The funeral services industry is essential since it allows grieving people to bury their dead ones in style. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposes and implements specific guidelines to meet the demands of both the professionals in the industry and the consumers. However, there are specific issues that affect the experiences and quality of services available to some of the beneficiaries. Some people or families have been forced to pay increased amounts to some of the existing organizations and agencies. The United States needs to reform the funeral services industry to support disclosure of all dishonesty practices different agencies commit and introduce stringent measures to maximize consumer protection.
Thesis Statement
The introduction of several changes in the American funeral service industry will deliver additional benefits to all stakeholders and protect more consumers. The first reform reason why such transformations are needed is to reduce the current dishonesties and ensure that more providers remain accountable for their actions (Slaughter, 2020). The cases and trends recorded during this time of coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) explain why American citizens are being exploited by most of these service providers. The consideration of new reforms will hold agencies accountable for their actions and compel them to work with professionals who are willing to follow the outlined codes of ethics.
However, some skeptics continue to offer various arguments to explain why there is no need to reform this sector. First, the current laws and principles are capable of holding all stakeholders accountable for their actions and ensuring that they deliver high-quality services to the targeted customers. The important aspect is for FTC to consider new ways of implementing the existing guidelines and ensuring that all organizations follow them (NFDA, 2020b). Second, the current processes and experiences are commendable since many people are usually willing to incur additional expenses to offer the best send off to their deceased people. These aspects explain why the move to transform the operations and goals of the country’s funeral industry could affect the goals of different agencies and consumers.
Annotated Bibliography
Complying with the funeral rule. (2020). Federal Trade Commission.
This document offers detailed rules that funeral services providers need to follow if they are to comply with the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule (FTC-FR). Such professionals are required to provide accurate information to consumer about pricing and items. The article goes further to prohibit certain actions, such as misinterpretation of cemetery, crematory, and legal guidelines, indicating fees for embalming without legal permission, forcing customers to purchase specific services and goods for the services, and engaging in unfair or discriminatory practices (Complying with, 2020). This source for the intended study is credible since it is written and published by the FTC. The information contained in the article is relevant since it examine the current practices in funeral services and identifies some of the areas that could benefit from minimum changes.
Funeral rule. (2020). Federal Trade Commission.
In this article, the reader observes that grieving friends and family members need the best support and empowerment after the death of a beloved person. The Funeral Trade Commission has presented concrete guidelines that guide customers to receive high-quality services without being conned or exploited. To ensure that all service providers stick to the established guidelines, the agency conducts annual inspections to ensure that all funeral homes follow the policies and impose the relevant punitive measures (Funeral rule, 2020). This article is worth reading and informative since it examines the current rights for consumers of funeral services and the obligations of the existing providers (Funeral rule, 2020). The document is worth reading since it will offer powerful insights for analyzing the current practices and offer additional approaches and strategies to reform the industry.
FTC seeks public comment as part of its review of the funeral rule. (2020). Federal Trade Commission.
This document explains how the FTC has been on the frontline to ensure that all funeral providers in the United States are willing to provide high-quality services to all citizens without any form of abuse or discrimination. It describes the rights of the customer and how the established Funeral Industry Practices Rule has remained a powerful tool for ensuring that such providers do not violate the existing guidelines or charge consumers for unnecessary expenses (FTC seeks public, 2020). The article also describes some of the initiatives and researches FTC is currently undertaking in an attempt to examine whether the established principles resonate with the demands of more customers or if new changes would be appropriate. The information obtained from the source is credible because it examines the actions and initiatives associated with the funeral services industry in the United States. The presented questions are essential to support the above thesis and additional insights that can make it possible for more Americans to get value for their money.
Chopra, R. (2020). Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra. Federal Trade Commission.
The process of planning and coordinating the funeral of a beloved person could be a tormenting experience for the bereaved. The author of this article uses this understanding to explain how and why the current rules outlined by the FTC fail to explain the level of noncompliance and empower more people to make informed decisions when seeking such services from some of the established organizations. The process of withholding information or names of providers who break established laws is questionable since it makes the industry less monitored and controlled (Chopra, 2020). This article is reputable since it examines an issue that many policymakers and decision makers in this industry have continued to ignore for years. The information presented in this article is worth reading since it describes some of the areas of weakness that different politicians and professionals need to consider in order to improve or reform the industry and make it easier for more people to receive high-quality and personalized for their deceased.
