First impressions are a one-time chance that your funeral home wants to get right. Oftentimes, families’ initial calls to your funeral home are when they form their first impression of your business.

That’s why we’re sharing phone etiquette tips to make sure your funeral home’s staff is all on the same page. By following these best practices when talking on the phone with client families, you can leave a positive first impression.

Make Sure Your Staff Is On the Same Page

Make sure your staff is on the same page about what to say to client families. This includes how to describe your products and services, how to respond to certain questions or reactions, and other important topics. By being consistent with how you describe your business, you can create a positive and consistent brand for your funeral home.

It may be a good idea to come up with a reference guide that includes information about your funeral home’s brand and how to talk about your services. This also is a great tool for training new employees!

Pay Attention to Your Words and Tone

As funeral directors, it’s especially important for you to pay attention to your words and tone. You’re talking to grieving families who are feeling all sorts of complicated emotions. That’s why you need to find the right balance between talking business and showing empathy for their loss. By coming from a place of understanding, it’ll create a more open and trusting conversation.

Know How to Handle Upset Families

This one goes hand in hand with the first two sections. When a current or potential client is upset, your staff needs to be on the same page of what to say. And, we’re not just talking about families being upset about their loss. We’re talking about families who are upset about the service they received. Even though it’s frustrating if they’re angry, it’s important to not get angry back. Instead, apologize and try to make things right.

Follow Common Phone Etiquette

One major phone etiquette rule is to remember that the hold button is your best friend. If you have to step away, make sure to use the hold button and don’t just set the phone down. By leaving the line open, the caller could hear background noise or conversations. Instead, use the hold button and don’t leave them on hold for a long time.

Another phone etiquette rule that should be common knowledge is to not interrupt them while they’re talking. If the conversation goes off topic, try to get things back on track without interrupting or seeming uninterested.

For example, someone who is grieving may go into the details of their fond memories with their loved one. While this is a great way to grieve and find ways to personalize the service, this conversation is best for the arrangement conference rather than over the phone. A great way to get the conversation back on track would be to say that you’d love to hear more stories about their loved one to create a personalized funeral service and see when they’d like to meet in-person for the arrangement conference.

Make the Most of Integrations

We know that many funeral homes partner with funeral answering services to help answer all the incoming calls. That’s why our Frazer-powered websites integrate with the top funeral answering services like Funeral Call and ASD. This integration saves your staff valuable time by avoiding double data entry. And by informing these answering services about your funeral home’s brand, you can make sure they’re on the same page as your staff as well.