First Quarter Final Exam (COMPLETE) Flashcards
What do funeral service professionals do?
- Funeral directors
- Embalmers
- Wake attendant
- Drivers/removal staff (Some states require FDs to do a removal)
- Receptionist
- Managers
- Owner (independent or corporation)
- Crematory Operator
- Cemeterian (sales reps, groundskeepers)
- Preneed Sales Agents
Specific Duties of a funeral director
● Transfer/transportation from place of death (Removal)
● Arrangement conference
○ Build rapport, PROVIDE DIRECTION (guidance & support)
■ Funeral directors are community educators
○ Present transparent pricing information
○ Gathering vital statistics information
○ Present merchandise and services
○ Record goods & services selected by clients
○ Coordination of events at venues/cemetery, contacting vendors
○ Communicate disclosures (FTC)
○ Prepare, compose obituaries & death notices
○ Notify SSA
Specific Duties of an Embalmer
● Preparation of remains
○ Washing
○ Dressing
○ Embalming*
■ *optional, not required by law
○ Restoration/reconstruction
○ Casketing
○ Cosmetizing
Types of Disposition
- Body Donation
- Cremation
- Entombment
- Burial (In-ground, sea, inurnment)
- Water Cremation
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
○ Formed in 1914
○ Five (5) commissioners
○ Created to protect the consumer, maintain free and fair competition among businesses.
○ Prevent unfair business practices
FTC Funeral Rule
○ Created in April 30, 1984
○ Revised in 1994
○ Anyone who sells goods & services must comply!
○ Give fair & accurate pricing
○ Provide disclosures
○ 16 itemized services
■ THEY CANNOT BE FREE!
○ 4 minimal
○ Give GPL when having a face-to-face conversation about pricing BEFORE TALKING ABOUT PRICING OCCURS
○ 1 violation = $43,280
Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)
an antitrust law with the goal of adding further substance to the U.S. antitrust law regime; the Clayton Act seeks to prevent anticompetitive practices in their incipiency. Price-fixing, unfair business practices.
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (1975)
allows Funeral Homes (sellers of merchandise) to disclaim warranties
if the seller does it by using specific language that is presented to consumers in a clear and conspicuous manner; federal statute governs warranties on consumer products. The law does not require any product to have a warranty (it may be sold “as is”), but if it does have a warranty, the warranty must comply with this law.
Wheeler–Lea Act (1938)
is a United States federal law that amended Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act to proscribe “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” as well as “unfair methods of competition.”
Robinson-Patman Act (1936)
regulates against price discrimination; federal law that prohibits anticompetitive practices by producers, specifically price discrimination.
- Remember Robert Pattinson (Batman)
Price Discrimination
A selling strategy that charges customers different prices for the same product or service based on what the seller thinks they can get the customer to agree to
Russo Act (1980)
Illinois Congressman Marty Russo created the Russo Amendment that passed the house, which would have exempted funeral service from the scope of the FTC. He complained the FTC was giving the funeral industry a bad name; that they never gave funeral service a chance. He tried to kill the FTC Funeral Rule again in 1983 (no dice!)
Truth in Lending Act (1968)
in response to unfair credit and billing practices; federal law designed to promote the informed use of consumer credit, by requiring disclosures about its terms and cost to standardize the manner in which costs associated with borrowing are calculated and disclosed.
FTC Cooling-Off Rule
a rule that allows you to cancel a contract within three (3) days after signing it, for a full refund.
- allows a “free-fall” for buy’s remorse
Buyer’s Remorse
the sense of regret after having made a purchase
Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Ethics
- right & wrong, moral compass, ways to conduct your life
Legal
illegal acts are punishable by law
Difference between Ethics and Legality
Ethical acts often go above and beyond what is legal
The Sequence of Funeral Service Events
■ Death occurs!
■ First call (initial notification of death)
■ Removal (transfer from place of death)
■ Arrangement conference
■ Preparation of Remains
■ Services
People who you would get a first call from
● Hospice
● Nurses, healthcare professionals
● Family
● Friends (often price shoppers)
● Authorities (Fire, police, first responders)
● Medical examiner investigators, coroners
Preparation of Remains
● Washing, dressing, cosmetizing
● Minimal prep (setting the features + washing) Not embalmed
○ Private ID viewing
● Embalming
● Restoration (jaundice, decomposition)
● Reconstruction of traumatized or autopsied remains
Types of Funeral Services
● Viewings (wakes)
● Visitation (public or private)
● Memorial Service (no casket) or Funeral Service (casket)
- Funerals
Types of Services at the Cemetery/Grave
○ Graveside committal service
○ Inurnment service
○ Chapel service
○ Entombment
○ Witness cremation ceremony
Paperwork the average funeral director files/uses
○ Authorizations (Embalming, cremation, removal)
○ Case Reports
○ Burial Transit Permits (after DCs)
○ Ship-in/ship-out paperwork with apostille/embassy
○ SSA721
○ VA Applications w/DD214
What is important to do before seeing or speaking about prices, services, OBC’s, or caskets?
Give out the GPL, OBCPL, and CPL before seeing or discussing
What is the General Price List (GPL)?
Printed or typewritten list of goods and services offered for sale by a funeral provider with retail prices
What are alternative price lists & who can have an alternative price list?
Special pricelists are allowed for specific groups
- Children and Infants
- Government Agencies
- Law Enforcement/Public Safety
- Religious Groups and Memorial Societies
Not mandatory, not required on GPL but can be added, or be a separate price list
Basic Servies Fee
■ Use of staff and facility
■ Non-declinable
- required part of GPL
Funeral Package
a combined group of goods/services, typically at a discounted price
Statement of Funeral Goods and Services
Summary of selections (Bill, agreement, contract, receipt)
- BEFORE they leave, must be given to the family to keep
- Includes the bill
- Disclosures (FTC)
- Cash advance items = money to 3rd parties
■ Money in, money out
If you are requesting military honors for a Veteran, what paperwork will you need the family to provide to you?
DD214