My mum & dad own their own business and have recently took on another business. Its not doing as well as they initially hoped and they are just managing to stay afloat. Its a business that needs word of mouth to get customers really and they have to look professional (its a funeral directors). My brother owns an ice cream van and he keeps in on my parents drive (which is on a main road). Now there are a few issues here.

My dad thinks that the reason why they arent getting as many funerals is because of this ice cream van. So what Im asking is would you see an ice cream van on a funeral directors drive (the house is not where they run the business from - its their house they live in) and would it put you off going to the FD?

Would wonder why there was an ice cream van on drtive if I didnt know the directors had a son in the business!!!!
Am lucky round here as know them all, near enough personally as lived here for years, but yeah think it would put me off without knowing the facts :(
Cant he park it somewhere else???
Lea :)
Edited to add, i didt read it properly, as thought it said WAS the place where they ran the business, but also do they have a marked car or a hurse that sits on drive way that shows it is the funeral diorectors house????

No - If it isn't the business premises then what has it to do with anything, surely funeral directors have lives and homes same as anyone else.

I assumethe house and the bussiness are close together otherwise your Dad would not think its an isssue. But no I would not use the FD - because I would think rightly or wrongly the bussiness was a sideline, it fly by night.

Karen 

Yes. They are two very extreme ends of the scale. My son worked for an ice cream firm for the summer and I'm sorry, but the van not only sounded, but looked cartoon like and quite comical. Where as a Hurst, is definatley not comical at all. Also, I always think those kind of firms are run by Del and Rodders, even though they're probably not.

If there was any way that your parents' house is visibly connected with their business, then yes, the presence of an ice cream van instead of a hearse ;) on the drive would certainly put me off, and I'd be more likely to deal with a company that didn't appear to be so frivolous.

The house is about 2 miles from the business and there is no indication that the funeral business is linked. However, if people know that that funeral director owns a taxi firm then they could put 2 & 2 together because they do park the taxis at the house.

The whole thing just depends which way people think :) Having used funeral directors twice in the last year, I could see the point about it not looking professional. However, where my mother lives, the funeral director that we used for my father's funeral is the local builder (a very common thing, once upon a time, as the local builder would make the coffins :) ), so I wouldn't think twice about them having all sorts of businesses operating from the premises :) :) Tricky question :)

Daisy

Then that would be my concern that they weren't full time FD. 
Not fair I suspect, and I'm sure that they know what they're doing but choosing , (if I had a choice) as an outsider who doesn't know them personally I think that I would pick a full time business in that particular field.  Sorry. :(

Dont be sorry. I need to find other peoples views because my mum & dad are at logger heads about this and if I can show them what others think then maybe they can do something about it.

Thanks for your comments so far :) Please keep them coming.

If the first point of call for people who were having to go through the trauma, which most of us only have to do a couple of times in a lifetime of arranging a funeral was your parents house, with an icecream van parked in front, then yes, I could see it being a problem.   If the funeral directors' premises are based away from your home,then I cannot why people would connect the two - unless of course, they advertise one another on the vehicles, which I would think highly unlikely!

Margot

When we had to choose a funeral director we went for a small, local family firm rather than a larger one as it just seemed to be a more personal service. If the ice cream van was parked at the business address then yes it might seem a bit frivolous to some people but parked at a home address would not be a problem for me (nor at the business address for me personally as I would have more on my mind than an ice cream van parked on the drive).

Thank you Margot and Harley. They are a family based firm and I personally think there has been a case of bad mouthing going off from a previous taxi employee and another family based funeral director. I think this is why they arent doing as well but unfortunately we have no way of proving this and no way to change it.

I'm sorry because I am aware that the outward picture may well not show the true picture of the situation but as an outsider, then that is all we would have to assess the situation. :)

Maybe, as with all new businesses, it takes time to build up?  I would imagine that FDs would be chosen mainly by word of mouth and so each funeral that they do will be their advertising. :)  I live in a small town with 2 companies, both run by local men and I have already chosen the one that I will choose to take care of any arrangements that I may need in the future because I have met, spoken to and like the director. :)

If I had to make arrangements for a family member in a town that I didn't know, then I would choose a full time, (professional??) company.

After reading your explanations, if I have this right.

The ice-cream van is parked at your parents home, 2 miles from the funeral directors.

Then it makes no difference?  It is not on the FD premises, (If it were I would move it as it would be off putting, but it isn't) it can not be seen by anyone wishing to use your parents employment. Surely they would see clients at the FD not in their house so what difference does it make what is in their home.

Although I know my local FD I don't know where the owners live, nor would I want to know, the business is run from the business address.

All new businesses take time and establishment to work, especially something like a FD people tend to use the service and then go back if the service was good so the other FD's have a major clientel already.

Your parents need to advertise, yellow pages, google, yahoo etc provide a good service and word will spread.  The ice-cream van at home has nothing to do with anything and is being used as a scape goat for the business not yet taking off, they also have competition as you have already said and you may possibly be right about the bad mouthing it happens!

Your brother can always put a plastic throw over his parked ice-cream van at home, if your dad still feels it is an issue, he has his business and your parents have theirs, it shows you are all independant and working, that is nothing to bad mouthe, it shows a hard working family which is a credit to you all,  not something that others would use against you. It is a plus.

Your parents need more advertiseing and to make sure their FD is clearly seen and advertised from the roadside. :-)

Thank you. :) I also believe word of mouth is key to a FD and every funeral they have done they have had nothing but praise but we have some stiff competition with a big American based firm in the town who seem to have most of the business. We will keep trying though. :)

It's hard when there is a large firm as competition. :-(

Aswell as the advertising always make the outside look subtley friendly, a nice hanging basket or a small potted tree outside the premises I always feel it makes a place feel welcoming without over stating which you certainly don't want for a FD. No-one likes going to these places and just the tiniest touches can make you want to go inside or think that looks friendly as driving past.

