Funeral Home Shop experiences?
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The only ones I can recall ever seeing were phone calls. I did a few, and decided a few years ago that the effort to create a back-story and the aggravation when the call didn't go as planned ("I need to call you back." ) was not worth it for the low pay. It sounds like you are looking at ones which require an actual visit to the location?
Edited to remove an unplanned emoji, sigh.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2016 09:11PM by myst4au.
Edited to remove an unplanned emoji, sigh.
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2016 09:11PM by myst4au.
I have just done the phone calls. Mostly they went fine. I would do a visit if they had the job here. Doing the phone calls helped me think about how I want to plan my funeral. We all are going to need that info sometime.
Yes, this one seems to be an actual location. Since it's so close by, I think I'll give it a whirl and see for myself. The payout is enough that I will make that gamble!
I've done the visits. I enjoyed them, and thought the pay was worth the effort. The report is almost no narrative, they just want a few comments here and there. The main focus is pricing. It's imperative you get written quotes of what everything costs. Because of this, I'd recommend that you present yourself as trying to make advance arrangements for a dying relative not for yourself. That way you can ask to see all the cremation and burial options not just one or the other. Tell them you'll be taking the info back to the relative so you can't make any decisions or rule anything out.
If you act like you're getting prices for yourself, they will try to corral you into either cremation or burial before showing you any prices. And they will also push harder for a sale.
If you act like you're getting prices for yourself, they will try to corral you into either cremation or burial before showing you any prices. And they will also push harder for a sale.
I enjoyed doing those. The funeral director didn't try to push me into a decision about my pre-need visit "for myself" after I said I was considering Tibetan Air-Burial due to my religion. He backed off after that for some reason. 
Her Serene Majesty, Cettie - Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of Her Caprine Domain
Thanks for all the great replies! I was accepted to do this shop so I really value all the input. I think I will go with wanting information for someone else, as opposed to myself, because Im in my early thirties but look younger. I think it would appear suspicious if I wanted info for myself. My Grandma passed recently so Ill probably use that as my reason for the visit.
@brothbart8 I would go with a relative still living. If you use your recently deceased grandmother as your reason for being there, you will be seen as an "at need" customer not a "pre need." They will expect you to be emotionally distraught and it will look very suspicious when you don't purchase services with them that day.
Good luck on the shop! Let us know how it goes and what you think?
Good luck on the shop! Let us know how it goes and what you think?
Oh and for the record, to anyone who's interested: it seems the client is having not only their own locations shopped but also their competitors'. I did 6 of these funeral home shops. Half were competitor locations.
Great point! So maybe Id better go with Grandmas not doing well, mom asked me to find out information. Basically, just where we were prior to her passing. Thanks for the advice!
@brothbart8 wrote:
Great point! So maybe Id better go with Grandmas not doing well, mom asked me to find out information. Basically, just where we were prior to her passing. Thanks for the advice!
Perfect backstory! You will be fine.
I suggest that you keep it simple. Say that she is at home, otherwise they will want to know the hospital, skilled nursing center, or etc. I would also avoid saying that she is in hospice care at home unless from experience you know the name of the hospice agency. I did this in real life for my father over 20 years ago, and the questions quickly became very specific. Hospice care is for those expected to die within 3 months and can either be at home (as was the case for my father) or in a facility.
@brothbart8 wrote:
Great point! So maybe Id better go with Grandmas not doing well, mom asked me to find out information. Basically, just where we were prior to her passing. Thanks for the advice!
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
Now, I know this sounds nutty-- but I always try to dress business casual or even dressy casual with a pair of nice black dress pants, an off the rack dressy top, and then I throw my hair back in a neat manner but do not put any makeup on so that it looks like I am a bit stressed out and tired. I've even been guilty of neglecting concealer (I have periorbital dark circles under my eyes from iron deficiency anemia) so I look very stressed, tired, and even as if I've been crying. Heavy sighing, blowing, etc as if you're frustrated and worn down. etc. etc. Don't go doing these if you haven't tried any before or arent comfy tho because it can make things worse.
MegglesKat
So I attempted the mystery shop. I spent last night getting a whole backstory together to ease my nerves, then wrote it down so I would feel 100% confident going in. I arrived and was told the person I needed to speak with was out of the office and at their other location. I got as much information as I could. I emailed the scheduler who asked me to just submit the report and see what the editor thought. So who knows what will happen. At the very least, it was good practice. I just hope I didn't waste my time because that fee + bonus would have been my first nice amount of money made MSing.
Thank you all for your help! I really appreciate having this forum to help guide me in this journey.
Thank you all for your help! I really appreciate having this forum to help guide me in this journey.
What is the name of the mystery shop company for funeral services? Thanks!
Mio
Mio
I didn't think of funeral homes having shops but I guess it makes sense. I would feel totally comfortable doing one of these. I'm not squeamish about death and coffins and so forth so it wouldn't freak me out. I hope I see one come up on one of the job boards. I'll be interested to see what happens BrothBart. Please check back in!
I will know I'm a successful MS'er when I make enough to pay someone else to scrub my toilets.
This was the first type of shop / and company I eliminated from my roster a couple years ago. Far too much scrutiny along with unreasonable expectations for too low of a fee. And I have a job were I am very used to conversing with funeral companies.
"She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the type of person who would keep a parrot." Mark Twain
@brothbart8 sounds like you did the best you could in the situation. I don't know if you're doing these for the same MSC I did them for, but when the editor got back to me asking for more info, they gave me the chance to get that info via phone or email rather than revisit in the cemetery.
They may let you do the same. Let us know what happens!
They may let you do the same. Let us know what happens!
@Miosotisgf wrote:
What company assign this kind of shops?
Thanks!
Mio
I think there's more than one MSC doing these. Google "funeral home mystery shops" and see what comes up.
My report was accepted with a 10/10. I received postive comments and I couldn't be more happy! It was my first with narratives (and for that MSC) so it was great practice for me. I've since done other shops with them. Thank you all for helping out a newbie!
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