Aftercare “Why Aftercare?” For Funeral Homes Even if funeral homes understand that aftercare and following up with the families they serve is the right thing to do, it can still go overlooked. Funeral home staffs are busy, and I understand that the most important family is the family that is across the table from you. Quite frankly, many funeral home owners don’t see aftercare as a worthwhile investment. They might think that because the family chose their funeral home today, they will always choose their funeral home. We know that is not the case. Families are more transient than ever, moving more than 11 times on average during their lifetimes. That movement, combined with more competition, can make it difficult for funeral homes to expand their market share or even hold on to their existing market footprint. Aftercare that drives at-need is the most worthwhile for funeral homes. While metrics like “brand loyalty” are absolute byproducts of a successful aftercare program, they can be hard to quantify and measure a return on investment. That is why funeral homes need to incorporate a Google review strategy into their aftercare program. We know that over 90% of consumers today read online reviews when considering a purchasing decision, including funeral service. Even more staggering is the fact that over 97% of those that do read online reviews trust them as much as recommendations from friends and families. Over 2,500 people per month turn to Google and search for the phrase “funeral home near me.” That means that 2,500 at-need cases are essentially up for grabs every month. A family that is new to your area or who doesn’t “The role of aftercare is to provide those families you serve with a metaphorical, yet sometimes literal, lifeline.” have a relationship with a funeral home depends on tools like Google and reviews from others to help them make their funeral purchasing decision. 26 www.ogr.org | Summer 2020 • More than 2500 people Google “funeral home near me” every month • More than 90% of consumers read online reviews • 97% of those trust the reviews as much as recommendations from family and friends The fastest and easiest way to improve at-need call volume is to improve your funeral home’s Google review rating. It is always a highlight of my day when funeral home owners call or text me saying they just had another family choose them over a competitor because of the strength of their review profile. Lessons from COVID-19 There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the funeral industry, and every industry, for that matter, to take a hard look at itself and the way it does business. We’ve seen companies like Zoom, the videoconferencing company, more than double their share price, and we’ve seen others like retail giant J. Crew declare bankruptcy due to the pandemic.\We’ve learned companies, funeral homes included, that fail to adapt to this new way of doing business will not succeed in a post-COVID-19 world. These changes include how aftercare is done. Many funeral homes have aftercare groups that meet in their facilities or have grief counselors that visit with families in their homes. This pandemic has put a halt to those types of programs. But it’s also further emphasized the need for aftercare. Families who have lost loved ones during this pandemic haven’t been able to have the gathering and support
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