Question

Many people believe the funeral home business takes advantage of its customers at a time when few people are able to make practical decisions. At a traditional funeral home, caskets are priced from $2,000 to $10,000, but the price from the manufacturer to the funeral home is about 25 percent of those amounts. Customers are advised that they need to buy the more expensive coffins to show their respect to the dead. As a service provider, funeral homes are weak in which of the service dimensions?

Answer 1

Funeral homes might struggle with service dimensions of fairness and transparency, often charging high markups on caskets. Traditional cemeteries pose maintenance and cost issues, leading to the popularity of lawn cemeteries and alternatives like cremation or natural burials to address environmental concerns.

Step-by-step explanation:

The funeral home business is critiqued for potentially taking advantage of its customers during emotionally vulnerable times. As a service provider, funeral homes may be weak in the service dimension of fairness and transparency regarding pricing.

Caskets are sold at substantially higher prices than their manufacturing cost, which may reflect a lack of ethical pricing and honest communication, as customers are pressured to buy more expensive options to show respect for the deceased.

Traditional monumental cemeteries come with substantial costs and maintenance challenges. Over time, large monuments and mausoleums deteriorate and can become hazardous, and even the cost of routine tasks like grass trimming has consequences, leading to the rise of lawn-style cemeteries.

However, the uniform look of these cemeteries doesn't resonate with everyone's preferences. These concerns, coupled with the environmental impacts of conventional burials, have led to a greater interest in alternatives like cremation and natural burials.