Has anyone tried the phone funeral shops?

I signed up for some phone shops for funeral homes and, after reading the guidelines, I had to notify the scheduler that I just could not do it. I tried to psych myself up for it but could not pretend that a close relative had died and I had to make funeral plans, even pretending I could not do it. The scheduler understood but I felt bad.

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I would have accepted one, but all of them were already scheduled by the time I tried to get one.

I did a few of them a while ago. The pay is $5 and takes 10 minutes on phone 10 minutes report. Problem is if you don't sound completly natural or pause at all they won't accept the shop. I had 2 accepted one denied. Will no longer due.

Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.

I like those - they are very easy once you get the hang of it.

Too morbid for me. They are on my 10 foot pole list (along with FF and purchase & return).

I love those, it takes only 10-15 minutes total. My father die many years ago, so I use this scenario... I have done at least 30 and only one was denied...

I am terrible at this. It was the only shop I have every failed, (knock on wood). It takes a certain knack to do them correctly. I just don't have that knack... too bad as we have a lot of them in my area.

I did two of these as they were bonused. I figured I'd call during my lunch hour and make a few bucks. I only took them as my MIL had just passed and I had a real life story, experience and emotions. I did prepare by looking up hospitals in the area and am glad I did as one parlor asked me where she currently was. They were not hard but I would never do them again.

I do them. I've had to plan funerals and help plan funerals. They are a fact of life, so I don't see them as morbid. I've learned some things to help me pre plan my own funeral.

The report is basically answering if they followed up. No, rehashing the recording in the report.

One part that gets difficult for me is if I have to call back later in the day and I have other commitments that interfere with doing that.

Another difficulty I've had is the recording wasn't great. They accepted it. I don't know if it's my phone because I noticed a couple other recordings were less than clear. I have to sit at the table and make sure I am speaking straight into my phone, not lounging in bed. LOL

They've mentioned things to me like I didn't ask about price soon enough, or I actually let the wrong person give me information instead of making sure I was speaking to a funeral director? But they paid me.

I'll do more, just want to make sure it's a day I'm not going out.

I've been dying to do some.

My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me.
Benjamin Disraeli

I did a shop when one of my parents died. I have not been able to do them again. I think in the beginning they had a higher fee.

I've done a whole bunch. Never had any denied nor even much negative feedback (only one comment to ask a question besides price). They are pretty easy once you've done a couple and have a decent scenario lined up. My grandparents died before I was even born, so I use them. Though I have had a director ask to speak with my parents instead (I... guess I sounded really young).

The worst part is definitely the call-back game. The call has to be recorded so if the director calls you back, you have to basically excuse yourself as quickly as possible, then call back through the number. It can be annoying.

Honestly, I wish I could do more of these shops. I actually did all of the locations in my area, so I'm waiting the six months before I can reshop particular locations.

I had done them months ago. I recently tried a new one and had it denied on what I thought was a slim basis. It had something to do with how I worded something or how I said it. I got upset and deleted the email right away. I didn't even want to think again about how the company treated me.

I work at a cemetery, so these shops are second nature to me. I have seen the real thing from the inside. Yes, it does take a particular personality/temperament to work in this field. I have done a number of these shops. I can't get over an 8 on my scores. I get lots of suggestions on how to conduct the shops. I also have been told that someone facing an at need or near need situation would never say something that I said on the call. Surprise! I have not said anything on a shop call that I have not heard at my office.

BTW, I forgot to mention that I only do funeral home calls. No conflict of interest.

MORBID..... No.!

I have done 2. I took myself back in time to when my dad passed away several years ago.

I did one once. The person was so comforting I felt bad that I was completely lying and wasting his time. They also assigned me a Jewish scenario and I am Catholic so it was a little hard.

I did a few when I first was in the area I am in now and I was desperate to make some money. I feel for me personally that they don't pay enough. You have to research names of hospitals and know the areas they are in. You have to have a scenario set up in your mind. You have to keep calling back (in some cases) to get the director. You have have to act like someone you care about is dead or dying. I also have zero experience with arranging this kind of thing in real life, and I felt that if I knew more about it I could probably handle it with a little less stress.

For about the same pay I did a payday loan phone shop and that literally 10 minutes to read the guideline, make the call, and do the survey. Much easier and much less stress. But that's just me.

I've been doing these and cemetary shops in Spanish. Only problem I've run into was that on a few of these, the funeral director wouldn't tell me the price, wanted me to come in in person. I still got paid for those, even though I did get reprimanded for not getting the price. I REALLY tried though, the recording backs that up.

I no longer do the funeral home ones because the scenario has changed, and I'd now have to say that I'm arranging funeral services who is going to die soon. I know that people make arrangements like these all the time when the person is still alive, but personally, I just can't do it.

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Plan the work. Work the plan.

I've never been reprimanded for not getting the price. I thought all I am required to do was ask, so I do and I don't push for it.

I used to schedule many of the Spanish ones. For those scenarios, I was told specifically to ask for cremation costs. I believe the error was on me and how I worded it. I'm fluent in Spanish, but not flawlessly. All I was told was "In the future, please be more specific when getting the price."

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Plan the work. Work the plan.

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