Comparing prices of funeral services: Introduction
A recent conversation with some friends made me realise this glaring issue families face when trying to find and compare pricings from various undertakers. In our lifetime, most people only encounter having to plan for funerals once in a blue moon. And by this we mean the actual person in charge of and making the final decision. Even though some larger families would have gone through saying goodbye to loved ones a few times, they may not be the decision maker and not experienced what is required and the costs involved. Even if someone has been the liaison with the undertaker before, with time, things change and prices inflate. It is also something nobody wants to be familiar with and rather not have to deal with, in a perfect world, that is.
With the massive variety of funeral services available, and the sheer number of service providers, it is a daunting task to try and figure out which is the best, the cheapest or the most value for money.
The methods of various undertakers vary and can be classified in general into a few groups.
All in packages.
Ala Carte.
Generic packages.
We will break down the various schemes and reveal what the various mainstream religious funerals require. We hope that by giving an in depth, item by item guide, you are able to make easier decisions and know what to ask and look for when trying to decide on a service provider. Even though this is not a “one size fits all” industry, and professionalism levels vary, we will try to address the main components and what to look out for when faced with arranging a funeral.
We will go into the various mainstream religions and what is required, in this series. But for today, let’s dive into the 3 main styles of funeral arrangements.
All in packages: Benefits
No worry about missing out important/necessary aspects of a funeral wake.
End of day actual cost is presented upfront.
Families can start to allocate or make arrangements in regards to the funeral costs.
No bill shock and unpleasantness at the end of service.
Package information clearly stated for everyone involved.
Easy to refer services to others in need as everything is standardised.
No different price for different families.
All in packages: Pitfalls
May be more expensive due to cost of unused items included.
When calling to do price checks with various service providers, quoted prices are seldom a true measure of the actual cost. Even if an undertaker provides all in packages, they may not give the actual price over the phone as it will seem double or triple of their competitors, even though the end of day cost is actually reasonable.
Some include certain amounts of refreshments like drinks and other consumables. Unused quantities will not be taken back and deducted. You’ll have plenty of drinks and peanuts at home.
Most people won’t know what “all in” encompasses in the first place. They trust the undertaker.
Sometimes, even though the required items or services are stated in the package details, the quality of items or services, such as monks or prayer items, may not be value for money or match the price quoted. Another good example is the hearse and the setup. Hence, clarification is required for individual items or services provided per package.
Ala Carte: Benefits
Full control of the funeral arrangements, provided the person in charge knows exactly what is required.
Choice of having some things at a basic level and other things premium. For example, basic tables and chairs without covers but prefer a extravagant religious setup.
Every aspect is clearly defined and the cost differences are laid out for your choosing.
For those cost concerned families, extremely basic funerals can be done.
Ala carte: Pitfalls
Sounds cheap in the beginning, but starts to add up.
Prices are not as transparent. Easier for markups by the undertaker, based on family situation or if hefty referral fees are required to be given.
Non standardised pricing. Goes by the old “see what you want” method.
Everyone may have an opinion based on hearsay, personal experiences or beliefs, making such arrangements quite unpleasant. The “one person in charge” is required for such arrangements.
If done well, you’re the hero. If not, it’s on you.
Some things can be misleading. For example, manpower fees or coffin pricings and what it encompasses.
Very difficult to gauge the end of day costs.
Generic packages: Benefits
Most of the key components required in a funeral wake are covered.
No worry of missing out items or services.
Some control and choices over variable items and services.
Can be quite fool proof if variables are clearly stated or written down for accountability.
Can be the most value for money and reasonable method.
Key components are usually market rate and unable to have high mark ups.
Flexibility in the more important variables. For example, how many monks or type of chants.
Final cost of funeral easily calculated and presented.
Generic packages: Pitfalls
Some knowledge or a trustworthy funeral director is required for the variables.
May sound cheap over the phone. Variables not included.
Some may have very low stated pricing on the generic components, but heavily mark up the variables.
Some may assume package is an “all in” package.
End of day cost will be different from the first stated price.
These are the few funeral planning methods employed within the industry. We hope this series will be a valuable guide to families and helps with decision making. There is also a variable which is very difficult to define. Which is the professionalism and service standards of the selected undertaker. However, this variable usually does not entail an extremely huge price disparity.
Over the next few weeks, we will go into the mainstream religions and list out the generic components and variables required for funerals in Singapore.