Imagine this scenario:
You’ve just concluded a meaningful funeral service for a family you’ve grown close to over the past weeks. You know their names, their history, their church, and how much they cherished their loved one. You’ve guided them through writing the obituary, meticulously planned the service details, secured fast funding through insurance assignment, and even arranged a livestream for distant relatives.
As you bid them farewell, a wave of guilt washes over you. You recognize the challenging journey of grief ahead for this family in the coming months and years. You wish you had a system to provide them with grief support resources and guidance on settling their loved one’s estate.
Having such a program would not only ease your conscience but also make it more natural to ask for referrals, preplanning consultations, or even a positive Google review.
This scenario resonates with many funeral professionals today. Once families leave their funeral homes, the common thought is often:
– “Next call. Time to focus on the next family.”
– “I wish I could offer more support, but I lack a consistent follow-up process for every family.”
– “Should I request a Google review in a few weeks? But what if it’s insensitive timing? Maybe it’s best not to…”
Sound familiar?
If so, your funeral home might be missing a vital component: an effective after care program.
What Exactly are Funeral After Care Programs?
Funeral after care refers to the ongoing support and attention provided after the funeral service concludes and the family leaves your care. It’s about maintaining connection, checking in on families, and nurturing the relationships you’ve built during a difficult time.
After care programs can take various forms, such as:
– Sending thoughtful email newsletters
– Making compassionate phone calls
– Sending personalized cards on significant dates
– Hosting informative grief workshops
– Conducting after-service family surveys
– And many other supportive initiatives
For an after care program to truly make a difference, it must be consistent, facilitate ongoing communication and relationship maintenance, and ultimately, benefit your funeral home as well.
Historically, after care has often been undervalued or considered secondary. It’s understandable to assume that families no longer require your services once the funeral is over. However, the bonds you create with families shouldn’t dissolve when they leave your premises.
The Compelling Reasons to Implement Funeral After Care Programs
Funeral homes typically serve three distinct groups of families:
Preneed Families: Individuals and families who are planning for the future and pre-arranging funeral services.
At-need/Imminent Need Families: Those actively planning a funeral service due to a recent or impending death.
After Care/Post-need Families: Families you have served who no longer require immediate at-need services but still value support and connection.
Managing these three groups simultaneously can be complex, as each requires tailored marketing efforts and specific strategies to meet their unique needs.
Their engagement with your funeral home also occurs at different points in time. Some families transition from preneed to at-need and eventually become after care families. Others begin at the at-need stage and then become part of your after care network.
Crucially, remember that 100% of the families you serve will eventually become after care families.
This is why neglecting or overlooking their needs is a missed opportunity.
Consider this analogy:
If marketing focuses on brand awareness and attracting new clients, after care is your customer retention strategy. It’s about nurturing existing relationships to foster long-term loyalty and support.
Louis Salazar of Salazar Funeral Homes & Crematory emphasizes that a strong after care program does more than just maintain connections – it strengthens the entire foundation of his business.
“When a family entrusts us with their service, our priority is to serve them exceptionally well. Our after care program, supported by FDL, allows us to continue caring for them long after the funeral. This ongoing connection increases the likelihood of them returning to us should another death occur in their family.”
How Funeral After Care Programs Effectively Serve Families
After care programs significantly enhance your brand recognition, bolster your funeral home’s reputation, and contribute to overall business growth. The key is ensuring families receive the support they genuinely need, particularly in navigating grief and addressing estate settlement matters.
Here are some common questions families face where your after care program can provide invaluable assistance:
– “How do I close or transfer ownership of my loved one’s bank accounts?”
– “What steps are needed to claim benefits and manage outstanding debts?”
– “Where can I find reliable grief resources to aid in my healing process?”
– “How can I meaningfully memorialize my loved one’s life?”
– “What is involved in transferring vehicle titles and registrations?”
And countless other practical and emotional considerations.
Simply directing families to an estate attorney, while helpful, doesn’t nurture the ongoing relationship you’ve established. A robust after care program empowers families to find answers and resources independently, while still allowing for attorney involvement when necessary. It’s a win-win approach that benefits everyone.
Key Features of Exceptional Funeral After Care Programs
As previously mentioned, an effective after care program must be consistent and easily manageable. It should facilitate seamless communication, nurture lasting relationships, and ultimately contribute to the success of your funeral home.
With a well-structured after care program, families can:
– Access valuable grief resources: Extending your service and support beyond the funeral itself.
– Become referral sources: Strengthened relationships foster loyalty and increase the likelihood of referrals.
– Consider pre-planning: Demonstrating ongoing care can organically lead to increased preneed business.
– Provide positive Google Reviews: Exceptional experiences translate to positive reviews, enhancing your online reputation.
A comprehensive after care program utilizes multiple communication channels, including email and even text messaging, to reach out to families. This multi-faceted approach improves communication effectiveness and simplifies the process of checking in with families.
The Ideal After Care Program for Your Funeral Home
An after care program is not just about business growth; it’s about serving families more comprehensively and compassionately.
Revisit the initial scenario one last time.
Imagine saying goodbye to a family, but instead of feeling that familiar pang of “I wish I could do more, but I’m too busy to follow up,” you confidently think:
“I look forward to checking in on them in the coming weeks. Our funeral after care program will ensure they receive the support they need.”
By partnering with a program like Circle of Friends+, you can provide precisely this level of dedicated after care service. And now, with COF+ integrated into comprehensive digital marketing packages, enhancing your after care program has never been more streamlined.
Request a demo today and discover how a robust after care program can elevate your service and strengthen your funeral home’s connection with the community.
