A funeral director’s role in death care is extensive. They are tasked with making funeral services happen, which is no small feat in many cases. Due to the nature of the services, being a funeral director is a unique occupation that not everyone is well-suited to do. Skilled funeral directors tend to have certain qualities that enable them to handle the highly emotional and labor-intensive job.
Below are seven funeral director qualities that are highly valued when you’re arranging death care services.
Passion for Helping People
People become funeral directors for all sorts of reasons. Some enter the occupation because it’s what one of their parents did. They may even have a family-owned funeral home. In these cases, a person is simply taking over the family business. Others enter the profession because it provides a good salary. And now even private equity firms are getting into the funeral industry.
Regardless of how someone ends up being a funeral director, ideally they should have a passion for helping people. A funeral director provides a valuable service not only for families, but for the communities they serve. The more a funeral director wants to help people, the better they’re going to be at their job.
Empathetic and Caring
Funeral directors with a passion for helping people tend to be caring and empathetic. They feel for the grieving families that they help in a real way. This quality is absolutely invaluable for the family members during what is most likely one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Big-hearted care is one of the values behind every funeral service that I arrange because I understand how much it means to our clients.
Knowledgeable About the Funeral Industry
When you are hiring a professional to provide a service it’s always best to find someone who is highly knowledgeable in their industry. Funeral directors who are knowledgeable about the modern-day death care industry can provide information and options that others may not be aware of or able to provide.
Eco-friendly alternatives are the perfect example. Here at Cremation.Green I talk with families every day that are unaware of funeral services and practices that are healthier for people and the planet. They have sometimes spoken with other funeral directors that never offered information on green options because that’s not in their wheelhouse or knowledge base.
Good Communicator
The better a funeral director is at communicating with others, the better they will perform on the job. This is the case in virtually any profession, but it’s particularly important in death care.
Clear communication is vital when you’re working with people who are going through the grieving process. Grief makes it more difficult for people to make decisions, concentrate and keep details straight. Someone may even have difficulty communicating their wants and needs. It’s up to the funeral director to facilitate clear communication that is productive so that the family understands what is going on and aren’t left feeling confused or out of the loop.
Being a good communicator means that the funeral director is also a good listener. They will listen to the family’s requests, concerns and questions with patience in order to provide the best funeral services possible.
Dedicated to Getting the Job Done
Disposition isn’t something you only see half-way through or leave hanging when you hit a roadblock. Being a funeral director also means you have to work odd hours or any day of the week to meet the demands of the job. Funeral directors who are dedicated to getting the job done won’t let inconveniences get in the way of providing exemplary service.
Good at Multitasking
There’s a lot going on at once when you’re arranging funeral services and a lot to coordinate with a number of other people in addition to the family. This is the case even if you aren’t having a viewing and formal funeral services with people present. With so many moving pieces a funeral director has to be good at managing multiple tasks at once. And not just for one funeral at a time. Typically, a funeral director is overseeing numerous funerals at the same time.
Good at Time Management
Funeral services must be performed within a tight timeline. Usually everything is done within one week of the death. That means good time management is a great quality for a funeral director to have. It’s an issue of prompt responses and communication, prioritizing tasks appropriately and putting off tasks until the last minute.
Creative Problem-Solver
A lot of issues can arise while you’re trying to arrange funeral services. Any number of things can cause delays or prevent the disposition from moving forward as expected. In these moments, the funeral director has got to be able to keep a steady head and go into problem-solving mode.
Some of the issues that pop up can be completely unexpected and something that the funeral home has never dealt with before. A lot of education goes into becoming a funeral director, but there is an element of learning on the job that you can’t prepare for in a classroom. These are the moments when the funeral director has to be a creative problem solver. It’s even better if they already have a backup solution for problems that are anticipated.
Once you find a funeral director that has the qualities you’re looking for, make sure to ask the right questions to ensure they are the best professional for your funeral arrangements.
Looking for a funeral director with all of the qualities above who can arrange eco-friendly funeral services? At Cremation.Green our core values influence everything we do and ensure that every family is treated with the utmost respect.
I’m available by phone, text or email any hour of the day.
