Vocab- Consumer Glossary for Funeral Service

Question 1

A person publicly unassailable outside the private office of the boss, this person is frequently nepotic.

Answer 1

Assistant To (Or in many cases, the Executive Secretary)

Question 2

A term used when there has been a death, a property or other merchandise is needed now.

Answer 2

At-Need

Question 3

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. Insatiable appetite.

Answer 3

Barracuda

Question 4

An arrangement of flowers either in metal, plastic, or wicker baskets.

Answer 4

Basket

Question 5

A platform that the casket is placed on for display during visitation and funeral services.

Answer 5

Bier

Question 6

When they appear, they are treated as EXALTED. Exception: when the employee is a member of the board. Function is to try, with a pile of papers issued at the tie 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 (self-preservation). Occasionally gets hold of a thread the GM did not anticipate and takes a great deal of time and glee in riding that horse, only to back off after he has shown his teeth. Never one to rock the boat in a final way. Exception: where the above is not true and where the Board is not on the ball and kept up to date by the GM.

Answer 6

Board of Directors (Trustees)

Question 7

Financial planning vehicles. What will happen, based on what has happened. Adjusted by changes in the firm’s accept and direction.

Answer 7

Budgets

Question 8

A concrete, metal or fiber glass container into which a casket is placed for burial. The purpose is to protect the casket from the weight of the earth.

Answer 8

Burial Vault

Question 9

A cloth that drapes the casket during visitation or the funeral. Used by some religious faiths, or can be an American flag.

Answer 9

Casket Pall

Question 10

The person who oversees all divisions except one. This is always true. If there are four divisions, he/she will be up on three and the other runs itself. Since this person is good at what he/she does, the division he/she ignores is easy to see (smell, etc).

Answer 10

CEO

Question 11

A copy of a death certificate that s certified to be a true copy of the original. Identified by the seal of the Health Department and signature of an employee of the Health Department.

Answer 11

Certified Copy of Death Certificate

Question 12

An area in a mausoleum or other structure containing recesses (Niches) used to contain and sometimes display urns or cremated remains.

Answer 12

Columbarium

Question 13

Crypts side by side for companion burial. Caskets will be placed lengthwise (feet first) in a companion and sideways for companion couch.

Answer 13

Companion/Companion Couch

Question 14

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.

Answer 14

Concrete Box

Question 15

In charge of day-to-day operations. Cannot afford to ignore any division. Generally is the organization’s glue.

Answer 15

COO

Question 16

The reduction of human remain to bone fragments by intense heat.

Answer 16

Cremation

Question 17

A soft wood or corrugated receptacle used in lieu of a casket to cover and contain the remains until the time of cremation.

Answer 17

Cremation Tray

Question 18

Chamber in which human remains are cremated.

Answer 18

Crematory (Retort)

Question 19

The concrete space for casket placement.

Answer 19

Crypt

Question 20

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 Department of Health.

Answer 20

Death Certificate

Question 21

A certificate issued to all new property owners after the contract has been paid in full. This certificate gives the owner right of interment only. The property is not owned outright. The certificate is issued on lots and mausoleum showing the exact location of the property. The certificate does not include the purchase of merchandise or services.

Answer 21

Deed (Certificate of Ownership)

Question 22

The ability to. One who does this has confidence. One who does not has much to do. This is the breeding grounds for procrastinators.

Answer 22

Delegate

Question 23

Letting others perform tasks that should not occupy the top manager. In small firms, this is entirely academic. In larger firms, this is usually under done,if not over done. This is very hard to do correctly.

Answer 23

Delegation of Authority

Question 24

Non-existent in smaller (one man gang) firms. Otherwise, these are the operating bosses of the separate divisions.

Answer 24

Department Heads

Question 25

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 grounds superintendent, a surface to not clean or have seen. For him it must be covered, totally.

Answer 25

Desks

Question 26

Cremation without viewing the remains or having any memorial service.

Answer 26

Direct Cremation

Question 27

Refers to two persons interred in one space.

Answer 27

Double Depth Burial

Question 28

Small bronze plaques placed on markers, monuments or crypt fronts. Examples: club or lodge emblems, or religious emblems such as a cross or open Bible.

Answer 28

Emblems

Question 29

The act of burying a deceased in a crypt.

