Why do so many funeral homes not display funeral prices on their web sites?

The funeral industry call the purchase of a funeral a “distressed purchase” and rightly so.  Often families are dealing with news of a death and trying to objectively make funeral arrangements, a task nigh on impossible in a highly emotional state.  This can make families extremely vulnerable, and extremely susceptible to a sales pitch.

The funeral business is like no other business sector.  Firstly the majority of funeral businesses actually do not promote their funeral prices, in fact, in some cases you may even struggle to get a definitive price.  I have emailed funeral homes who do not disclose prices, only to have no reply, or a reply that asks me to call them for a price.   Even a call to a funeral home does not always immediately elicit a price!  The other distinctly defining aspect of the funeral industry is that economies of scale work in opposition to the ‘normal’ corporate model.  The biggest corporate funeral companies commonly charge the highest prices.  Whereas one would expect that with a greater purchasing and resource capability, the bigger the funeral company, the greater their ability to reduce their pricing.  And in many cases a distressed family member may not even know that they are dealing with a corporate funeral home.  For some reason the corporate funeral companies prefer to retain the ‘Mom and Pop’ sounding name of the funeral home they acquired.  

The Federal Trade Commission enacted the “Funeral Rule” in 1984, and further amended the rule in 1994, in response to concerns about how funeral services and products were being ‘mis-sold’ to American consumers.  In compliance with the funeral rule, all funeral homes must have a ‘general price list’ (GPL) that itemizes all their individual funeral service prices and the varying costs of their funeral merchandise.

The funeral rule[1] explicitly states that a funeral home must “give you itemized prices in person and, if you ask, over the phone”, however, there is no requirement to publish their price list on their web site.   Some funeral homes do publish their price list on their web site, but unfortunately this is more of a rarity than common practice.

So why don’t more funeral homes put their prices clearly visible in their shop window?  It reminds me of that experience of walking into the very expensive boutique, when you try and discreetly look at the garment label in hopes of gauging just HOW expensive it is.  When you see that there is no price, you know you are way out of your league and try and make a hasty retreat from the store before the attendant spots you!  They don’t want to tell you the price before they have had chance to do the sell on you.  And I have to say I have phoned enough funeral homes now to hear the same pitch.  I ask “how much”, only to be subjected to an expansive monologue of how “special” their services are.  

The funeral industry is slowly adapting to today’s’ price-conscious marketplace.  Most funeral companies choose to do this by forming an additional ‘arm’ to their existing business with which to brand their “simple and affordable” funeral option.  For example: Franklin Funeral Home in New York operates 1-800 Cremations that offers “dignified funeral services at very reasonable prices”, and Jardine Funeral Home of Strongsville, Ohio also operates Cleveland Cremation that offers a “Simple, Affordable & Worry Free” service at a saving of “40% of a traditional funeral home”.

These examples reflect how a once-archaic industry is adapting to change, and how those funeral professionals who understand that the current cultural and economic climates require a reconstruction of their identities, are helping their businesses move with the times.

If you are a consumer and are using the Internet to enlighten yourself as to how much a funeral does cost in your local area, then if you haven’t already, try using the key terms “affordable” and “simple” in your search – you will find that there are funeral companies promoting themselves and are happy to tell you the ‘low’ cost of their services.

If you are a funeral professional, does your web site really help discerning price-conscious consumers today?  Do you help your potential customers by enabling them to view exactly what your funeral charges are online?  Or do you try and impress them with your credentials as a “fourth-generation” funeral director?

Personally I wonder if dying is ever going to be the same again in America?  As the crippling recession, (that supposedly ended in 2009), continues to prevent ordinary American families from putting food on the table. [Gallop poll[2]]  And the surge of senior Americans, our baby boom generation, who are living longer and spending all their savings on nursing care, have no funds left to meet funeral expenses.

I do expect that as more and more people make funeral arrangement decisions borne out of cost and simplicity, the funeral industry will have no choice but to demonstrate some price-competitiveness.