They've tried lots of different things. They sent all the nursing homes calendars and pens at christmas, invited the vicars from the church for a 'have a look round' day, had a new chapel christened (in local paper), etc etc. Theres a trickle of business so I guess we'll just have to wait and see! :)

The calendars and pens would put me off, especially in a nursing home. It gives the message, they're going to die soon, send them to us when they do.

It sounds so callous to remind ill or elderly people that they're not going to be around much longer which is something that might occupy their thoughts without the advertising. Sorry I don't know much about funeral directors and it might be normal to advertise in that way but I've not heard of it before and I'm a bit shocked.

I agree with most of the others an icecream van at their home shouldn't have any impact on business. Even if I knew the funeral directors home address I don't think it would put me off to see an icecream van there. If they think its affecting business could be parked somewhere else for a month or two to see if it has an effect?

The one near me is also American owned but still run by the same local men.  The director doesn't try to sell the most expensive, especially if he knows that the family's financial position isn't great.  He listens to what they think they want and then gives good, honest advice - I don't know what the bosses would say if they knew! ;)  But he's respected as an honest, reliable bloke who treats the situation with great dignity.  Whatever the reputation of the previous owners, maybe your folks have just got to get known for the same and the quality of the service they provide? :)

Yeah I think they have been known for good service but because they get that many I cant see how they can deliver the quality of care that you would by receiving a few a week, if that makes sense?? Im sure things will pick up. Also the American one was a family run one so they have the reputation from that!

I don't think it would put me off as the business and home are separate.

Having said that, the only FD I know personally has premises at the rear of a petrol station which he also owns but is run by other members of the family.  It can't put many people off as the FD business is highly successful.

My husband is a funeral director but his main business is a Joiners and contractors. When people come to the rest room it is part of the workshop and all his works vans are there. People don't seem to mind because he has a very good reputation in the area and is very careful to ensure that people receive a good, personal service from them. It takes time, they've been established for over 30 years but reputation and word of mouth is more important than anything else. A business in a nearby town was recently sold to a bigger company and because people don't like the attitude of the guy in charge my husband is picking up a lot more work there too. It will take them time but I think it can be a mistake to try to push into this kind of area with aggressive marketing - a slow build of a good reputation is far more likely to pay off in the long term.

There is a company near where i used to live, and he started up in the same buisness as your family, and he was verbally abused by other funeral companies etc, for over a year it was such hard work for him to become established, but he decided to try something different and give people what they wanted,
a white hearse and white horses,
coffins shaped as boats etc,
and the one i really like (that sounds awful ) a hells angel type of biker asked to be taken to his resting ground on a trike, so a trike and trailer well it was a glass and decorated trailer thing,pulling the coffin was found and all  his mates etc on their bikes behind him it was a magnificint site to see
He also set up a web site and did the usual yellow pages etc, but word of mouth worked for him and his buisness is flourishing so to say,
good luck to your mum and dad,
and if they think the ice cream van is the cause of the trouble ask him to move it for 6 months and see what happens then
hope everything works out ok
carolann

When you made this post I tried to think about what funeral directors I would call if i needed one, and why I would phone them/know about them.
Having considered for a while, I realised that I would contact one of two fd's.
The first is massive and I know about it because the business premises are next to a main road, and it seems busy and popular...leading me to conclude that they might be good.

The second is a small family firm, and I realised that I only knew their name because I hear it frequently on local radio which is always on when I am driving.
Have your parents thought about investing in a tasteful advertisement for local radio? Alternatively use local newspapers. They should be emphasising the benefits of a small family firm.
If choosing between the big firm and the little firm if both seemed equal as to the service provided, then I am afraid cost would be an issue for many people. Are your parents sure that they are competetively priced? And are they able to offer payment terms like the bigger firms. Im afraid money is a huge issue with funerals being so expensive, and people will usually have to go with what is best financially unless they are particularly wealthy.

It would put me off both, using the FD and also buying ice cream from that particular van :rolleyes:

They are the most competative in the area - we dont like to say cheapest because the word 'cheap' doesnt convey the right connotations. The reason they keep their price so low is because they own their own hearses and limos so they dont hire them in saving a huge amount. So yes they are very competative. :) Thanks for your comments. I have printed these off for my parents to read and hopefully they'll take advice from it.

When my Dad died we called the local family run FD & the owner(son of the founder)came He too runs another business(builders I think)he was so nice the night my dad died & came back the next day to make the arrangements. He was here for ages discussing the funeral etc & even had my brother & I laughing when he asked about flowers, my dad was no gardener-he often did the weeding & left the weeds & pulled out the plants that should be there-He suggested we had Cauliflowers which my dad would have thought hilarious

Having an Ice Cream van outside your parents private residence wouldn't bother me, it is the people involved that are important. Because my dad died suddenly, the FD explained that there might need to be an autopsy, but that he would sort out the doctors etc for us. No pushing for a posh funeral with a fleet of cars following the coffin. When we explained that my dad was a very private person & that he wouldn't want any fuss made. He even put a donation into the collection(I saw him)& because we had a cremation & my mother wants to be buried they are keeping my dad's ashes until my mum passes away & then they will be buried with her. I was greatly impressed !

Your parents sound just like the FD we used & I trust they will be successful eventually

Aww they sound brilliant Moonmaiden. Its that extra special mile that I think makes or breaks a FD and Im sure things will pick up. Thank you. :)