Funeral Service Times August 2017 April 2019 | Page 14

14 SOAPBOX: AOIC
Soapbox: AOIC
The executive chairman of the Association of Independent Celebrants, Philip Spicksley
examines the true cost of cutting corners when it comes to selecting a professional to
conduct a funeral service
A
s the new financial year is upon
us, we look forward to another
12 months of earning our living as
celebrants.
The growth in our sector is apparent
when you see the sheer number of
celebrants now competing for work – in
fact, one has to ask how long it will be
until the profession is working to full
capacity.
The popularity of the profession has
also seen many training companies
offering coaching to new entrants and
all will be entering the trade in the hope
of making a good living. Yes, a living
is there to be had – but it is vital that
new celebrants are made aware of the
difficulties they may have in securing
a consistent income. Sadly, hopes of
bringing in huge pots of money can fade
away as some new celebrants find it
difficult to secure referrals from funeral
directors.
In fact, some newly trained celebrants
are advised to do their first few services
free in order to ‘get their feet under the
table’, while others are advised to keep
visiting and sending emails.
Recently I attended a NAFD branch
meeting during which the conduct of a
new celebrant was discussed. Group
members were aggravated by the
individual, who was persistent in sending
emails asking to be considered for work.
This had served to annoy the funeral
director to a point that the celebrant could
not find work in the area.
It is a fine line that we as celebrants
tread to try to prove to funeral arrangers
that we have the necessary skills to
produce and conduct a fitting service.
How do new celebrants prove they have
the skills to be entrusted with the very
important role of conducting a funeral for
a family who has placed so much trust
in the individual funeral director or their
office?
In the AOIC we welcome new members
with a pack that suggests the best use
of the resources available to them as
members and we advise them to visit
funeral homes to present a package of
the skills and resources they offer. This
includes professionally printed material
APRIL 2019
provided by the AOIC, and their DBS,
ICO and membership documents, which
provides information on their insurance
cover through the AOIC. It is also
recommended that the celebrant provides
a copy of a service they have conducted.
An explanation of good working
practices is also recommended, such as
how they provide a copy to the family
following the service, explaining how they
intend to keep the funeral home updated
following their family visit and how the
service is to be planned.
Price should not be the rule of thumb
either, as ‘you get what you pay for’. If a
minister or celebrant is charging £130 and
another charges £200, then questions
should be asked – for example, are those
who are conducting funerals for £130
churning such services out 10 or 15 times a
week in order to make their money? They
may be using the same words and only
changing the names to fit a pro forma. I
have heard stories about celebrants and
ministers sending questionnaires out
for clients to fill in and email back, then
following up with a short meeting or even
a phone call to complete the arrangement!
The celebrant who charges the upper rate
perhaps spends longer with the family,
writes a bespoke service and shows more
empathy.
Many times, I have heard the horror
story from crematorium staff about
celebrants who conduct 12 or 15 funerals
a week - the staff say they know exactly
what he or she is going to say. This is not
good enough. Celebrant work should be
professional, and they should present
a challenge to all others in the funeral
profession by providing unique services.
Along with others in the profession I am
working to try to improve standards and
in doing so, I hope our colleagues across
the profession act in accordance to the
standards that should be portrayed by all
in the sector.
We must work hand-in-hand with
funeral arrangers, we must trust each
other and know each other, thus providing
a good professional service.
Standards are called for by many who
recognise that, by working together, we
can improve standards in an unregulated
market place, proving that self-regulation
is possible. All many of us ask is that
funeral professionals command a standard
and be willing to pay for that standard.
Remember, a celebrant represents the
funeral home that engages them and if the
cheap or inexperienced option is chosen,
it may reflect poorly on that funeral
director’s choice and reputation.
For more on the AOIC go to www.
independentcelebrants.com
www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk