The retail giant Wal-Mart debuted one of its more unusual product offerings last week, selling caskets on its web site. While selling casket over the Internet is not something new, it does tend to make news when a retail giant like Wal-Mart gets into the market. It is my intentions in this blog article to examine both the pros and cons in purchasing a casket from Wal-Mart.com or any other online provider.
Before I begin let me address one issue, I know what you’re going to say "Jamie you operate a funeral home so of course you’re going to be against it." Actually you would be wrong about that. I believe as a licensed funeral professional it is not my place to ridicule another funeral merchandise provider or to question the choices of families who purchase from them. It is my responsibility to educate families about their choices and then allow them to make their own decisions. Also because we don't place a high mark-up on our caskets we are already inline with internet casket providers, so I do not view them as a threat.
Let's first start with some of the Pros of purchasing a casket online. When a family loses a loved one, often the death is sudden and families can be caught off guard with no way to pay for a funeral. In-fact this is one of the reason that many families who have chosen burial in the past are now choosing cremation. Not only can families be caught off guard with a sudden death but given the state of our economy and the job market many families are barely able to pay there bills and feed their family, much less pay for a funeral that could easily exceed $8,000.00 to $10,000.00 dollars.
It is true that some funeral homes place an extremely high mark-up on caskets and because of this many families simply cannot afford to purchase the casket from the funeral home. Because some funeral homes have such a high mark-up on caskets it was only a matter of time before retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco began to offer such funeral related merchandise. The question now becomes, is their savings in purchasing a casket or urn from an internet store verses purchasing from a funeral home. The answer to this question really depends on the funeral home that you select. As I mentioned before we do not place a high markup on the caskets we sell, so our prices are basically inline with the internet provider. This is why it is so important for families to compare the prices of caskets at the funeral home they have selected along with the prices of the internet provider before they purchase online. Don't just assume that the internet is cheaper.
An additional pro to selecting a casket from an internet provider is selection. More and more families understand the value of creating a unique celebration of the life of their loved one. Part of that uniqueness can include the casket, if done properly. One big advantage that most internet providers have over funeral homes is the ability to show a large selection of caskets in various colors and styles. The Watts Family has been serving families for over 25 years and I can tell you that most families select a casket based on color and style (such as ornamentation on the handles.) I read in the press release that Wal-Mart plans to offer over 200 different selections in the future. The problem with most funeral homes is that they direct families to a selection room in their funeral home with 10 or 12 caskets to choose from and because their choices are so limited families tend to look else where for what they want. In-fact it is for this reason we eliminated our selection room completely and installed a Casket Kiosk. Our Casket Kiosk is a touch screen system that allows families to select from over 250 different caskets in various styles and colors. Not only can they browse the caskets offerings but most are completely customizable allowing you to select the ornamentation for the handles and custom embroidery for the interior of the casket, while allowing you to view your selection immediately. Also because we offer caskets in this way we don't hold caskets in inventory which allows us to keep our prices down. Note: That on the top right corner of this blog is an example of our Casket Kiosk system.
An additional pro to selection a casket over the internet is the ability of families to avoid entering a casket selection room. Caskets are very taboo items nearly everyone recognizes a casket when they see one and of course they associate it with death. What we have found is, families are already overwhelmed with the death and the last thing many of them wish to do is to walk into a room full of caskets. Often times when a family enters a casket selection room they go into a mind set call "projection". Meaning that every casket they look at they immediately projects their loved one laying in it. This experience is something many families simply cannot handle. This is one of the primary reasons my family chose to do away with the casket selection room and install the Casket Kiosk. Since we installed the Casket Kiosk over 3 years ago we have encountered many families who are relieved that they do not have to enter a casket selection room. The system is so popular that we are in the process of installing a version of it on our website wattsfuneralhomes.com
A finally pro to purchasing a casket online is privacy. Death is a very sensitive subject and many people wish to avoid the subject completely. Purchasing a casket on-line allows for the family to make a casket selection in the privacy and comfort of their own home. This is the primary reason we are in the process of installing a version of our Casket Kiosk on our website wattsfuneralhomes.com
Now that we have discussed some of the pros to purchasing a casket online let's discuss some of the cons. First let talk about price, can you really save a large sum from purchasing online. As I stated before it depends on the funeral home you select. If their cost is significantly higher the answer might be yes but if they are close to the cost of the internet the answer is probably no. Keep in mind when purchasing online your have to consider many factors beside just the cost. One example is sales tax, as you know purchases made online are tax exempt if the company is not located in the state where you live, However in the case of Wal-Mart they have stores in every state, so you would have to pay sales tax on the casket. In Florida for example caskets and other funeral related items are exempt from sales tax when purchased along with the funeral arrangements.
