Important factors in choosing a funeral director
Choosing a funeral director is one of the most important decisions anyone will make when planning the funeral of a loved one. Essentially, it's the role of the funeral director to ensure that everything runs smoothly in the run up to and on the day of the funeral service. Making sure you select a funeral director that's suitable for your personal needs can save time, money and, most importantly, worry.
Word of mouth
Turning to friends and family in the immediate period after losing a loved one and the most common way for bereaved families to find and select a funeral director is word of mouth.
Recommendations often come from someone who has personal experience of a local funeral director. This type of personal recommendation provides reassurance but a valuable addition to word of mouth recommendations are online reviews.
localfuneral.co.uk displays Google and Facebook reviews on each funeral director listing. This lets you quickly see the star rating (out of five) of local funeral directors and the number of reviews the rating is based on; helping you make an informed decision.
Location is important
Location also plays a big part in how people choose a funeral director and for many people arranging funerals, how 'local' a funeral director is to where the deceased lived is a big determining factor in the final choice.*
There are several reasons behind this, most notably being able to visit the funeral director easily while arrangements are being made. It also helps make transportation of the deceased easier if the funeral director is located close to the place of death and the location of the cemetery or crematorium. Even where family members have moved away, holding the funeral in a place local to the deceased is considered to be one of the most influential factors in choosing a funeral director.
Local access to the funeral director makes it possible to liaise face-to-face prior to the funeral and even arrange a home visit. This will help to give next of kin regular reassurance that everything is going according to plan, as well as making it possible to discuss any last minute changes quickly and easily.
Choosing a local funeral director can also make it easier for people close to the deceased to visit the chapel of rest to say their final goodbyes privately, in advance of the funeral service.
*Based on the independent research by James Law Research Associates Ltd in April 2023 amongst 500 individuals who have organised a funeral in the last 3 years.
Confirm the services offered
The range of services provided by a particular funeral director and the prices they charge can also influence the choice of funeral director. And although most essential services are carried out by the majority of funeral directors, it's important to check if a particular funeral director can meet all of your requirements.
For example, families should consider the area covered by a funeral director; both in terms of collection of the deceased and the time required to travel to the funeral location. Specific transportation might call for special arrangements and, if an eco-friendly funeral is required, it might be worth finding a firm that has experience in this area.
Funeral director listings on localfuneral.co.uk can help provide the information needed to make a choice based on services provided and, in many instances, the funeral price. Standard information includes a breakdown of the services offered by the funeral director and any specialisms, as well as distance from your location.
Each funeral director listed on localfuneral.co.uk is a member of the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) and or the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD). These industry associations provide training, oversight of professional practice and operate codes of conduct that their members must abide by.