Pride of Place at Tesco for Christmas

Twelve of The Best of St Neots businesses have sponsored the huge billboard at Tesco St Neots for the six weeks running up to Christmas. Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services takes its place amongst other exceptional businesses in the town.

The billboard is huge, and the quality is excellent. It's very difficult to miss!

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 by The Natural Death Centre, and we are the only funeral directors to feature on The Best of St Neots. For more information or if you require any help, please telephone us on (01480) 471001 or e-mail info@kingfisherfunerals.co.uk.

Funeral Director wins Top Listing

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services are in The St Neots News and Crier this week.

We are immensely proud to have been recommended in The Natural Death Handbook which is being published later this month.

The Natural Death Centre (NDC) is a charity which gives advice on bereavement, funerals and consumer rights, and inclusion in their handbook is a real privilege.

Our inclusions in The Good Funeral Guide and on The Best of St Neots are now complemented by the NDC recommendation, giving us both local and national recognition as Funeral Directors.

The entirely personal, non-commercial approach we have to the profession is becoming known, and it is our privilege to help and guide our clients through the difficult times they encounter. Every funeral we arrange is unique. We do not sell packages, we listen to our clients' requirements and tailor our service to their needs.

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 by The Natural Death Centre, and we are the only funeral directors to feature on The Best of St Neots. For more information or if you require any help, please telephone us on (01480) 471001 or e-mail info@kingfisherfunerals.co.uk.

The Average Cost of Funerals

There have been a couple of reports published recently, regarding the average cost of funerals.

An average has, by definition, to take in national highs and lows, regional fluctuations, and, of course, Corporates and Independents.

The price of Corporates versus Independents has been discussed elsewhere on this blog (Independents are almost always cheaper) - but the average cost of a funeral also raises significant differences.

Ipsos MORI figures quoted by SAIF in February 2010 showed that the average overall cost for a funeral was £2648. This includes a cremation, transportation, a hearse, one limousine, viewing of the deceased and the simplest available coffin, but excludes floral tributes and newspaper notices.

The BBC, in September 2011, quoted a Sun Life Direct Survey saying that "... the average cost of a cremation in the UK was £2720."

The discrepancy between the two figures quoted above can be explained by the year-and-a-bit difference between the research.

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services are very proud to publish our figures for the end of our first year of serving the communities of St Neots and the surrounding areas. These figures show that for the same service, our average charge was £2508, some £212 less than the national average, and £130 less than the regional average of £2638.

The actual average cost of a funeral arranged was significantly lower than this at £2262, because many clients do not need, and therefore are not charged for limousines, and because we are very willing to reduce our fees significantly when only a very basic service is required. This does not mean that our standard of care differs at all, it is simply reflective of our outgoings. We feel this is the fairest way to set our charges.

Couple this with our 100% client-satisfaction rate (read some of our testimonials by clicking here) and our unique guarantee of complete personal attention, and the reason for our increasing reputation, despite being such a new business, becomes clear.

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 by The Natural Death Centre, and we are the only funeral directors to feature on The Best of St Neots. For more information or if you require any help, please telephone us on (01480) 471001 or e-mail info@kingfisherfunerals.co.uk.

Funeral Directors Collecting for The Poppy Appeal

Congratulations to Nigel and Andrea of T L Cobbold Funeral Directors, St Neots, for stepping into co-ordinate this year's Poppy Appeal Collection in St Neots.

The Hunts Post reports how the former organiser, Viv O'Neill, had to step aside recently, and that the town was in danger of losing its collection (which raised over £18,000 last year) unless new support was found.

Nigel and Andrea agreed to oversee the St Neots appeal, to ensure that the vital fundraising for the Royal British Legion was not lost this year.

Well done to both Nigel and Andrea. It is great to see community spirit from Funeral Directors, and your hard work in helping will surely be a huge boost for the appeal.

Two-Page Article in PE19 Magazine

This article has been published in PE19 Magazine this month. PE19 is a locally-owned community magazine which promotes local businesses like Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services.

The skydive raised £1500 for two local good causes, St John's Hospice, Moggerhanger and the Little Paxton Church for Tomorrow project.

As a locally-owned, community-minded business we are proud to support local charities.

Please give your support to PE19 Magazine, and use the local businesses who advertise in the publication.

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 by The Natural Death Centre, and we are the only funeral directors to feature on The Best of St Neots. For more information or if you require any help, please telephone us on (01480) 471001 or e-mail info@kingfisherfunerals.co.uk.

A Guide to Choosing A Funeral Director

In the past, it would have been considered very difficult to ‘shop around’ for a Funeral Director. The very thought of comparing the services of one against another would have been seen as pointless, because everyone did pretty much the same, and charged about the same.

These days, the reverse is true.

With the advent of the internet, and greater customer scrutiny in all walks of life, funerals are no exception. Standards of service differ greatly, as do charges levied by different companies.

Unlike the big supermarket versus the corner shop, reverse economics seem to work in this sector, and the small independent Funeral Directors frequently have much lower prices than the large corporate companies (click here for the source and full report).

So, before choosing a Funeral Director, make sure you know who you are dealing with. Look for the word Independent in the name. Many companies trade under the names of old-established businesses, so ask if they are owned by someone else. Would you rather deal with a locally-owned business or a nationally-owned one?

Ask for a quote and insist that this is accurate. Beware of companies which quote you for a simple service then try and upsell elements such as coffins and vehicles.

Ask anything you want to. You need to be certain that you will have full control over the arrangements. Funeral Directors work for (and are employed by) you. If a company can’t or won’t adapt to something you want, go elsewhere.

Ask if the same person will deal with everything from start to finish. In general, the smaller the business, the more likely this is. It is quite disconcerting when a stranger turns up on your doorstep on the day of the funeral asking who the next-of-kin is. Make sure you will have met this person, and preferably dealt with him or her throughout.

But above all, talk to your intended Funeral Director and make sure you are happy with him or her as a person. No-one can be expected to get on with everyone. A funeral is such a personal event, you need to make sure you are totally comfortable with the person who will be helping and guiding you.

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 by The Natural Death Centre, and we are the only funeral directors to feature on The Best of St Neots. For more information or if you require any help, please telephone us on (01480) 471001 or e-mail info@kingfisherfunerals.co.uk.

Kingfisher Funerals - One Year On

Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services are very, very proud to have completed our first year serving the communities of St Neots and the surrounding area. The business officially opened on 1st October 2010, and since then we have slowly established our name through our client-orientated approach to our sensitive profession.

Being completely independent of any other company gives us a huge advantage. We are able to be totally flexible in every aspect of arranging funerals and memorials for our clients. Whether it is a traditional funeral, a modern, eco-friendly funeral, or the most simple of services that our client is seeking, we can provide this with our unique personal guarantee.

Our client testimonials can be seen here. The continual message we receive is that clients appreciate the relaxed, non-commercial, non-pushy and open approach we have.

S and L of St Neots said "You couldn't wish for a better person to deal with such a painful situation. We felt at ease with Andrew's professional, respectful and approachable manner. He let us plan the funeral ... and guided us where needed. A true gentleman, very considerate, thoroughly recommended."

SS of Sawtry said "There was absolutely no pressure to go for expensive options. In fact [Andrew] recommended some of the least expensive. Andrew so obviously cares about what he does and the people he does it for. Thoroughly recommended."

M D'C said "Your attention to detail made sure everything was perfect for us. It takes a very special kind of person to go that extra mile, and you did much more than that for our family. You are a truly dedicated professional offering a first class personal service. We have no hesitation in highly recommending you, and wish you and your business every success."

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