Many families worldwide are adopting cremation to dispose of their loved ones’ bodies as opposed to burying them. Although the past generations have used the method of cremation, it is currently gaining acceptance among the communities that were initially opposed to the technique. As a result, funeral homes across the United States of America have been appointed by families to burn dead bodies.
However, such homes have formulated a trend whereby they hire third parties to cremate the bodies on their behalf in their facilities over the past few decades. In most cases, they regard the system as efficient and cost-effective since they relinquish most of their services to institutions specializing in cremation services. However, there are several disadvantages associated with involving a third party in cremating the bodies. An analysis of working with third-party crematory institutions currently indicates that huge risks are involved.
Funeral institutions have entrusted third-party cremation facilities to dispose of the bodies on their behalf; however, the organizations fail to perform the task they are hired to do. A report conducted by Albrecht (2017) revealed that 339 bodies that were supposed to be cremated were undisposed in the facility of Tri-State Crematory, a third party. This shows that the third-party organizations fail to perform their duties, hence exposing the funeral homes.
The sentiments are echoed by Nicodemus (2013), who illustrates that despite the funeral homes having a contract with third-party institutions, they still have to make a follow-up with the institutions to ensure that the bodies are cremated as initially agreed. However, this should not be the case since if an organization is tasked with conducting a duty, it should ensure that it performs its duties with due diligence without being followed up with by the employer. Due to the negligence of the third parties, the funeral homes usually face a risk of being deregistered by the state’s Environmental Protection Agency, which is usually given the responsibility to ensure that bodies are disposed of in a manner that they cannot affect the environment negatively.
Funeral homes also pay financial damages for the third party’s actions due to the perceived negligence. When a funeral home signs a contract with a third-party crematory, the crematory facility becomes an extension of the funeral home; hence they remain liable for activities conducted by the crematory. According to Albrecht (2017), funeral homes paid $36 million in fines for the third party crematory’s negligence that failed to dispose of the bodies as previously agreed. This is mainly because the funeral homes are regarded as having deceived the families that entrusted them with disposing of the bodies.
Nicodemus (2013) also illustrates that families aggrieved with the third party crematory services can file a lawsuit naming the funeral home and the third party crematory as the defendants. The funeral home directors can also be held accountable for the actions of the third party. This demonstrates that if the courts decide to side with the plaintiffs, then the funeral home will be forced to pay the damages even though they were not the cremation’s actual implementors. Therefore, hiring third-party crematory institutions to perform cremation is riskier than performing the actual burning of the bodies.
Every business hopes to retain customers and make profits; however, contracting third party damages the funeral home’s reputation, thus losing clients. As Bunker Family Funeral Homes and Crematorium (n.d.) states, families, value their loved ones; hence they would only like to receive the best services for their departed relatives during the cremation process; therefore, relatives who are unsatisfied with the services of the third party will discourage others from taking the bodies of their loved ones to the funeral home that is in agreement with the crematory, hence the business will lose customers. Additionally, Bunker Family Funeral Homes and Crematorium (n.d.) illustrates that “a family should have confidence in the people caring for their loved one and in the facility where the cremation is taking place.” (p. 1)
Therefore, this implies that when the services do not meet the clients’ expectations, then the business is destined to fail since the customers are important stakeholders who play a crucial role in ensuring that the business thrives. An increase in customer base results in more profit realization by the business. Moreover, when a funeral home is engaged in constant lawsuits filed by customers who are not satisfied with the third-party crematory actions, the general public, who could have used the facility, will opt for other service providers hence depriving the business of potential clients.
However, when funeral homes decide to seek third-party crematory services, they should ensure the facilities can perform the assigned responsibilities. In most instances, the funeral homes sign a contract with crematory services without considering their policies, capability, and track records. However, funeral homes should adhere to the procedures described by the four steps of the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA, n.d.)
The first step requires the funeral home to review its internal procedures to ensure that the facility can solve the cases arising from cremation internally without involving the courts or other external bodies. Second, the funeral home should obtain the crematory license and all other relevant documents that show that it is allowed to conduct cremation services. Third, the funeral home should interview the crematory, especially the top management and the people responsible for handling the bodies. Most clients require that their loved ones are handled with care and dignity, and therefore, interviewing the institution should provide the funeral home with an insight into how they manage the dead. The fourth step should be an unexpected crematory inspection to have firsthand information on the activities taking place in the area. In case the steps are strictly followed and they meet the funeral home’s expectations, then a contract can be signed between the two entities.
Additionally, before engaging in a crematory, the funeral home should conduct a competitive interview to know the facility they are about to seek its services. Albrecht (2017) states that “selecting a third-party crematory is no different than interviewing a job candidate” (p. 1) The sentiments are supported by the third step of the ICCFA guidelines which requires a funeral home to perform a detailed interview (ICCFA, n.d.). Therefore, funeral homes should conduct both oral and written interviews with the management of the crematory to identify the weaknesses and the strengths of the facility they want to engage.
It is recommended to ask questions such as the facility’s history, equipment used, daily operations, the dealings with the remains, and the number of successful cremations it has performed since its inception. In case the crematory does not score convincing results throughout the interview process, the funeral home should look for other alternatives to ensure that they are only involved with a crematory that has an excellent history and is equally up to the task.
Moreover, the funeral home should make it a routine to inspect the third-party cremation provider. Most funeral homes fail to meet customers’ standards because they only scrutinize the crematory’s written documents. As a result, they can not identify what takes place on the ground since recorded information can be misleading. Therefore, it is recommended that funeral homes make impromptu visits to the crematory to ensure that they meet the required standards.
According to Nicodemus (2013), frequent visits to the crematory will save the funeral home from numerous court suits filed by either customers or regulatory agencies due to negligence. Additionally, the Cremation Association of North America (2017) illustrates that the cremator can dispose of the remains that are uncollected after 60 days from the cremation date. Therefore, conducting physical visits will enable the funeral home to identify ways to dispose of the unclaimed remains and advise their clients accordingly.
In conclusion, several cremators are hired by the funeral homes to dispose of the bodies as instructed by the clients. Although the funeral homes deem that the process is efficient and effective, it has damaged their reputation, put them in financial and legal battles, and lowered their profits. This is mainly because the third-party crematory does not meet the clients’ standards and sometimes fails to dispose them of completely. However, they can regain the general public’s trust by conducting a thorough interview before hiring the cremator’s services. Additionally, they should conduct frequent visits to the facility to ensure that they perform their responsibility diligently.
References
Albrecht, E. A. (2017). Risk management strategies for dealing with third-party crematories. Kates-boylson. Web.
Bunker Family Funeral Homes & Crematorium. (n.d.). Why choose Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation for Cremation Services? Web.
Cremation Association of North America (2017) Model Cremation Law and Explanation. Web.
ICCFA. (n.d.). Due diligence for funeral homes using third-party crematories. Web.
Nicodemus, M. (2013). Why inspecting your 3rd party cremation provider will help you stay out of a court of law. Cremationsuccess. Web.