Why do we spend a fortune on caskets when it’s going in the ground or to a crematory?
Let’s peel back the layers of the funeral industry, pull back the curtain and speak frankly.
When a person dies and they had a plan that they let you know about, a set of instructions and funds set aside, absolutely adhere to their wishes. But what if the roadmap is missing? It’s like being lost in a forest with nowhere to turn. And by the way, the funeral home knows this, I am not saying that this is true for every funeral home, but with no known plan and no real understanding by the consumer of what is really needed vs. what they would like to sell you, I’ve seen it happen.
No instructions on whether they would have wanted a $2,400.00 casket? If so, maybe you are questioning why you are spending money on something that is going into the ground.
Recently, I helped organize a funeral for a friend’s father. It got me thinking about casket costs… Does a more expensive one really honor a person’s memory better than something simpler and more down-to-earth?
Rather than overwhelm my grieving friend with an extensive casket catalog (as industry standard dictates), I offered her two alternatives: one was a plain, pine box retailing at $995.00. The other was a plain, pine box for $1,295.00. “What’s the difference?” she asked. I answered, “The one for $1295.00 includes some stuffing and a pillow.” She said, “Why would I spend more money on something going into a crypt and sealed in a wall?”
Would I make more money and still have saved her money if she chose the $1295.00 version? Yes. But this is not the philosophy I founded RIPPLE on. She asked what the difference was between the two caskets and I said, “A pillow.” Needless to say, she went with the $995.00 which was seen by the family for under ten minutes and completely fine.
How people take advantage of the grief stricken at one of the worst moments of their lives is beyond me. Funeral Homes are businesses out to make a profit, I need to make a living as well, but not by dramatically upselling. The death industry is an area where consumers are not educated; and because death and funerals are all tied up in emotion, funeral homes are able to walk consumers down an overpriced path.
In my experience as a funeral director, an expensive casket doesn’t give clients any more satisfaction than that $995.00 pine box. And with the $1500.00 you’d save, wouldn’t you rather spend it on something else?