You also have to factor into the shipping cost of the casket. Let's take Wal-Mart for example their cost for shipping the casket is $100.00 if you figure in the cost for shipping and sales tax the $895.00 casket is now $1,048.70 which is actually higher than what we charge for a similar casket. Now let's take a moment to discuss shipping, Wal-Mart says the casket is guaranteed to arrive if 48 hours, but what happens if it doesn't. The caskets are shipped by FedEx road truck and I am sure that most people have experienced a package arriving later than if was promised. What happens when a family orders a casket online and then places an obituary in the news paper with the date and time of the service and the casket does not arrive on time? This could be very embarrassing to the family.
Because the casket is delivered by a third party shipper it brings me to my next point what happens when the casket arrives damaged. Every casket we receive from our casket supplier is delivered by the manufacture and is inspected by our staff prior to being received and signed for; I can tell you they have arrived damaged from time to time. What happens in this case is, we simply send the casket back and have the company replace it the same day and the family never knows about it. I am sure that we have all received a package that was damage and usually this is not a problem because you simply send the item back and have it replaced. The problem with a casket is how you replace the casket in time when the service is already scheduled.
A final Con to purchasing on-line concerns quality and liability. First let's discuss quality. I know this can be an odd topic to discuss when it comes to caskets but it is a factor. We all understand in other purchases that quality of an item is important. I am sure that most readers understand that for example, a car made by Mercedes-Benz and a car made by Saturn not only varies greatly in price but also in quality. I also believe that very few people would purchase a Saturn and expect it to be of the same quality as a Mercedes-Benz. Everyone understands that both cars serve the same purpose but that both cars are not created equally. The same can be said about caskets, the quality can very greatly from one manufacturer to another. Our casket supplier is Batesville Casket Company which is the largest casket manufacture in the United States. Batesville Caskets go through rigorous quality control test to be sure that they meet the highest standards. I can also tell you that in my experience all caskets are not created equal and that I have declined to do business with other manufactures beside Batesville because of the lack of quality with their caskets. It is interesting to note that Batesville Casket Company only sells caskets to Licensed Funeral Professionals and they are not selling to Wal-Mart or any other internet provider.
A final concern with internet casket providers is liability. As I have stated before all casket are not created equally and I have actually heard of caskets failing, some examples include the casket handles coming off or the entire bottom of the casket failing. Because we only do business with Batesville Casket Company and because of their high quality control standards I have never personally experienced a problem but problems do happen. Even though Batesville Casket Company has a high quality control standard, they still feel it necessary to provide five million dollars of liability protection on every casket they manufacture. An example of potential liability from a casket would be in the event that the casket handles failed and the casket fell on the feet of the Pall Bears and damaged their feet. The liability from such an event could be devastating an as unlikely as it might seem, it can happen.
In such an incident Batesville liability coverage would take affect. It is my understanding that the manufactures that online caskets stores use do not provide such protection. This could potently leave the family directly responsible for any liability that could occur. It is for the above reasons I encourage families to compare all the benefits of the casket they are considering, so they can be sure that they are getting the same benefits from the casket they are purchasing online verses what the could have purchased at their funeral home of choice.
