Aren’t All Funeral Homes The Same?

               As a professional caring for those who have lost a loved one, people often ask me, “Aren’t all funeral homes the same?” It is true that all licensed Utah funeral homes must meet specific criteria and provide certain services to the public, but our goal is to move beyond the minimum standards.  The idea of exceeding the standards is where we, as a company, separate ourselves from other funeral homes; we then begin to be a superior group of funeral homes. You might ask how do we exceed the basic standards of  Utah funeral homes.  It begins with our overall philosophy:

            “There are those who are simply in the business of doing funerals and they are happy doing so. We at Memorial are in the business of helping people transition and adjust to life after the loss of a loved one by helping them say good bye and by providing meaningful opportunities to preserve and reflect upon the memories of their loved one. We take care of people before, during and after the loss of a loved one. We are all about the memories.”

~ G. Robert Quist, President of Memorial Mortuaries & Cemeteries

 

Along with our different approach to conducting business, we also are different in the following ways:

 

o    We are ranked among the top two percent of funeral homes nationwide as recipients of the Pursuit of Excellence Award. We are the only funeral homes in the Salt Lake Valley honored with this award by the National Funeral Directors Association. The Pursuit of Excellence award recipients are dedicated to consistently providing outstanding service to families, ongoing education to staff, and adherence to only the highest ethical and professional standards.

 

o    Our staff is dedicated to the satisfaction of our clientele. Every staff member of our company has one goal in mind: satisfying the needs of every family we serve. We know that the families we serve are important.  We also know that each of us has something we can contribute to a family’s positive experience with our company.   The idea is to do whatever is necessary to meet the needs of the family.

 

o    We do not use an answering service. We feel that those calling us deserve to speak to a funeral professional at any time of the day.  One of our licensed funeral directors or funeral service interns are available to speak with any time you call us.

 

o    We let the family decide what is best. Where some funeral homes predetermine what a family needs and often makes decisions for them, we have a professional consultant who will sit down with each family and listen to family members express their needs and desires.  Then, our consultant takes the family’s wishes, weaves them together with our many options, and tailors a service plan that meets the family’s approval. 

 

o    We feel that our care does not end when the burial or cremation is completed.  Complimentary bereavement support to you, your family, and friends is offered.  Grief support groups, individual meetings, and printed grief materials are available for you to use.  We invite you to take advantage of these helpful resources.

           I could continue this list for there are many more ways we stand out from other funeral homes. I conclude by simply saying that yes, you may find a funeral home willing to provide similar services to what we provide at Memorial; but we take our mission beyond the basic standards of service.  For us, helping people heal from the loss of a loved one is not just another job; it is a calling in life. I am Brandon W. Burningham CFSP, CPC and I though you might like to know!