Consumer Glossary for Funeral Service Flashcards
A person publicly unassailable outside the private office of the boss, this person is frequently nepotic
Assistant to (Executive Secretary)
This term is used when there has been a death, and property or other merchandise is needed now
At-Need
A term for the person in the firm who eats people and ideas that threatens or come from the wrong person, even when the idea is superior
Barracuda (Insatiable Appetite)
An arrangement of flowers either in metal, plastic or wicker basket
Basket
A platform that the casket is placed on for display during visitation and funeral services
Bier
When they appear, they are treated as exalted except when the employee is a member of the board
Board of Directors aka Trustees
The function is to try, with a pile of papers issued at the time of the meeting, to act as though they know what is going on and how to vote in any way not indicated by the presenter, usually the general manager, who has done his homework
Board of Directors aka Trustees
Financial planning vehicles
What will happen based on what has happened
Adjusted by changes in the firms accent and direction
Budgets
A concrete, metal or fiber glass container into which a casket is placed for burial
Purpose is to protect the casket from the weight of the earth
Burial Vault
A cloth that drapes the casket during visitation or the funeral
Casket Pall
The person who oversees all divisions except one, the one running itself
CEO
A copy of a death certificate that is certified to be a true copy of the original
Is identified by the seal of the Health Department and signature of an employee of the Health Department
Certified Copy of Death Certificate
An area in a mausoleum or other structure containing recesses used to contain and sometimes display urns of cremated remains
Columbarium
Crypts side by side for companion burial
Caskets will be placed lengthwise (feet first) in a companion and sideways for companion couch
Companion/Companion Couch
A concrete container for the casket that is designed to protect the casket from the weight of the earth, but offers no protection against the entrance of moisture
Concrete Box
In charge of day to day operations; Cannot afford to ignore any division
Generally is the organizations glue
COO
The reduction of human remains to bone fragments by intense heat
Cremation
A soft wood or corrugated receptacle used in lieu of a casket to cover and contain the remains until the time of cremation
Cremation Tray
Chamber in which human remains are cremated
Crematory aka Retort
This is the concrete space for casket placement
Crypt
A legal document listing statistical information about a deceased person and stipulating the cause of death as certified by a physician
It is the funeral home’s responsibility to file this document with the local Health Department
Death Certificate
This is a certificate issued to all new property owners after the contract has been paid in full
Gives the owner right of interment only
Property is not owned outright
Is issued on lots and mausoleum showing the exact location of the property
Does not include the purchase of merchandise or services
Deed/Certificate of Ownership
One who does this has confidence; one who does not has much to do
This is the breeding ground for procrastinators
Delegate
Letting others perform tasks that should not occupy the top manager
In small firms, this is entirely academic
In large firms, this is usually under done, if not over done
This is very hard to do correctly
Delegation of authority
Non-existent in smaller firms. Otherwise, these are the operating bosses of the separate divisions
Department Heads
For salespeople, a place to look busy, and hone the art of prospect card solitaire
For the secretary, a place to leave for a break
For the boss, a barrier that protects and, when large enough, intimidates
For the groups superintendent, a surface to not clean or have seen
Desks
Cremation without viewing the remains or having any memorial service
Direct Cremation
This term refers to two persons interred in one space
Double Depth Burial
These are small bronze plaques placed on markers, monuments, or crypt fronts
Emblems
This is the act of burying the deceased in a crypt
Entombment
Incorrect moves performed by subordinates
Attention is called to these
All shall know
Errors
The dumping ground for any issue that needs attention but is perplexing managements
Executive Committee
An agreement with the purchaser to supply a complete funeral service, including casket, for a price set by current day standards
Money collected from this agreement is held in a trust until the death of the individual and at the time is withdrawn from the trust to pay for the funeral service
Any interest which has been added to the account helps to offset the additional cost to the funeral home at the time of the service
Funeral Trust
This is the same as a mausoleum with the only difference being that the crypts are outside
Garden Mausoleum
Funeral service that is held at the grave site rather than in the funeral home or church
Gravesite Service
This is the name and date of birth and death of the deceased, placed on the front of the crypt, marker or monument
Inscription
This is the act of burying a person in the ground
Interment or Opening and Closing
This term is applied to spaces designed in which the casket is placed at the time of interment
Usually double depth
These are below ground, pre-installed concrete containers for the interment of human remains
Lawn Crypts
This is an above ground structure and the burial is made inside the building
Mausoleum
A service conducted in memory of the deceased, most often following cremation, with or without the remains being present
Memorial Service
A coined expression, meaning “family member”
Nepotic
The act of being nepotic
To employ the kin in the business
Non-relatives tend to not rise above the family members
Another form is to employ a married couple, not in the family of owners
Where the total number of employees equals the total number of family members, we have no problem, only a concept to discuss
Nepotism
The space which holds cremated remains
This can be glass front niches or wood front niches, marble or granite
Glass front niches contain urns which are engraved
Wood front niches will have inscriptions on the front, similar to the crypt fronts
Niche
This is a charge to all new property owners for the recording, processing, and deeding of property
Also charged funeral families for administrative functions
Origination Fee
Fear
Prince changers, direction changer
May well be pure in operations and wonder what he did or said that has been misinterpreted
Paranoia
The time set as the starting point of a funeral home visitation
Placement Time
This term is used when property and other cemetery or funeral home merchandise has been purchased before a death
Pre-Need
The rooms in the funeral home used for embalming and preparing the remains for visitation and funeral
Preparation Room
The term used by the sales department to provide the family with facts about the advantages of purchasing
Presentation
Frequently thought of as a dart board
In actual fact, they are easy to do
One of the major reasons consultants lose their clients
Pro-forma
Call your office and see how yours is handled
Ask a fairly off the wall question, such as “How much does the funeral cost
Public Relations
Identification for groups of employees helping to identify and solve problems
Quality Circles
Any of the casket containers
Receptacle
Incorrect moves performed by the boss
Between him and his maker
The exception is at the boss’s home
There he makes erroes
Secrets
These are terms used to identify the grave locations of burials and property owned
Sections/Blocks/Lots/Spaces
Rooms in the funeral home used specifically for visitation
Reposing Room
Stateroom
Work at the direction of the department heads
Line people, get the job done
Supervisors
Crypts placed end to end
The first burial is placed in the back and the second entombment directly in front
Tandem
This is where our families purchase everything necessary for complete cemetery arrangements in advance of death
Usually includes the lot, marker, interment charges, and vault
This would include a mausoleum package with crypts, entombment, and inscription
TPA
Total Pre-Arrangement
A form which must be completed and notarized to transfer property from one person to another
These forms are needed even to transfer from husband to wife or mother or daughter
Affidavit is required
Transfer
A receptacle for holding remains which can be made of various materials
Bronze, copper, wood, marble, or cardboard
Urn
This refers to the outer receptacle in which the casket is placed at the time of interment
Vault
The time before a funeral service set aside for relatives and friends of the deceased to visit and usually view the remains
This is usually held the evening prior to the day of the funeral
AKA wake, viewing, and lying in state
Visitation
