Latest Event Updates
8 Easy Ways Your Funeral Home Can Adapt to Change
It’s not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.
–W. Edward Deming
Funeral directors often tell me they don’t need to change because their customers don’t want change. The same people used to tell me their cremation rate would top out at 10 percent, their average sale would never decline and their profit margin would always remain positive. I have no doubt that everyone has a pocket of families who never want funeral service to evolve. It’s the other 90 percent we have to Read the rest of this entry »
7 Ways to Host a Holiday Event at Your Funeral Home
It’s just about that time of year. The weather has cooled. Coats, sweaters, and scarves are out. Hot chocolate is on the stove. ‘Tis the season to be jolly… the holidays are right around the corner!
Hosting a holiday event, either at your funeral home or off-site, is a great way to bring members of your community together. We have put together a few family-oriented event ideas to help you stay involved in your community this holiday season. Read the rest of this entry »
Golden Rule Funeral Homes are Taking Time to Honor Veterans.
November 11, 1918 marked the temporary cessation of hostilities, or an armistice, between Allied nations and Germany and the eventual end of World War I. In honor of that day, November 11 has become known as Veterans Day, a day to “honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.” [1]
Many OGR members, Golden Rule funeral homes, take time each November to honor the veterans in their community. We decided to share some of their stories. Read the rest of this entry »
Let the Customer Think They’re Always Right
Many consumers shop around; others choose a funeral home based on location and relationship. That isn’t news, is it?
As funeral service professionals, we hope that when people are in need, they’ll trust us enough to come knocking on our door for the products and services we provide. Regardless of how they choose us, once their choice has been made, it’s up to us and our staff to ensure that they feel they have made the right choice. How do we do this? Read the rest of this entry »
The 10 Most Fascinating Bone Displays in the World
As Halloween approaches, we thought we’d highlight some noted catacombs and ossuaries from around the world. OGR staff member Michael Ryan has had the pleasure of visiting an ossuary and shares history and descriptions of unforgettable locations on this week’s blog.
What are catacombs and ossuaries? Read below!
The term catacomb often brings to mind a nightmarish scene of bones piled upon each other in a dark, dank underground space with some menacing presence lurking in a nearby corner. And let’s be honest; such a description may be true of some – especially if you’ve seen the recent horror flick As Above, So Below set in the catacombs of Paris.
However, a catacomb is nothing more than an ossuary— Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t be Hacked! Fight Back.
It’s been quite the year for hackers – first around Thanksgiving, they attacked Sony, then they targeted the Anthem database in January, went after government security clearance data in June, and breached the notorious Ashley Madison affair website in July. These attacks embarrassed employees and business owners, put millions of dollars at risk, infuriated customers, and alienated online users.
Unfortunately, these security breaches are just a few that have made the headlines in the past 12 months. (You can see a summary of the world’s biggest data breaches here.)
But it’s not just big businesses that are being targeted. Smaller businesses are just as likely to be hacked as large organizations (See pg. 5 of Verizon’s “2013 Complete Data Breach Investigation”). Think about your funeral home and all the data you have access to – social security numbers, credit card numbers, and other personal information. Do you have policies in place to protect your customers’ information? Read the rest of this entry »
How Can Facebook Interaction Impact My Funeral Home?
When people drive by your funeral home, what do you want them to remember about that brief encounter? At the very least, most owners want to be remembered for something positive like the pink rose bushes that were planted or the beautiful gold doors that were installed. Why? Because your building is a physical representation of your business, and the way you represent your business matters.
But, as many of us know, there are many other ways that people are able to gather a first impression of your funeral home and because of the internet, people are more likely to have their first encounter with your business online. The same way you control what people see when they drive by your place of business is the same way you can have control of what people see when they encounter your business online. Read the rest of this entry »
