so to the community that is once again being fleeced to fill the coffers of a greedy little business owner.

This is a very poor buisness practice and over the long run the owner will lose control of their pricing and the establishment, as will the service... fail.

At Avenidas, all the pricing is the same, and all is offered equally to everyone. We are so proud of our fair pricing that we do not need to “Make it up as we go” to try and keep people in the door, or accommodate a specific race.

We also can prove we are the most afordable in the Western Valley. We dont need to tell you that on the phone to coax you in, Just check our website, our pricing speaks for itself. Unlike others who dont post pricing on their websites. We call it "Transparent Pricing" You would be suprised how many come in already knowing what they would like just from reviewing our website and pricing.

We are proud to serve you, be concerned about you and care for you!

FUNERAL, A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT...

Recently I was having a conversation with a minister from a local church here in Cashion. The topic came up of other funeral service providers and the chaplain asked; I had a service here at my church from another funeral home, I knew the representative that showed up and we started to talk about prices, I asked him about casket prices and he would not share them with me. Why not?"

Well, that pretty much speaks for itself. But I will tell you why if your not aware. Most if not just about all funeral homes charge allot for their caskets, more than they are worth. But then again, after working with numerous distributors, Most casket companies charge a great deal for a casket that they claim is "Made in the USA" when in fact it is only assembled in the USA. Remember that.

Shop around and casket prices are not etched in stone. If they don’t want to share the price on the phone or they may tell you "our caskets start at around $400. For what type of casket? A very simple cloth covered flat top. At Avenidas our cloth covered flat top start at $245. our metal 20 gauge caskets (Alex) starts at $625 at Avenidas. Anywhere else? Around $995. You decide.

Caskets are a vast majority of the funeral homes income, I know, I know, you will hear it all from the funeral home, “We have bills to pay” or “I have a family to feed” or “I have to pay the mortgage on this nice facility for YOU” (lets turn the tables here, now it’s your fault the price is so high, you wanted their nice facility, OR DO YOU?) Same song, look at the cars in the parking lot, you’ll see where its going. (I drive a truck)

I met with a family this past week that was a little concerned that their budget would not allow them the opportunity to have a visitation prior to sending the deceased home. They discussed prices and asked me "What are our options" I asked them "How big is your living room? They did not understand so I just shared with them. "Why not do a traditional velorio at your house"? "We can do that? How much will you charge for that?" I charge nothing because your house is yours, not mine. A simple transport and pick up fee of $100. Again, Families are not aware that this is an option. It is! I may lose the charges of a chapel visitation, but I gain the trust of a wonderful family that is just trying to do as much as they can inside of a budget. That is not asking so much. They are very pleased with their choices and I am happy to assist and present to them their options that they once again, knew nothing about.

This business that I choose to be in is not about the charges of every box of tissue that is used in the funeral home for a service. There was a time when you paid for the casket and everything else came with it. Those days are gone. Due to a good intention by the Federal Trade Commission many Funeral Homes have taken advantage of a "Good Intention" and twisted it in their favor to fleece a family of their hard earned savings.

Look, at Avenidas our services are very affordable.

Our Facility is VERY comfortable, clean, presentable and dignified.

Our Staff is extremely approachable, professional and kind. No attitude, no holier than thou.

And our Merchandise is quality and VERY, VERY affordable.

So there you have it. We work with you taking into consideration your budget, YOUR BUDGET! Not our wish list as to how much we hope you will spend.

I had a family come in with an insurance policy that they wanted to use to pay for the services. They asked if they could use it, I said yes. We sat and made all the arrangements and after it was all said and I told them that they would be getting a substantial amount back from the insurance company. Seeing how the economy had hit them exceptionally hard, they could not believe this. They said, "We thought we had to use it all on the funeral" (maybe at another funeral home, not with us) I told them "no, this is your policy that you can use as much or as little as you wish" They could not believe this and were so happy that they had a little bit of money to help them thru these economically difficult times.

