A call to a funeral director is amongst the most difficult that anyone will ever have to make. The loss of a loved one and the stress of making arrangements after they’ve passed can be deeply traumatic, upsetting and difficult.

Every enquiry to a funeral business must be handled with dignity and compassion, but there are certain critical calls which will come in which absolutely have to be dealt with in a calm and professional manner no matter what.

Late-night calls

The death of a loved one late at night and the stress of having to call a mortuary service to assist your family in a time of great need is one of those particularly difficult moments. Often people who call in these circumstances will be under great emotional distress and be confused as to what they have to do next.

The feeling of panic and bewilderment is often heightened by the night time. The effects of shock are common and many people who call a funeral director in such circumstances do not know what their options are. It’s simply unacceptable for your business not to handle these calls in a proper manner, and the risk of exacerbating the situation will be high.

Arranging multiple viewings

Another particularly difficult situation in a funeral business can be handling enquiries from friends and relatives who wish to view the body of the person who has passed. A particularly tragic or high-profile event or the loss of a child can lead to an influx of such calls and put your business under real pressure. A telephone answering service which can handle such demand is essential for these periods.

Family disagreements

Finally, the death of a loved one can exacerbate situations of family conflict and put your staff ‘in the middle’ of rowing factions. This can be extremely hard to deal with and often what to do with the remains (for example, a cremation or burial decision) can cause disagreements amongst those left behind. In such circumstances, callers must be able to access factual relevant information quickly in order to assess their options.

A skilled call handler trained to diffuse difficult situations is an absolute must in many scenarios faced by a funeral business. To find out how Frontline can help, get in touch with us today.