Slaughter, R. K. (2020). Concurring statement of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. Federal Trade Commission.
This article begins by identifying the funeral industry as a sector that is less monitored since many consumers shop for materials and items without being aware of the existing guidelines. Slaughter reveals that: because of some of existing vulnerabilities in the United States, “the funeral industry has had patterns of unfair and deceptive practices, effectively denying consumers the information they needed to give their lost loved one a tailored and proper goodbye without breaking the bank or paying for unwanted services” (1). The ultimate aim should be to transform the current situation and make it possible for the commission to introduce new ideas and strategies to protect vulnerable Americans who have increased chances of being exploited by different services providers in the funeral industry (Slaughter, 2020). The presented information is credible since it examines some of the changes that have been made in the past, the existing loopholes, and the best ideas that different stakeholders and agencies need to consider in an attempt to protect more citizens. The ideas and observations support the above thesis statement and offer new concepts and ideas for reforming the funeral industry and ensuring that more people receive high-quality services that are fair and customized.
Murphy, S. P. (2020). Coronavirus has limited funeral rites, but the costs for one family don’t reflect that. Boston Globe. Web.
The author of this article examines how the absence of proper guidelines, monitoring strategies, and guidelines has created a scenario whereby some of the providers charge exorbitant prices or costs. The wake of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has exposed this challenge or gap whereby majority of the people have been conned by a system that offers limited rites and services while maintaining the cost for the entire process as high as possible. The presented message is that the relevant agencies and the government need to be involved in order to challenge the current situation and make it easier for FTC to transform the current policies to meet the demands of all American citizens (Murphy, 2020). Since the author is a journalist who has been working for Boston Globe who is conversant and aware of the issues to do with the subject matter, the presented information is accurate ad capable of pushing the debate to the next level (Murphy, 2020). The presented information means that there is a need for a reform in the funeral services industry to meet the demands of all consumers, reduce chances of exploitation, and make it easier for more businesses to meet the demands of more people.
NFDA. (2020). Code of professional conduct. Web.
The National Funeral Directors Association offers an enforceable Code of Professional Conduct that all companies and businesses in the sector need to take into consideration. These stakeholders will need to offer high-quality services, focus on the needs of more customers, and allow more people to file for the relevant complaints in order to get justice. The presented guidelines can guide more people to consider or know more about their rights as they adjust to the death or loss of their beloved people (NFDA, 2020a). This source is credible since it provides some of their ethical principles and guidelines that all organizations in the American funeral industry need to take seriously to support the demands of more grieving citizens. The article will offer numerous ideas and information for developing the intended thesis statement and supporting the importance of a reform to meet the demands of all key stakeholders.
NFDA. (2020). Code of ethics. Web.
Professionals working as Certified Preplanning Consultants (CPC) need to follow the code of ethics formulated and implemented by the NFTA. These individuals need to treat the acquired data and information with the highest level of integrity, offer high-quality services without any form of discrimination, maintain the highest level of standards, and focus on the best approaches to meet the demands of all clients. Such professionals should also be keen to engage in lifelong learning to improve their competencies, engage in actions and strategies that do not result in public deceptions, and ensure that they have the relevant licenses that can empower them to remain accountable to continue to pursue their goals diligently. This information is a primary source, thereby providing high-quality information for supporting the intended research (NFDA, 2020b). The information is essential since it supports the importance of additional reforms that could ensure that all professionals and workers maintain the highest level of integrity and consider new ways to improve the quality of funeral services available to all consumers in this country.
References
Complying with the funeral rule. (2020). Federal Trade Commission.
Funeral rule. (2020). Federal Trade Commission.
FTC seeks public comment as part of its review of the funeral rule. (2020). Federal Trade Commission.
Chopra, R. (2020). Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra. Federal Trade Commission.
Slaughter, R. K. (2020). Concurring statement of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. Federal Trade Commission.
Murphy, S. P. (2020). Coronavirus has limited funeral rites, but the costs for one family don’t reflect that. Boston Globe. Web.
NFDA. (2020a). Code of professional conduct. Web.
NFDA. (2020b). Code of ethics. Web.