I get many families in that think the same thing or have been lead to believe that they have no choice but to use the whole policy. Funeral home love insurance policies. They just let the family assume that the whole policy is to be gobbled up and say nothing; they just rack up the charges until the policy is exhausted. The poor family does not know any better and the funeral home walks away very happy.

Even Pre-arranged policies, if you wrote a large pre-arranged policy at another funeral home for says $6,000, here at Avenidas it can be used and the amount returned to the family is the difference between the amount of the policy and the amount of the service. Well, our most expensive package is around $4,500 so the amount returned to the family is $1,500. Is it worth it? Only you can answer that. At the time of death I'm pretty sure a little extra fund comes in handy to a family.

So there you have it today, a little bit of this and a little bit of that............

CASKET STORES, ARE THEY WORTH THE "ASSUMED" HASSLE

have a very good friend of mine that owns a casket store, his name is Eddie Chavez. He owns "Eddies Caskets" here in Phoenix Arizona. Since I moved here to Phoenix back in 2003 I became aware of Eddie and his casket store.

I don’t think in all the valley in the casket industry will you find a more respected man. Eddie calls me at times and will say "Miguel, I have this Family..." That is when I know he needs me the most. I will always respond with, "What do YOU need me to do for them Eddie?" You see, to me, Eddie holds a great deal of respect by certain communities within the greater Phoenix area. He has been there for them. He probably will up to the day he is called home.

A Korean War Veteran, Eddie is an elderly Gentleman, to me, a Statesman. He has told me on more than one occasion, "Who is going to take care of the people once I am gone?" He means it. He is a very caring and compassionate man. at his age of 80+ years, he pulls up to your location in his big white van with a simple sign on it that say "Eddies Caskets" He walks with a cane and will share with you a story now and again, but only if interested about his experiences in the military. He can be a short spoken man. When speaking with him on the phone, he can talk with you in depth about the family he is asking you to help, or be quick to hang up.

Eddie sells a variety of caskets at his location, Imports, Metal, Hardwoods, various colors. He shops far and wide for a "good deal" to present to the community. People always go to him; there are families that have been returning to him for years. I remember him telling me once a story when he sold a casket back in the 50's, THE 50'S! How about that.

As any casket store, Eddie does not mark his merchandise up much. That is why he is so proud of his business. I remember he told me once, "The funeral homes wouldn’t be so mad at me if they wouldn’t mark their caskets up so much!" I agree, that is why I follow his mark-up practices, just a little to make a simple profit. So when Eddie delivers a casket to my funeral home, it doesn’t hurt, because I leave the casket sale to him, I respect his business, and in turn, should the Family think of purchasing a casket from me, I offer them a % off the services to stay with his casket. That is called good business and respect for a upstanding gentleman that has been serving the community for so long.

There are funeral homes out there that see the family as a target, they will offer to sell a "Package" service at a lower price but ONLY if they buy the funeral home CASKET. What greed, how sad. No respect for themselves, their fellow businessman or the industry. To them it is all about the quick buck, never mind the referral by Eddie to their location. They don’t like him anyways because besides, he owns a CASKET STORE, to some in the industry that is considered a bottom feeder. Of course they want you to see it like that, the funeral home is losing out on up to $1,500 profit on a casket sale. I have know funeral home owners who's only advice to a family was "Just cancel the check you wrote to Eddie, you don't even have to go back there" That's quality business practices and morality.

Again, greed, how sad.

Oh, "Eddies Caskets" Phone Number 602-579-0436
I have another friend, Her name is Angie, Angie also sells caskets, maybe not as much as Eddie but still, she has kind of developed the name of the Eddie of the west side. Angie's stock is a little down right now, but she is still a valuable asset to the communities and is sought out by families at need. Angie is trying to decide whether to continue in the casket industry, it is more a word of mouth industry and Angie has a wonderful heart, she cares a great deal for families, just like Eddie, and will go above and beyond to help, and most of the time it is all about the casket, the rest she does on her own time, and out of her own pocket. Such compassion.

