Please do not wear black ...

 

How many times have we seen this in an obituary announcement in recent years? Funeral customs are changing rapidly, and people are moving away from the traditional black of mourning, to requesting that bright clothing is worn to reflect, perhaps, the colourful nature of the person who has died.

Funeral Directors on the whole though, would rather use black. We don't do change. Not the majority of us anyway.

At Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services we are constantly looking for ways to make the whole funeral experience more personal, and we have just secured the use of a white hearse, pictured above, if this is to your taste. We completely understand that some (even most) people will not like this, so we are still happy to provide the more traditional vehicles, but should you like the idea of something a little bit different, just ask. We love the challenge of doing something different. We love working with you to create something really personal.

Telephone us on (01480) 471001, call in to see us at Gate Lodge, Cemetery Road, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 2BX, or click here to contact us electronically.

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services are proud to be the only locally-owned, fully independent Funeral Directors in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. We are recommended in The Good Funeral Guide 2011 and The Best of St Neots

"They're on Targets!"

I sat with a client earlier this week, arranging his wife's funeral. We built up a rapport during our short time together, and as part of making the arrangements I gave the gentleman an estimate of the funeral expenses, as always. He was pleasantly surprised, I'm pleased to say.

I asked him if he minded telling me why he had chosen Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services as his Funeral Directors. He liked the fact that we were completely independent. He liked the fact that we weren't part of a chain. He liked that fact that we didn't trade under the name of an old business in the town.

But most of all, and this surprised even me, he liked the fact that we weren't on targets. He couldn't understand how a Funeral Director could be "on targets" - so I told him. You remember when we talked about a coffin? I suggested the cheapest in the range because it's for cremation? You remember when we mentioned Service Sheets? You said you weren't keen, so no more was said?

A couple of years ago, I applied for a job as a manager with one of my local competitors. The job description had the word "target" in it, and I knew straight away that the job was not for me. I didn't even go to the interview.

This is what distinguishes the small Independent Funeral Directors from the Corporate ones, and word is obviously getting out. Of course, the Corporates like to call it 'Added Value' to their clients, but in reality, it is 'Added Income' to their Directors.

They incentivise their managers with targets, so of course these managers have to ensure their staff are pushing services which may be unnecessary or extravagant.

It saddens me that clients have experiences where they feel they are forced to spend more than they need to, and that a funeral is seen simply as a commercial transaction rather than the emotional journey of which it should be part. Yes, I'm in business, so of course there is a commercial element to what I do, but I certainly don't believe in upselling at any time, and a recent testimonial concluded "Andrew provided exactly the type of personal service I was seeking. There was absolutely no pressure to go for expensive options. In fact, he recommended some of the least expensive!"

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Service are proud to be the only locally-owned, fully independent Funeral Directors in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, and we feel very privileged that word is getting round the town. We are recommended in The Good Funeral Guide and on The Best of St Neots.

Gate Lodge, Cemetery Road, St Neots, PE19 2BX. Tel (01480) 471001 or click here to contact us by e-mail

SkyDive on Saturday!

The Charity SkyDive is just a few days away now, and the nerves are beginning to show, particularly when people tell me stories of parachutes failing to open (thanks Gordon!)

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far. There is still time to do so, and all sponsorship is very gratefully received. Simply click here to fill in an online pledge, telephone me on (01480) 471001, call into the office at Gate Lodge, Cemetery Road, St Neots, PE19 2BX, or send an e-mail to info@kingfisherfunerals.co.uk

All donations go directly to St John's Hospice, Moggerhanger and the Little Paxton Church for Tomorrow Appeal. There are no administration fees at all, so every penny really does count.

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services are proud to be the only locally-owned, fully independent Funeral Directors in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

Pre-Arranging your Funeral - you know it makes sense

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services have sponsored a feature in the Hunts Post this week, encouraging the community to think about pre-arranging funerals.

The more thought that is put into arranging our own funerals, the more we can relax, safe in the knowledge that our wishes will be carried out when we die, and our families will not have to make quick decisions, sometimes based on emotion rather than reality.

Our pre-paid funeral plans allow the funeral to be paid for at today's price, and the price of funerals is increasing far above the rate of inflation. Once paid in full, we guarantee that there will be nothing further to pay at the time of need, so you can rest assured that your family will not be under any financial pressure when you die.

For more information about pre-need funerals, or any of our services, please do not hesitate to contact us by whichever method suits you best. All enquiries will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services are proud to be the only locally-owned, fully independent Funeral Directors in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

Gate Lodge, Cemetery Road, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 2BX. Tel. (01480) 471001