In conclusion it has been my experience that most families save little by purchasing online. When you factor shipping and sales tax and include in that the time lost in trying to find a casket online and the anxiety it can cause from hoping the casket arrives on time and undamaged. While I an not saying that purchasing a casket online is something you should not consider, I do think that like any purchase made all the factors should be considered prior to making your finally selection.
If you would like more information on casket selection including what you should know before choosing a casket visit http://www.batesville.com/whatwedo/burialcaskets if you have any question concerning this or any blog posting please e-mail me at askthedirector@wattsfuneralhomes.com
Before I begin let me address one issue, I know what you’re going to say "Jamie you operate a funeral home so of course you’re going to be against it." Actually you would be wrong about that. I believe as a licensed funeral professional it is not my place to ridicule another funeral merchandise provider or to question the choices of families who purchase from them. It is my responsibility to educate families about their choices and then allow them to make their own decisions. Also because we don't place a high mark-up on our caskets we are already inline with internet casket providers, so I do not view them as a threat.
Let's first start with some of the Pros of purchasing a casket online. When a family loses a loved one, often the death is sudden and families can be caught off guard with no way to pay for a funeral. In-fact this is one of the reason that many families who have chosen burial in the past are now choosing cremation. Not only can families be caught off guard with a sudden death but given the state of our economy and the job market many families are barely able to pay there bills and feed their family, much less pay for a funeral that could easily exceed $8,000.00 to $10,000.00 dollars.
It is true that some funeral homes place an extremely high mark-up on caskets and because of this many families simply cannot afford to purchase the casket from the funeral home. Because some funeral homes have such a high mark-up on caskets it was only a matter of time before retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco began to offer such funeral related merchandise. The question now becomes, is their savings in purchasing a casket or urn from an internet store verses purchasing from a funeral home. The answer to this question really depends on the funeral home that you select. As I mentioned before we do not place a high markup on the caskets we sell, so our prices are basically inline with the internet provider. This is why it is so important for families to compare the prices of caskets at the funeral home they have selected along with the prices of the internet provider before they purchase online. Don't just assume that the internet is cheaper.
An additional pro to selecting a casket from an internet provider is selection. More and more families understand the value of creating a unique celebration of the life of their loved one. Part of that uniqueness can include the casket, if done properly. One big advantage that most internet providers have over funeral homes is the ability to show a large selection of caskets in various colors and styles. The Watts Family has been serving families for over 25 years and I can tell you that most families select a casket based on color and style (such as ornamentation on the handles.) I read in the press release that Wal-Mart plans to offer over 200 different selections in the future. The problem with most funeral homes is that they direct families to a selection room in their funeral home with 10 or 12 caskets to choose from and because their choices are so limited families tend to look else where for what they want. In-fact it is for this reason we eliminated our selection room completely and installed a Casket Kiosk. Our Casket Kiosk is a touch screen system that allows families to select from over 250 different caskets in various styles and colors. Not only can they browse the caskets offerings but most are completely customizable allowing you to select the ornamentation for the handles and custom embroidery for the interior of the casket, while allowing you to view your selection immediately. Also because we offer caskets in this way we don't hold caskets in inventory which allows us to keep our prices down. Note: That on the top right corner of this blog is an example of our Casket Kiosk system.