Answer 29

Entombment

Question 30

Incorrect moves performed by subordinates. Attention is called to these. All shall know.

Answer 30

Errors

Question 31

The dumping ground for any issue that needs attention but is perplexing management. Use is, “Our executive committee is discussing this at the present time and will handle this matter.” Actually, otherwise, a potentially very useful group.

Answer 31

Executive Committee

Question 32

An agreement with the purchaser to supply a complete funeral service including casket, for a price set by current day standards. The 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.

Answer 32

Funeral Trust

Question 33

The same as a mausoleum with the only difference being that the crypts are outside.

Answer 33

Garden Mausoleum

Question 34

Funeral service that is held at the grave site rather than in the funeral home or church.

Answer 34

Gravesite Service

Question 35

This is the name and date of birth and death of the deceased, placed on the front of the crypt, marker or monument.

Answer 35

Inscription

Question 36

The act of burying a person in the ground. We charge a fee for this service, separate from the burial space.

Answer 36

Interment or Opening and Closing

Question 37

A term 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.

Answer 37

Lawn Crypts

Question 38

The above ground structure; the burial is made inside the building.

Answer 38

Mausoleum

Question 39

A coined expression meaning “family member.”

Answer 39

Nepotic

Question 40

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 the owners. This is thought to be a bad form of this, while the family variety is accepted. Where the total number of employees equals the total number of family members, we have no problem, only a concept to discuss.

Answer 40

Nepotism

Question 41

The space which holds cremated remains. This can be glass front or wood front, marble or granite. Glass front contain urns which are engraved; wood front will have inscriptions on the front, similar to the crypt fronts.

Answer 41

Niche

Question 42

A charge to all new property owners for the recording, processing, and deeding or property. This is also charged to funeral families for administrative functions.

Answer 42

Organization Fee

Question 43

Fear. “Wonder what he meant by that?” is an example. Price changers, direction changes. This person may well be pure in operations and wonder what he did or said that has been misinterpreted.

Answer 43

Paranoia

Question 44

The time set as the starting point of a funeral home visitation.

Answer 44

Placement Time

Question 45

A term used when property and other cemetery or funeral home merchandise has been purchased before a death.

Answer 45

Pre-Need

Question 46

The rooms in the funeral home used for embalming and preparing the remains for visitation and funeral.

Answer 46

Preparation Room

Question 47

The term used by the Sales Department to provide the family with facts about the advantages of purchasing.

Answer 47

Presentation

Question 48

Frequently thought of as the dart board. In actual fact, they are so easy to do, they are usually done correctly. But like computers, garbage in, garbage out. One of the major reasons consultants lose their clients.

Answer 48

Pro Forma

Question 49

Call your office and see how yours is handled. Ask a fairly off the wall question, such as “How much does the funeral cost?” I hate to tell you what you will find out, but there will usually be a meeting, and soon.

Answer 49

Public Relations

Question 50

Identification for groups of employees helping to identify and solve problems.

Answer 50

Quality Circles

Question 51

Any casket container.

Answer 51

Receptacle

Question 52

Incorrect moves performed by the boss. It’s between him and his maker. The exception is the boss’s home. There he makes errors.

Answer 52

Secrets

Question 53

Terms used to identify the grave locations of burial and property owned.

Answer 53

Sections (Blocks, Lots, Spaces)

Question 54

Rooms in the funeral home used specifically for visitation.

Answer 54

State Room (Reposing Room)

Question 55

Work at the direction of the department heads. Line people, get the job done.

Answer 55

Supervisors

Question 56

Crypts placed end to end. The first burial is placed in the back and the second entombed directly in front.

Answer 56

Tandem

Question 57

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 mausoleum package with crypts, entombment and inscription.

Answer 57

T.P.A. (Total Pre-Arrangement)

Question 58

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. An affidavit is often required.

Answer 58

Transfer

Question 59

A receptacle for holding cremated remains which can be made of various materials: bronze, copper, wood, marble, or cardboard.

Answer 59

Urn

Question 60

This refers to the outer receptacle in which the casket is placed at the time of interment.

Answer 60

Vault

Question 61

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.

Answer 61

Visitation (Wake, Viewing, Lying in State)