Casket stores are not a bad thing, unfortunately there are some out there that feel the greed of the funeral industry and mark their caskets up a great deal. That’s a shame.

My good friend Joey of Frugal Caskets makes some WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL caskets at a very affordable price. Unfortunately Joey is moving on to bigger and better things and is closing his business if he cant find a buyer. It is a good business and makes beautiful caskets.

A thing about caskets......................, time to teach!

Most expensive brands to least expensive brand;

1. Batesville
2. York
3. Aurora
4. Astral
5. Local Casket Manufactures
6. Import casket manufacturers

OK, so what is a good price on a casket you ask? I know ….. you ask, you ask!

Remember, this is no science, any funeral home can ask any price for anything they want.
what they ask is what they ask, it does NOT make them wrong, you need to ask yourself how much your willing to pay. BUT! This can be the difference between a $2,500 funeral, or a $4,200 funeral.

This pricing is what I, a funeral home owner consider FAIR pricing to support my business and cover my overhead.

20 Gauge no gasketed single VERY PLAIN color casket with adjustable bed and fixed same color hardware and crepe interior. (Usually Copper or Silver only) COLOR HAS NO BRILLIANCE, ruff finish. Usually referred to as "TRINDEX" (This casket works FINE for what you may need it for, consider it!)

About $500 to $725

20 Gauge no gasketed single color casket with adjustable bed and fixed same color hardware and crepe interior.
About $550 to $775

20 Gauge non gasketed single color casket with adjustable bed fixed SHINY hardware and crepe interior.
About $650 to $850

20 Gauge gasketed single color or dusted casket with adjustable bed and fixed SHINY hardware with crepe interior.
About $850 to $1100

20 Gauge gasketed single color or two toned casket with adjustable bed and fixed print on corners SHINY hardware, embroidered head panel and crepe interior.
About $950 to $1,350

18 Gauge gasketed single color, shaded or metal brushed with adjustable bed and swing bar hardware with embroidered head panel and crepe or velvet interior.
About $1,150 to $1,750

16 gauge gasketed single color, shaded or metal brushed with adjustable bed and swing bar hardware, velvet interior and/or embroidered head panel.
About $1,650 to $2,200

 

Stainless Steel gasketed single color, shaded or metal brushed with adjustable bed and swing bar hardware with velvet interior.
About $2,200 to $2,800

32 oz Copper single color, shaded or metal brushed with adjustable bed and swing bar hardware with velvet interior.
About $2,600 to $3,300

32 oz Bronze single color, shaded or metal brushed with adjustable bed and swing bar hardware with velvet interior.
About $3,300 to $3,600

WOOD CASKETS

Wood, wow, most wood caskets come from China were they are made with very cheap labor but are HIGH QUALITY! China has always been renown for its ability to build any quality wood ANYTHING. THESE CASKETS ARE GOOD! A funeral home makes a Very fat profit on these caskets, they will tell you ANYTHING to get you to believe it is made in America if you don't care for Chinese products.



 


Mahogany, Most Expensive

Solid Mahogany, High Gloss Finish, Velvet interior, Up to $5,000, depending on were you shop. Priced reasonably?
$2,800 to $3,300



Cherry is very prestigious and stately, Presidential

Solid Cherry, High Gloss hand rubbed finish, Velvet Interior
$1,800 to $2,250


Oak, very dignified

Solid Oak, Satin finish, adjustable bed, Velvet interior 

$1,800 to $2,400 

Pieta, Vere religious

High Gloss finish, adjustable bed, Velvet or Crepe interior, fix or swing bar hardware, Poplar wood . 
$1,800 to $2,400

With the exception of a Mahogany casket, if you are paying over $2,800 for a wood, SOLID WOOD casket, you are paying way to much. If you are paying over $1,900 for a casket "I" personally think its to much but that's just me, But some people would like a Mahogany casket. That's OK.



This is a Cherry Veneer Wood Casket, can you tell the difference?

