A guide to choosing funeral directors
It’s not exactly a nice subject to talk about but choosing a good funeral director can be the difference between saying goodbye to a loved one in a touching fashion, and having a funeral that is fraught with all the additional stresses you don’t need. Organising a funeral can prove to be even more difficult and stressful if your loved one has passed away suddenly or unexpectedly. So in this guide we aim to make things easier and talk about the important factors you should consider when choosing a funeral director and what you can expect from their services.
Tips for choosing a funeral director
Ask around
Ask your friends and relatives for recommendations as to who they’ve used in the past to arrange funerals for their loved ones. If this isn’t possible then you should check out the local funeral directors online where you should be able to find some consumer reviews as to how they’ve found the services. One thing to make your choice easier is to check if they've been dealing with funeral arrangements for a long time as they will be experienced enough.
You may also want to talk to your local vicar or church person. Such people will have had experience of many funeral directors and may be able to give you insight into the small but important details that make all the difference to a special send off.
Choose a funeral director who is a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors
The National Association of Funeral Directors are the official overseeing body of funeral directors. Choosing a funeral director that signs up to this board means that you can have peace of mind that they abide by a certain code of practice and have price lists that are clear and freely available.
Gathering quotes
Finding a funeral director should see you contacting a couple of funeral directors in order to get an idea of what they offer and how much their services will be. Whilst it can feel callous considering cost when booking funeral services you should bear in mind that funerals can easily total more than £3000 and so shopping around really does make sense. Ask what is included in the price, as there might be additional charge for every single service. Our research shows that independent directors charge about 8% cheaper on average that corporate ones.
Feel free to contact them prior to the official registration of death
Many people believe that they have to wait until they get the official death certificate before they can book funeral services. However this isn’t the case and you should feel free to contact them whenever you’re ready.
Always feel free to contact the funeral directors as many times as needed
Organising a funeral is no doubt a stressful time and can play havoc with one’s memory. With that in mind you should feel free to call the funeral directors as many times as is necessary to ensure that you’re happy and they have all the information and instructions necessary.
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