June 29, 2018
Published by 
Dan Isard on June 29, 2018
Dan Isard on June 29, 2018The profession has failed to continue to embrace the purpose of the basic non-declinable services fee. Dear Dan, In the 30 years of being in my family business, I have seen the inside of my competitor’s funeral home three times. They have a bronze plaque inscribed with a quote about the quality of a funeral. I am not sure who said this, but my father thinks it’s a quote from a former longtime executive director of NFDA. We don’t use the same casket company or I would ask the salesman to go over and take a picture of it. And I don’t want to ask my competitor about it because it might make him feel superior to me. I was wondering what you might know of this quote and the person who said it. Dumbfounded in Delaware Dear Dumbfounded, […]
June 29, 2018
Published by 
Steve Zittle on June 29, 2018
Steve Zittle on June 29, 2018We all want to think that our funeral home offers the best service when compared to our competitors. We want to assume that the work coming out of our prep room is superior as well. Why would you be in business if your goal was to be second or third best in your market? How do you really know if you’re the best? What quantifies the meaning of “best?” If you are not regularly surveying your families, you have no idea. The Foresight Companies can even survey families who did not choose your firm and give you insight as to why. We must, from time to time, conduct an operational audit of our firm. The results of which will (if we’re honest with ourselves) yield an answer to the question: Are we really the best in our market? Even if […]
June 21, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on June 21, 2018
Dan Isard on June 21, 2018Dear Dan, I manage a 100-year-old 80-acre cemetery. I employ about 30 people. My father retired about 10 years ago, and I admit I am doing things much the way he did. I also admit that the world is evolving, and I suspect my human resource knowledge is weak. Dad always treated our sales team as advance and outside salespeople, and they are all on commission only. They get a 1099. Our landscapers work for us full time, but he treated them as “contractors” and gave them each a 1099. Our office staff consists of three people, full-time employees we classify as exempt. There are not many times a year when they work overtime—around the holidays and when we have special on-site promotional events. I am a salaried, full-time employee. Our retirement plan covers me and the office staff. With […]
June 13, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on June 13, 2018
Dan Isard on June 13, 2018Almost every article published today has an underlying call for “change” within the funeral profession. In my opinion, the notion of change may not suffice—scorch the earth and start all over again is likely a better solution. The funeral operating model is broken, and it is ludicrous for practitioners to attempt to hold on to the glory days of the past. If you look at the facts, change is so much easier. What hasn’t changed are the simple mathematical equations underpinning our businesses: Revenue – Overhead = Profit GPL + P&L = EBITDA Retail Price – Wholesale Cost of Goods = Profit I want to focus on the last equation for caskets and vaults (aka outer burial containers) sold within our industry. Over a span of a few years, our funeral business has evolved from a local service to one […]