Veneer woods are much more affordable than solid woods and they look good, to good for some funeral homes to market them, (Veneer is thin wood sheets glued over pressed or cheaper wood) Be cautious when purchasing a wood casket. Look at the bottom to ensure it is solid wood. If you pay over $1,100 for a veneer casket, that's way to much.

Build your own casket, You can and the mortuary and cemetery have to use it, it's the law and legal. No inspections, no fee's, nothing, just take it to the funeral home.

RULES

The rules are, there are no rules. All funeral homes are directed by the Federal Trade Commission (the big guys in Washington D.C.) to accept a casket from another vendor with no fees, penalties or inspection charges. The family is not required to sign a release nor or they required to be there when the casket arrives.

Contrary to what some funeral home owners believe, they are not doctors or lawyers nor do they fall under ANY of the same special guidelines that those type of specialists do. They are funeral directors, that’s all and most hold only a Associates Degree in "Mortuary Science". That is commendable I might add, but it is not a "Doctorate" in anything. They are required to follow the same guidelines as me, and yes, I am not a funeral director. Just a business owner like them, and maybe you, that's trying to make a difference for the community through savings, affordability and compassion.

So there you have it, remember, these prices you probably will find at MOST casket stores and few funeral homes, well, mine anyways. Don't underestimate casket stores, most are reputable, some are not. Even some funeral homes offer good pricing in regards to caskets, but most don't. SHOP AROUND!

For more information about caskets, follow the blue links and read:

• Caskets, Caskets and more....... CASKETS!"
• Lets Talk About Caskets... AGAIN!

Semper Fi

Miguel Legaspi

FRONTLINE; THE UNDERTAKING. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS

I may not agree with everyones reason for doing what they do in this industry, nor do they all agree with me. We all have different reasons for choosing to get into the industry. Some is to serve the community economically and compassionatly, others to serve the community while trying to earn a good living, but no doubt, their intent is to serve with the same level of compassion and professionalism as their fellow business owners.

Some funeral homes are owned by licenced funeral directors, some are not, I am not a licensed funeral director yet I own Avenidas. I do however choose to use compassion to guide me through my daily chores of running my business and yes, as much as I do try to help, I must understand that in order for my business to function so I can continue to serve the community, I must run it as a business that SERVES the community.

For whatever reason a funeral home comes into existence, I am sure that a vast majority of the owners start, and even finish with good intentions.

I ask you to watch this video so you can see exactly what is involved in this industry that we serve in. From the smallest simple establishment to the most grandious palacial funeral service center, please remember, we all have chosen to serve in this industry, even if some of us are seasoned with a little bit more compassion than others and that compassion is defined differently by each of us on different levels.

Thank you!

Miguel Legaspi

Watch The Undertaking on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

ARRANGEMENTS AND YOUR BUDGET

THE BUDGET!

Ya know, sometimes its just really hard sitting with a family to handle the final arrangements of a family member. Depending on the amount of individuals in the room, you find yourself working with that many different personalities and levels of grief. They are all not the same, and can not be treated as one or the same. It is a procedure, a very delicate balancing act; there is tension, anger, even distrust and mistrust. Some even look at you as the enemy, after seeing what I’ve seen over the years, I understand why. As a counselor, and a funeral home owner, you must work your way from individual to individual expressing a sincere concern for their well being and emotions (AND MEANING IT!)

 

Some cry, a memory, any certain one procedure or document we review might bring them to that level, it’s never the same. Then someone might say something like “He would have been all over you for crying like a little girl” or “If Mom saw you acting like that…” and everyone laughs. And they laugh as they wipe the tears, why? Is it disrespectful? No.

In memories we remember the funny, the good and cry because we long for the continued relationship that we shared with that individual that we think is lost, it is not lost, it is just packaged up in our own private memories now. Those enjoyed companionship times are no more, so we cry again, and remember, and laugh. There is a time we will come to realize over the next few days that laughing and crying is quite acceptable to each other, no mater how strong we are, we learn to shed tears in the presence of others because, as the strong one, we feel it is our responsibility to bring those we care for to grieve because it is a necessity, not because it is a weakness.

