Funeral Merchandising Exam 3 Content

Lessons 7-10

Monumentum

Latin, “to remind.”

Marker

A small, usually 1-piece headstone used to identify individual graves. Typically flush or semi-flush.

Monument

Large structure built to recognize the life of a famous or well-known person or a stone placed at the head of a grave to identify who is buried there.

Epitaph

An inscription placed on a monument to commemorate the deeds or qualities of the departed, usually includes a short phrase or statement to convey a message that honors, compliments, or acknowledges the decedent.

Cenotaph

For a memorial location in which human remains are not present, frequently used to honor those who died in war.

Temporary Markers

Placed at a gravesite pending the installment of a permanent marker or monument.

Permanent Markers: Flush

A headstone with the face set parallel to the terrain.

Permanent Markers: Beveled

A headstone with a face set at an angle of less than 45 degrees in relationship to the terrain.

Permanent Markers: Slant

A headstone with a face set at an angle of greater than 45 degrees but less than 90 degrees in relationship to the terrain.

Monument Components

Base, Die/Tablet. Tablets may be vertical or horizontal.

Monument Designs

Flat, round, beveled, serpentine.

Ledger Marker

A grave marker set parallel to the ground the covers the grave completely.

Monolith

Single, massive stone or rock placed as a monument or marker in a cemetery or place of remembrance.

Common Monument Materials

Granite, marble, slate, bronze.

Monument Finishes: Polished

Smooth, glass-like appearance for stone monuments achieved by diamond polishing wheels.

Monument Finishes: Axed/Steeled/Frosted

Smooth, non-polished finish for stone monuments achieved by sandblasting a polished finish with steel shot or other abrasives.

Monument Finishes: Rock Pitch

A rough rock finish for stone monuments created by splitting or breaking the stone to enhance the natural finish and give it a more structured/balanced appearance.

Monument Finishes: Sawed

Semi-smooth finish for stone monuments created as a result of the stone being cut with a wire or diamond saw.

Mausoleum

An above ground structure/building containing crypts for entombment of caskets or cremated remains.

Crypt

A single chamber in a mausoleum for casketed remains.

Couch Crypt

A crypt designed for the casket to be placed width wise.

Columbarium

A space within a mausoleum or standalone structure that contains niches/recesses.

Niche/Recess

A space in a columbarium for cremated remains.

Ossuary

receptacle, often underground, for the communal placement/scattering of cremated or skeletal remains.

Catacombs

Ancient ossuaries for skeletal remains.

Cemetery

An area of ground set aside for the final disposition of human remains.

Memorial Park

A cemetery or section of a cemetery with only flush markers.

Cemetery Section

A subdivision of the cemetery containing several blocks.

Cemetery Block

A subdivision of the cemetery containing several lots.

Cemetery Lot

A subdivision of the cemetery containing several graves.

Grave

An excavation in the earth for a single casket.

Lawn Crypt

A grave space where 2+ people may be buried in stacked grave liners.

Scattering Gardens

A space in a cemetery designated solely for the scattering of cremated remains.

For a cremation funeral, families need at least ____.

2 containers, 1 for the cremation process, 1 to safeguard the cremated remains once the process is complete.

Cremation Casket

A wood casket (softwood) engineered to provide a viewing and funeral service and then for the cremation process.

Alternative Container

An enclosure for human remains in preparation for cremation, FTC required option when offering direct cremations.

Alternative Container Requirements

Must be composed of an appropriate combustible material, rigid enough for easy handling, capable of protecting the crematory operator’s health and safety, provide privacy and respect for the human remains.

Cremation Pouch

A non-rigid, combustible, leak-proof cremation-friendly bag used for human remains, often required by states/crematory operators for the delivery of remains to a crematory.

Rental/Ceremonial Caskets

For families who want a traditional visitation and funeral but prefer cremation for final disposition. Insert slides in and out through the foot-end body panel.

Urn

A container for cremated remains.

Temporary Containers

Plain boxes of corrugated cardboard, rigid plastic, or light duty tin.

Single Urns

Meant to hold the cremated remains of one adult. Approximately 200-230 cubic inches.

Standard Urn Volume

Minimum of 200 cubic inches.

Double Urns

Typically available in double chamber models or single chamber models where cremated remains are combined. Popular with couples who wish to have their remains together for all eternity.

Portion Urns

Meant for family members who want to divide cremated remains into 2+ individual containers, typically 15-70 cubic inches, no industry standard portion size.

Keepsake Urns (Mini Urns)

Hold a small quantity of cremated remains as a keepsake or memento, kept by family members, holds up to 10 cubic inches of cremated remains, often the same design or material as the parent urn.

Scattering Devices (Tubes, Wands, Batons, Capsules)

Containers meant to safely hold cremated remains pending a memorial service or ceremony in a scattering garden/suitable location.

Urn Vault

Meant for the interment of urns in a cemetery/burial plot.

Transfer Container: 4 Types

Air trays, combination cases, wood boxes/shipping crates, metal/Ziegler shipping cases.

Air Trays

Used for the transfer/shipping of casketed human remains, contain a solid composite wood tray bottom with a corrugated cardboard cover, lifting straps, and cinching straps, may have corner protectors.

Combination Case

A transfer container used for uncasketed remains, consists of a particle board tray and cardboard cover.

