One.  Can I ask you a weird question?

THERE ARE NO WEIRD QUESTIONS.  Dying, death and death care are clouded in a sense of mystery.  After our loved ones die, they’re whisked away by the hospital staff, or by a funeral director.  Once at the funeral home, the body is either transformed through embalming or cremation.  That whole period — from death to disposition — offers all too many questions for the deceased’s loved one.  This is why there are no weird questions.  Ask us anything and everything and we’ll give you an honest answer.

Two.  Can I help?

Firstly, this is YOUR loved one.  It’s not ours.  One of my sayings I like to tell families to reaffirm that idea is this: “you’ve loved and cared for them up to this point, so don’t stop now.”  There are some things we can’t let you help with, like embalming, but there are a hundred other things like dressing your loved one, helping in the transfer, doing the hair, makeup and even riding in the hearse.

URL: https://www.flickr.com/people/timomcd/
Title: Pig’s Heart
Year: 2011
Source: Flickr

Three.  Can you fix …?

If you’re having a viewing, it’s always good to pre-view your loved one before the public viewing.  If mom’s hair is off, if the clothing isn’t on correctly, if it isn’t your mother lying in the casket … you need to ask us to fix that problem.

Four.  Can I see your General Price List?  

The General Price List shows the itemized list of our prices so you can make an intelligent financial decision when shopping for a funeral home.  In fact, the Federal Trade Commissions requires us to give you this list.  The FTC states, “You must give the General Price List to anyone who asks, in person, about funeral goods, funeral services, or the prices of such goods or services.”

Five.  Can I have a little longer with my loved one?

OMG, yes.  And any funeral director who responds otherwise should be fired.  Remember, this is your loved one, not ours.

Six.  Can you rub my back?

Embalmers generally massage the arms, legs, and face of the deceased to help with fluid distribution.  So, we are able to massage.  And even though your body might be strained from grief, we’re probably gonna say “no” to this question.  Sorry.  You’ve got be dead to get that service.

Seven.  Can I watch …?

This is a valid question.  Again, most funeral directors will say “no” if you ask to watch an embalming, but just about anything else is on the table.  Many crematories will even let you hit the “start” button.

Eight.  How can I save money?

Funeral directors should have YOUR best interest in mind, not their own.  If you want an inexpensive funeral, the funeral director knows how to cut corners better than anyone.  (And, just as free advice, this question should be asked BEFORE your loved one passes.  Call around.  Ask funeral homes for their GPL.  And find one that you’re both comfortable working with, AND, is inexpensive.  You could save a couple thousand just by shopping around.)

Nine.  “Can you cut out the heart of my husband and have it cremated separately so I can put the heart ashes in a cremation locket?  I want the cremation locket of his heart next to my heart.”  

This was an actual question a widow asked a buddy funeral director.  He said “no.”

Ten.  Can you help me with …?

If we got into this work for anything than other than service we’re doing it entirely wrong.  It’s not bad if we make money, but the main reason we’ve maintain a place in society is because we’ve helped you in your hardest moments.  Good funeral directors are service oriented, and the best ones are both service-oriented and intelligently helpful.

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