After presenting the pricing and legal documents required prior to moving forward, I stop everything. I then ask the family or the individual if they are not sure of what they want to please, before they do anything else, talk amongst you and establish a budget. Once they have done that I ask them to promise each other that no matter what to stand by that budget…  I then leave the room.

My experience has taught me that when a family sits with you they are really thinking of about a thousand different things not taking any of each others ideas into consideration…. or a budget.

Car Washes, not because "THEY" want you to

A budget is so important; there is no sense in me trying to help a family if their desires for services are outside of their budget. It is immoral, unethical and outright wrong for ANY counselor at ANY funeral home to ever bring out the idea of promoting car washes or borrowing money from family or friends to pay for a service that the counselor sold a family outside of their budget, or a service that  “ budget” was not considered into.

If a funeral Director or Counselor can not help you come up with simple ideas to help you make up for ways of cutting the cost that won’t add to the service price, if they can not use some common sense and professional creativity to recommend ways for you to provide ideas for services that will not add to the price… THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD FUNERAL HOME!

Funeral Home Once Meant Something

There was a time when the word “HOME” meant something in the word “FUNERAL HOME”. It was a place were people could go were you would be cared for, looked after and served. Doing all this because it was the profession, not because you were paid a $6,000 to $8,000 funeral bill. For $8,000 you better be painting my toe nails, washing my truck and cleaning my house for a year. 

Budget, stick to it, stand by it and ASK for ways to do things outside of the funeral home to keep the cost down. If your Counselor or “Director” can not come up with anything to help, it is not because they are stupid, it is because they are greedy and can care less about your budget.

Car washers are fine to raise funds, but do them out of necessity for your service, not because “Director” tells you to do it to because they won’t try to work with you.

“Semper Fidelis” (Always Faithful)

WEST VALLEY VIEW ARTICLE ON THE DEATH CARE INDUSTRY

Not even funeral homes are recession-proof


Many families are choosing least expensive options to say goodbye to loved-ones
Rich Ott - Assistant Editor

Crystal Rose Funeral Home in Tolleson closed its doors Monday. The doors "technically" re-opened Wednesday.

"We've all been on an emotional roller coaster," said Kylie Roos, controller for Salt Lake City-based Security National Financial Corp., the parent company of Crystal Rose.

Roos was sent to Arizona from Utah to close two of Security National's three Arizona funeral homes: Crystal Rose, 9155 W. Van Buren St., and Greer Wilson Funeral Home, 5921 W. Thomas Road in Phoenix. Paradise Sunset Chapel at 3934 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix is the third funeral home owned by the multi-million-dollar company and was never on the chopping block.

Roos arrived in the desert and closed Crystal Rose Jan. 3. Word of the closing quickly spread through the community and the funeral home industry.

Before Roos could do the same to Greer Wilson, Security National President Scott M. Quist began to field interest in his two soon-to-be-closed funeral homes.

"We have received several inquires we are considering from other funeral homes in the area," Quist told the View Jan. 4. "In fact three people were in just today."

The president and chief operations office for Security National Financial Corp. - which operates in 40 states dealing in mortuaries, cemeteries, life insurance or mortgages - is "confident a transaction in some nature" will occur within a few weeks. The deal will either be a "partnership or sale with another facility in the Phoenix area."

So the company quickly decided it was better to sell opened businesses than closed ones, Roos said.

However, it wasn't all good news for employees of Crystal Rose and Greer Wilson funeral homes. About half of the staff was let go between the two businesses, with Crystal Rose re-opening with either one or two employees, Roos said. Greer Wilson will operate with a staff of four, he said.

Arizona market is soft

For years, Security National's three funeral homes in Arizona have not been making money, Quist said.

"Salt Lake City and California have been profitable, Phoenix has not," he said of the three places the company owns funeral homes and/or cemeteries. "The Arizona market has been very soft."

Quist elaborated on his remark.

