I am now at an age where friends are calling me to help with their prearrangements. Yesterday was my 4th this year. As I accompanied him into the selection room I was once again met with a flat line pricing strategy (see How To Get Customers to Stop Fixating on Price) and I really like it. But what immediately caught our eye was the Trappist casket on display. We didn’t spend a lot of time on it. He selected a solid walnut from another part of the room but I was struck immediately by the subliminal message the presence of this odd piece of merchandise communicated.
I know that this will offend the carefully laid out plans of the merchandising experts but I would like you to look at it from the consumer’s eyes. I have come to believe that we suffer the same affliction relative to public perception that the main line denominations are experiencing. Potential congregants (in our case customers) are looking for new and different ways to worship (in our case memorialize). Without deep reflection or investigation they perceive us as rigid and inflexible and, consequently, unresponsive. Sadly, and we all do this at times, they never give us a chance to show them otherwise. They just pass us by…both judged and condemned without trial.
Paul Seyler of “Competitive Resources” recently shared that when an industry is stuck with a negative stereotype the best way to exceed customer expectations is to contradict the stereotype. The Trappist casket did that in a powerful way. It sparked a brief but meaningful conversation about change in the funeral business and how that funeral home was working hard to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base. It conveyed a strong impression that this firm was both flexible and responsive to new ideas and different preferences. So, even it means messing up that finely tuned merchandising system you paid $50,000 for I think I would have one on display.
Oh! And yes, I would probably want to send a news release to the local news media. You never know you might just hit it right and get some nice free publicity.
I agree with your basic premise of exceeding customer expectations by contradicting our stereotype by showing Trappist Caskets.
My challenge is that fewer funeral homes are acutally displaying full size caskets. We currently use one of the major suppliers ‘show rooms.’ We are moving towards displaying caskets through lithoos or flat screens. Does displaying Trappists caskets through these venues achieve the same result?
Tim Hoff
Hoff Funeral Homes
Tim, personally I would do away with a selection room altogether and go to books or computer. That said, you have to go with what you have. The funeral home I was in had a very attractive brochure from the trappists showing all their caskets and telling the story. I would definitely consider in your case showing the family the brochure and saying something like “something that we have that is new and different is this line of Trappist caskets…etc. etc” my purpose would be to create curiosity but also, as i said, to convey the fact that i am staying current with trends and I am flexible.
As I read, Alan, my question was exactly as Tim’s was. We had moved from full units several years ago to 8×10 photos on slat wall that could be easily moved to see better and compare. Since we lost all control of the selection process we have now moved to flat screens, but we did put in a small room with two of our own designer series caskets which are quite different than the conventional designs. We also have two conventional designs and the idea is to have them see a demonstration of “a personalization setup/display” and also get them to see that there really are differences in caskets. We actually don’t have this finished yet but when we do and have some experience, if you remind me – I tend to forget at times, I will report on our progress.
Fred G Cook
Cook Family Services
Fred, thanks. Let me throw it back at you and Tim. I suggested that having the brochure for Trappist caskets available and assertively showing it to families might be a good compromise. But that ignores the point. It doesn’t have to be a Trappist casket. We need things that (in Paul Seyler’s words, which I like) “Contradict Expectations.” On a personal level I like things that startle and create conversation. Flat screens instead of actual units is (in my opinion) a step in that direction. I have never made peace with the “retail atmosphere” introduced in the ’90’s. But that may be just a personal preference.
Here is your challenge: Using the Trappist casket as an example in the context of a “virtual” showroom (flatscreens instead of actual units) how would you introduce or bring it to the attention of your families.