An additional pro to selection a casket over the internet is the ability of families to avoid entering a casket selection room. Caskets are very taboo items nearly everyone recognizes a casket when they see one and of course they associate it with death. What we have found is, families are already overwhelmed with the death and the last thing many of them wish to do is to walk into a room full of caskets. Often times when a family enters a casket selection room they go into a mind set call "projection". Meaning that every casket they look at they immediately projects their loved one laying in it. This experience is something many families simply cannot handle. This is one of the primary reasons my family chose to do away with the casket selection room and install the Casket Kiosk. Since we installed the Casket Kiosk over 3 years ago we have encountered many families who are relieved that they do not have to enter a casket selection room. The system is so popular that we are in the process of installing a version of it on our website wattsfuneralhomes.com
A finally pro to purchasing a casket online is privacy. Death is a very sensitive subject and many people wish to avoid the subject completely. Purchasing a casket on-line allows for the family to make a casket selection in the privacy and comfort of their own home. This is the primary reason we are in the process of installing a version of our Casket Kiosk on our website wattsfuneralhomes.com
Now that we have discussed some of the pros to purchasing a casket online let's discuss some of the cons. First let talk about price, can you really save a large sum from purchasing online. As I stated before it depends on the funeral home you select. If their cost is significantly higher the answer might be yes but if they are close to the cost of the internet the answer is probably no. Keep in mind when purchasing online your have to consider many factors beside just the cost. One example is sales tax, as you know purchases made online are tax exempt if the company is not located in the state where you live, However in the case of Wal-Mart they have stores in every state, so you would have to pay sales tax on the casket. In Florida for example caskets and other funeral related items are exempt from sales tax when purchased along with the funeral arrangements.
You also have to factor into the shipping cost of the casket. Let's take Wal-Mart for example their cost for shipping the casket is $100.00 if you figure in the cost for shipping and sales tax the $895.00 casket is now $1,048.70 which is actually higher than what we charge for a similar casket. Now let's take a moment to discuss shipping, Wal-Mart says the casket is guaranteed to arrive if 48 hours, but what happens if it doesn't. The caskets are shipped by FedEx road truck and I am sure that most people have experienced a package arriving later than if was promised. What happens when a family orders a casket online and then places an obituary in the news paper with the date and time of the service and the casket does not arrive on time? This could be very embarrassing to the family.
Because the casket is delivered by a third party shipper it brings me to my next point what happens when the casket arrives damaged. Every casket we receive from our casket supplier is delivered by the manufacture and is inspected by our staff prior to being received and signed for; I can tell you they have arrived damaged from time to time. What happens in this case is, we simply send the casket back and have the company replace it the same day and the family never knows about it. I am sure that we have all received a package that was damage and usually this is not a problem because you simply send the item back and have it replaced. The problem with a casket is how you replace the casket in time when the service is already scheduled.
A final Con to purchasing on-line concerns quality and liability. First let's discuss quality. I know this can be an odd topic to discuss when it comes to caskets but it is a factor. We all understand in other purchases that quality of an item is important. I am sure that most readers understand that for example, a car made by Mercedes-Benz and a car made by Saturn not only varies greatly in price but also in quality. I also believe that very few people would purchase a Saturn and expect it to be of the same quality as a Mercedes-Benz. Everyone understands that both cars serve the same purpose but that both cars are not created equally. The same can be said about caskets, the quality can very greatly from one manufacturer to another. Our casket supplier is Batesville Casket Company which is the largest casket manufacture in the United States. Batesville Caskets go through rigorous quality control test to be sure that they meet the highest standards. I can also tell you that in my experience all caskets are not created equal and that I have declined to do business with other manufactures beside Batesville because of the lack of quality with their caskets. It is interesting to note that Batesville Casket Company only sells caskets to Licensed Funeral Professionals and they are not selling to Wal-Mart or any other internet provider.
A final concern with internet casket providers is liability. As I have stated before all casket are not created equally and I have actually heard of caskets failing, some examples include the casket handles coming off or the entire bottom of the casket failing. Because we only do business with Batesville Casket Company and because of their high quality control standards I have never personally experienced a problem but problems do happen. Even though Batesville Casket Company has a high quality control standard, they still feel it necessary to provide five million dollars of liability protection on every casket they manufacture. An example of potential liability from a casket would be in the event that the casket handles failed and the casket fell on the feet of the Pall Bears and damaged their feet. The liability from such an event could be devastating an as unlikely as it might seem, it can happen.
In such an incident Batesville liability coverage would take affect. It is my understanding that the manufactures that online caskets stores use do not provide such protection. This could potently leave the family directly responsible for any liability that could occur. It is for the above reasons I encourage families to compare all the benefits of the casket they are considering, so they can be sure that they are getting the same benefits from the casket they are purchasing online verses what the could have purchased at their funeral home of choice.
