Mortuary Muse

For about 11 months I was unable to read anything due to age-related macular degeneration. Now with the help of a Merlin LCD reader, from the VA, I can read about any font size of type albeit rather slowly thanks to all the adjustments the machine makes.

I plunged into the pile of back issue of trade journals and papers. What had I missed? Hmmm… well, I’ll skip a few months. Oh, well, let’s check the latest.

So now I know who went to the convention, both funeral directors and vendors, who think they saw and heard a lot of new solutions to new problems. But, maybe some new twists, but is anything really “new?” I would welcome any responses to that question.

I am borrowing some comments from another industry leader, Bill Lee, president and CEO of the trade journal, Hardware Retailing, serving independent hardware, home centers stores and lumber yards. In his editorial he questioned whether or not some firms in the industry might not be losing their competitive advantage by hiding behind the myth of customer service. Perhaps this is an area we should all try a little self-analysis.

Good business practices know no boundaries, sometimes the excuse, “I run a funeral home—I can’t do that,” isn’t valid.

Okay, another thought—“Simple Cremation—starting at….” appears often in funeral service advertising. A marketing ploy, I guess. But I think it is poor judgment (actually I think it is #%&…, but the editor would not let the word get into print). I don’t think there is such a thing as simple cremation except a self– inflicted accident. Maybe the wording should be re-thought.

About the Author:

Lowell Pugh has had funeral director and embalmer licenses in Missouri and Texas and continues the operation of the family funeral home which started in 1904. He is publisher of The Dead Beat which began in 1999. He can be contacted at The Dead Beat address.

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Aaron Beasley Embalming Service & Crematory

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Brian Simmons Springfield Mortuary Service

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Cherokee Casket Company