"They keep telling me the death rate has gone down in Arizona, but I have a hard time believing that," he said.

What has hurt his two West Valley funeral homes is "competition and pricing pressures have been strong," Quist said.

There are too many funeral homes in Arizona, which is bringing prices down and those unwilling to do business at that price point will close, he said.

Which is not necessarily a good thing for consumers, because the remaining businesses will eventually raise their prices, he said.

"We are unwilling to wait for that, at least as a stand-alone," Quist said. "Now with a partner, we might be willing."

The "pricing phenomenon is unique to Arizona," he said. "We don't see it in California and Utah. If anything we see just the opposite. In Salt Lake City, for example, a Hispanic family opts for additional services while in Arizona we are seeing just the opposite, 'cremate the body and just give us the ashes.'

"Maybe Arizona has been hit harder by the economic times," Quist said. "Maybe it's that simple."

New kid on the block

One of Quist's competitors is Miguel Legaspi, who opened Avenidas Funeral Chapel at 522 E. Western Ave. in Avondale on Sept. 21, 2010.

"Families are cutting back because they can't afford it," he said. However, since his funeral home has been open, Avenidas has averaged 10 cases a month, and only three have resulted in direct cremation, he said.

"That's because people come here and they can afford something," Legaspi said. "We charge $585 for a direct cremation; that is everything inclusive, no hidden charges. My closest competitor charges $1,580."

Legaspi further compared his prices with competitors for a direct burial, stating the price at Avenidas, which includes a minimal wood casket, is $1,020, while a competitor charges $2,830, which includes a minimal metal casket.

"I'm retired Marine Corps, I have a little morality behind me," he said. "I can't do that to people."

Legaspi retired from the Marines in 1998 and has worked on and off again in funeral homes in both California and Arizona ever since, having experience working in the private and corporate sectors of the industry, he said.

The difference in price for a traditional funeral with all the amenities between a corporate-run funeral home and a private one "is about $5,000," he said. "And you know how corporations work, if there is no money to be made, they move on to greener pastures."

In 2009, 69 percent of all funerals ended in cremation, Legaspi said.

"Once that was identified [by the funeral home industry], your cremation cost shot up and went extremely high," he said. "They have to recover the loss of the casket sale.

"County burials are up right now because families are just turning their loved ones over" to avoid funeral charges and cemetery charges, he said. "It doesn't have to be that way."

Since Avenidas Funeral Chapel opened, word has gotten out about their prices, he said.

"I've got families coming to me from Mesa," Legaspi said. "Other than my Marine Corps career, I'm most proud of that."

Service matters

Sean Thompson, co-owner and funeral director of Thompson's Valley West Funeral Chapel at 296 S. Litchfield Road in Goodyear, is proud of the service his staff provides as well.

When people find out what Thompson does for a living, they "always joke, 'Oh, you'll always have a job.' Not if you don't do a good job or you're perceived as not providing a good service," he said.

Fortunately for the Thompsons - Sean's wife Cynthia co-owns and operates the 54-year-old funeral home with him - the West Valley has embraced their services.

"We've helped more families in the past year than we ever have," Sean said of the funeral home, which they took over in 2005, adding Thompson's to the name. "I think that has to do with how we've handled our business since day one, not last week. You do a good job, provide excellent service and hope that is enough."

Before moving to Arizona, Sean Thompson worked at a funeral home in Oklahoma for 13 years. He immediately noticed one huge difference between the two states when it comes to funeral services.

"The funeral home I worked at in Oklahoma, about 13 percent of all deaths were cremations," he said. "In Arizona, about 80 percent are cremations."

Cremations are on the rise nationally, but in a state where they have been high for a while now, they have remained at a steady level, according to Thompson and Quist.

What is not at the same level from where it was five years ago is the amount of money people spend on funerals, Thompson said.

The funeral industry "is not immune to what is going on in the world," he said of the slow economy.

"If it is your time to go, people have no control over that," Thompson said. "What it [the economy] does control is what people spend and where they go."