In conclusion it has been my experience that most families save little by purchasing online. When you factor shipping and sales tax and include in that the time lost in trying to find a casket online and the anxiety it can cause from hoping the casket arrives on time and undamaged. While I an not saying that purchasing a casket online is something you should not consider, I do think that like any purchase made all the factors should be considered prior to making your finally selection.
If you would like more information on casket selection including what you should know before choosing a casket visit http://www.batesville.com/whatwedo/burialcaskets if you have any question concerning this or any blog posting please e-mail me at askthedirector@wattsfuneralhomes.com
I agree with your concern about quality. That's why I used http://starlegacynetwork.com for funeral caskets. They have a huge selection, as well as affordable, quality products.
ReplyDeleteVIRUS REMOVAL
ReplyDeleteIs Your Computer Sluggish or Plagued With a Virus? – If So you Need Online Tech Repairs
As a leader in online computer repair, Online Tech Repairs Inc has the experience to deliver professional system optimization and virus removal.Headquartered in Great Neck, New York our certified technicians have been providing online computer repair and virus removal for customers around the world since 2004.
Our three step system is easy to use; and provides you a safe, unobtrusive, and cost effective alternative to your computer service needs. By using state-of-the-art technology our computer experts can diagnose, and repair your computer system through the internet, no matter where you are.
Our technician will guide you through the installation of Online Tech Repair Inc secure software. This software allows your dedicated computer expert to see and operate your computer just as if he was in the room with you. That means you don't have to unplug everything and bring it to our shop, or have a stranger tramping through your home.
From our remote location the Online Tech Repairs.com expert can handle any computer issue you want addressed, like:
• - System Optimization
• - How it works Software Installations or Upgrades
• - How it works Virus Removal
• - How it works Home Network Set-ups
Just to name a few.
If you are unsure of what the problem may be, that is okay. We can run a complete diagnostic on your system and fix the problems we encounter. When we are done our software is removed; leaving you with a safe, secure and properly functioning system. The whole process usually takes less than an hour. You probably couldn't even get your computer to your local repair shop that fast!
Call us now for a FREE COMPUTER DIAGONISTIC using DISCOUNT CODE (otr214427@gmail.com) on +1-914-613-3786 or chat with us on www.onlinetechrepairs.com.
1 Problem: HP Printer not connecting to my laptop.
ReplyDeleteI had an issue while connecting my 2 year old HP printer to my brother's laptop that I had borrowed for starting my own business. I used a quick google search to fix the problem but that did not help me.
I then decided to get professional help to solve my problem. After having received many quotations from various companies, i decided to go ahead with Online Tech Repair (www.onlinetechrepairs.com).
Reasons I chose them over the others:
1) They were extremely friendly and patient with me during my initial discussions and responded promptly to my request.
2) Their prices were extremely reasonable.
3) They were ready and willing to walk me through the entire process step by step and were on call with me till i got it fixed.
How did they do it
1) They first asked me to state my problem clearly and asked me a few questions. This was done to detect any physical connectivity issues with the printer.
2) After having answered this, they confirmed that the printer and the laptop were functioning correctly.
3) They then, asked me if they could access my laptop remotely to troubleshoot the problem and fix it. I agreed.
4) One of the tech support executives accessed my laptop and started troubleshooting.
5) I sat back and watched as the tech support executive was navigating my laptop to spot the issue. The issue was fixed.
6) I was told that it was due to an older version of the driver that had been installed.
My Experience
I loved the entire friendly conversation that took place with them. They understood my needs clearly and acted upon the solution immediately. Being a technical noob, i sometimes find it difficult to communicate with tech support teams. It was a very different experience with the guys at Online Tech Repairs. You can check out their website www.onlinetechrepairs.com or call them on 1-914-613-3786.
Would definitely recommend this service to anyone who needs help fixing their computers.
Thanks a ton guys. Great Job....!!