Friday 28th October 2011 / Latest News / Our inspiration

Changing the face of funeral care

In recent years I lost my mother and father within three months of each other and a year later Sonia lost her father, and the one thing that still weighs heavily on my mind is that, while the care and service we received from our funeral director was excellent and professional, the experience of walking into the funeral director’s high street store was extremely depressing and not reflective of the warm smiles we received from the staff.

We used a nationwide chain of funeral directors, but were astonished to find their shop felt like a Victorian funeral parlour, with the front of house looking like a dilapidated solicitor’s office and the rear areas dressed with dark red curtains, a few bunches of flowers and the odd candle – all permeated by a peculiar smell that haunts your nostrils for months afterwards.

Why should funeral care stores not be treated like any retail environment? These places – where we go in difficult times – are part of our high streets. They need to convey clear messages about their offer/services and they need to reassure visitors that they are a pair of safe hands. Funeral care environments could do much more to support customers – simply by improving their brand communication,in-store experience and clarity of product offer.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is one of the most stressful and deeply emotional times in one’s life and we all know it’s inevitable, so why not make this a positive uplifting experience, reflecting and celebrating those who have passed? And at the same time, why not create spaces and experiences in-store that help those left behind cope better?

If you wish to know how we would approach changing the face of ‘ Funeral care’ please contact our office.