The nurse called Ken Lambert at 2:00 Am. “Ken, I am with a family who just lost a loved one. She’s a friend of mine. Can you help us out? Just let me know where the best deal is and I will pass it on to her.”
My response was, “That depends. If you want, I can ask you some questions and you can relay for us.”
“Okay. That will work.”
“What is the relationship of your friend to the deceased?”
“It’s her husband.”
“Where does the family call home?”
“They live here in Houston.”
“Yes, but where do they call home? Have they lived in Houston all their lives? Do they have cemetery property somewhere else?”
“Yes, Houston is home but they have plots in another state.”
“If they want a funeral service, would it be here in Houston, back home, or in both locations?”
After a few minutes of relaying, she finally said, “Why don’t I put her on the phone with you.”
I said, “That will be fine and you are welcome to listen in on the extension if you like.”
She did listen. And the family member had a lot of questions and had to think through a lot of decisions. Over an hour later, we finally made a decision on a preliminary funeral home and cemetery. She later discussed it with family members and didn’t finalize the decisions until later that morning.
We discussed veteran’s benefits. To view or not to view. The type of service desired. Her and his religious background and the other family members’ religious concerns. There were several questions she needed to ask herself and her family before she could make an educated choice. We brainstormed several options and the costs and benefits of each. Different decisions would mean different funeral providers.
Her friend called me later, after the funeral. She said, “Ken, send me several of your cards with your invoice. Do you work nationwide? Our family needs your help with a funeral in another state. I am telling all my friends and co-workers. Thank you so much. You were so helpful and saved us thousands of dollars and you kept us from making some decisions we would have probably regretted had we not had your advice. Thank you again.”
Sometimes a preliminary decision can be made in a few minutes, that’s especially important once the patient has expired. But sometimes it takes well over an hour. But most agree it is well worth the wait to make the right decision on a preliminary funeral provider.
Ken Lambert, Funeral Consultant, Negotiator 281-357-0195 1-888-669-4947
Pager for health care professionals and counselors only: 713-603-4855