The job description of a funeral director might seem straight forward, the actual job is anything but.

The job description of Funeral Directors is ever-expanding as they meet with families, help plan funeral and cremation services, prepare the body, organize wakes and memorials, place obituaries and death notices in local newspapers, and handle all associated paperwork (bills, receipts, etc.). New conversations, along with the advisory role that comes with the job, show more and more funeral home professionals helping to guide clients on the advantages of funeral pre-planning, and the different methods of pre-paying for funeral services.

According to an AARP survey, about 34 percent of people 50 or older have engaged in some sort of pre-planning of their funeral and burial. A smaller percentage of folks in that same age range have gone a step farther and pre-paid for at least a portion of those services – about 24 percent.

At a time when more older people are considering alternative options when it comes to funerals and burial services, organizations like AARP have encouraged the funeral industry to continue their outreach efforts and educational talks to help educate people about the advantages of pre-planning and pre-paying for them.

Sadly, the educational moment is not quite industry-wide yet. According to one survey, one in five respondents, or about 60 percent, reported that they had never been contacted about pre-purchasing funeral arrangements. A larger percentage, 64 percent, had never been contacted about pre-planning or pre-paying for their final resting place.

The numbers are always changing, however, here are some of the latest trends happening around funeral and burial pre-planning and pre-payment:

  • The likelihood of pre-purchasing funeral and/or burial arrangements increases with age. Of people 64 and older, 51 percent said they had pre-payed for at least a portion of their funeral or burial services. That compares to 32 percent of people ages 55 and 64, and just 17 percent of those between the ages of 50 and 54.
  • Of those who pre-payed for funeral and/or burial services, 40 percent said the funeral home placed funds, but they were unsure where.
  • Of those who pre-payed for funeral and/or burial services, 48 percent said their contract included no option to cancel.
  • A whopping four out of five respondents said that they had not conducted comparative shopping.

At Osiris Software, we know all too well that while the job description of a funeral director might seem straight forward, the actual job is anything but. More than 85 percent of funeral homes in the United States are owned by private families who give more than just their time to their clients, they also provide caring and compassion and empathy at what might be the absolute worst time of their lives.

That’s why we created our death care management software, Osiris Software, to automate and streamline all those tasks that take funeral home directors away from their clients, and the front-facing aspects of their family businesses.

Not only does our funeral home management software take the stress out of routine duties like placing obituaries, creating forms and programs, and interfacing with an accounting system, but our family collaboration features can also offer an experience that builds trust and comfort around the subject of pre-planning their funeral and burial services, which translates to increased family trust and engagement with your establishment.

Simply put, our funeral home management software helps streamline the parts of your business you wish took less of your time and effort so your energy could be spent elsewhere. Talk to an Osiris Team Member today because it really might just be time to add premium funeral home management software to your toolbox.