Wooden Box/Shipping Crate

Rugged containers used to transfer human remains internationally, designed specifically to carry casketed remains or metal Ziegler cases.

Ziegler/Metal Shipping Case

Gasketed containers, usually 20 gauge carbon steel, used as a casket insert or independent shipping container that may be placed in a wooden international shipping box, threaded fasteners, must be properly vented to allow changes in air pressure.

Miscellaneous Containers

Casket liners, pouches, combination units.

Casket Liners

Made of metal and placed inside the casket shell to provide additional protection for human remains, replaced by metal caskets, etc.

Pouches (Body Bags)

Leak-resistant, zippered bags used to hold human remains and any body fluids, provide sanitary protections, made of plastic based material, used to remove human remains from the place of death to ensure privacy and respect for the dead

Combination Units

Holds infant/child remains for a viewing and funeral service or used for the burial of an infant or child remains following a funeral service without the need for an outer burial container.

Market Research/Survey

Demographics, economic base, population trends, disposable income, competition, existing social/business climate.

Selecting Suppliers

Consider availability, product delivery time frames, expedited delivery, service options and their availability, discounts/commissions/rebates/savings, support services provided by the supplier.

Cash Discount

Ex: 5/10, n=10.

Consignment

Often used by newer funeral homes, wholesaler gives funeral home merchandise for display at no charge until it is sold.

Exclusivity Discounts

Purchaser agrees to purchase goods/services from one seller only in exchange for a reduction in per-unit cost of goods/services.

Quantity Discounts

Wholesaler offers a discount if they sell a minimum quantity of certain goods.

Rebates/Refunds

A payment term option in which the supplier returns a portion of the payment, Ex: A supplier offers a funeral home rebate if they purchase and pay for 5 caskets in a calendar month.

FTC Funeral Rule

Requires certain price lists to be available for review/retention by the consumer, mandates when and under what conditions those lists must be provided to consumers to be fully compliant with the law.

Pricing Strategies

Customer value-based, cost based, competition based.

Customer Value-Based Pricing

Setting prices based on the buyers perceived value.

Cost Based Pricing

Based on the cost of producing, distributing, and selling the product and a fair rate of return for effort and risk.

Competition Based Pricing

Based on competitor’s strategies, prices, costs, and market offerings, effective for the sale of goods/services that are similar or identical.

Markup

The difference between merchandise cost and selling price. Fixed multiple, fixed percent, fixed dollar.

Fixed Multiple Markup

Pricing method where casket wholesale price is multiplied by a constant factor to arrive at the retail price.

Fixed Percent Markup

Wholesale prices are multiplied by a fixed percentage to arrive at the retail price.

Fixed Dollar Markup

Pricing method where the same dollar amount is added to the wholesale price.

Graduated Recovery

Pricing method. Increasing, decreasing, modified.

Graduated Recovery: Increasing

Lower wholesale priced caskets are given a lower markup than higher priced caskets.

Graduated Recovery: Decreasing

Lower wholesale priced caskets are given a higher markup than higher priced caskets.

Graduated Recovery: Modified

Lower wholesale priced caskets are given a less aggressive markup, analogous to decreasing graduated recovery.

Sales Frequency

The number of times sales in a given price bracket occurs over a fixed period of time.

Price Quotation: Itemization

A method in which each unit is priced separately, mandatory for all funeral homes.

Price Quotation: Package Pricing

A method that uses a single dollar amount to identify the charge for a group or bundle of goods/services.

Price Quotation: Unit Pricing

A method in which 1 price includes both service and casket.

Price Quotation: Bi-Unit Pricing

A method showing separately the price of the services and the price of the casket.

Price Quotation: Functional Pricing

A method in which the charges are broken down into several major components (professional services, facilities, automobiles, merchandise).

Cash Advance Items

Any item obtained from a 3rd-party and paid for by the funeral provider of the purchaser’s behalf.

Full Sized Display

Focused on a funeral for a veteran, includes infantry saber, scabbard wall decoration, casket with a crisp and tailored finish, may include flag case, military emblem, or other embroidery options.

Fractional Display

Displays a portion of the casket, typically available in 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 sizes.

Selection Room Dimensions

40-60 sq. ft. per casket, minimum 12 & maximum 30 caskets.

Consecutive Method

Displays caskets in their order of increasing or decreasing value.

Demonstration/Educational Group Method

Places 3 or 4 caskets near the entrance to use in educating the consumer regarding the basics of casket construction, materials, etc.

Casket Displays: Distance from the casket to the floor

Typically 26-30 in.

Bier

A sturdy stand on which a casket is placed for viewing and services but may on occasion be used for a merchandise display.

Casket Rack

A device upon which caskets are placed one above the other for display or storage.

Casket Stand

A stand upon which a casket rests in the selection room, generally non-collapsible units designed to support a single casket and will have wheels for easy positioning.

Church Truck

Wheeled, collapsible support for a casket used in a funeral home, church, or home.

Direct Lighting

Shines directly on an object.

Indirect Lighting

Reflected onto an object.

Fluorescent Lighting

Produced by a tubular electric discharge lamp, with the fluorescence of phosphors coating the inside of the tube, creating illumination.

Incandescent Lighting

Provides illumination from the glowing of a heated filament, least cost effective and wastes energy.

Halogen Lighting

High intensity, produces white light approximating natural daylight.

LED Lighting (Light Emitting Diode)

Semiconductor device that converts electricity into light.