Jose Guzman
Mortuary Science Student at American River College in Sacramento, California
The most important goal a Funeral Director must consider when serving the community is doing everything possible to satisfy the families that ask for your services. In order to make this happen, we must also develop a relationship with the departments, officials, and other individuals that come in contact with the deceased.
As I would start my own Funeral Home I would initiate contact with the individuals in the community that serve specific health services. I believe in face to face interaction with these individuals. In order to do this I would visit with their establishments and introduce myself, and do my best to display a positive image. Discussing each individual's policies and procedures would be an important conversation that should take place. Asking where and when the conversation would take place should be asked. For example, "Would you prefer to have a discussion during lunch?”
It is very important to establish good relationships with these individuals. A family is established with the
people that work with you in the Funeral Home. This same family should include the families you serve and other public officials you make contact with during the care of the deceased. In my experience outside of Funeral Service I have always kept in mind that you should treat others as you would want to be treated.
Working as a Nurse, I always keep in mind that it's my job to provide comfort for the individuals that step into my care. Not all of us are "perfect" so it is important to verbalize when we make mistakes. In the Funeral Industry it's important to respect other's decisions and ideas to help the community during this difficult time. "How did I do? Is there anything I could have improved on?" these are questions that I would ask the people I work around with and let's not forget the families we serve.
Listening to the information you are receiving from the people you serve and work with is also important. One huge mistake people make and can easily end a good working relationship is not listening and afterwards providing feedback. There's a lot of important personal information that is discussed when dealing with the bereaved and families. So carefully listening and grasping the information you receive is of upmost importance to make sure no "snags" are in the way. It is a simple solution that I present to establish a better relationship with public officials I need to contact to provide excellent services to the families I serve. Listen, gather information, and of course establish a close relationship.
