Funeral leaflets through the door in the middle of a Pandemic

[buggeroffvirus]

I am prepared to be told that I am over reacting but here it is. Yesterday we had a leaflet put through the door advertising a local Funeral Director. At first i just put it in the bin because the two smiling faces of a couple wearing black garb seemed a little bit odd.
I have since become more annoyed and have rang the service and voiced my concerns to a very pleasant man who was in charfge of out of hours business.
I pointed out that I thought it was in very bed taste during a Pandemic when people like my husband have been shielding and at great risk since March.
In my opinion there is no need to advertise as people generally use firm that have been used my friends and family and reputations go by word of mouth. I probably should not have said that it seemed like Ambulance chasing but there you have it.
There will be no shortage of business for Undertakers so there is no need to advertise. The people that I have used in the past for my parents were always caring and polite.
The gentleman on the phone said that he could see my point but other firms were doing it !!!.
I would never use a funeral director who did this sort of marketing if I could avoid it. My God they will be offering a three for two next.
So my question is having I got this out of proportion or not.

Well, you'll have given them a laugh when you rang up - and I guess they're good at keeping at straight face when fighting the urge to giggle if they need to.
You might be glad of BOGOF if you all go together!
Of course, I'm assuming you'll be passing rather than dying?

People have always needed funeral services and will do in future . The service who put a leaflet though your door simply want to advertise to you to use their services if you need them . The same as takeaway outlets stick advertising leaflets through your door

Possibly someone needing to organise a funeral may be glad to have details of funeral director at hand . It can save time and hassle . My parents have both prepaid funerals and when my dad passed last year it was one less thing to have to worry about .

I was once inspecting a school. It was when every child matters was in place and you had to ask 9 year olds how well the school was preparing them for future employment. I had a trainee inspector with me who was going to lead and I couldn't interrupt.

We were talking to a group of 9 year old children and asking the if they were learning things that would help them when they were adults

1 boy said no, they didn't do enough measuring. She asked why measuring a important and he said he wanted to measure people when he grew up (fine). Later on he said that that they should practice using the phone more apparently they had had a toy phone in nursery but not since. Finally he said they needed to practice going sleep and waking up in the middle of the night more at school. The trainee didn't ask why he thought he needed these unusual skills.

I fed back to the head, slightly bemused. turns out 4 generations of undertakers

I wonder if he was the chap you got out of bed on the out of hours service.

RelightMyPfizer
🤣🤣🤣

Actually deaths have been at or below the five year average for many months and IIRC have only risen above that again quite recently, so they may not be as busy as you think. People die basically. In any given year there will be hundreds of thousands of people who've been bereaved, or received a scary diagnosis, or who know that they or a loved one are reaching the end of life...so really funeral directors' leaflets should just be banned outright? Or we could all just accept that we're all mortal.

They have to make money. It’s business. Lots of people wouldn’t have a clue who to contact. It also gives people a chance to pre-plan. You don’t have to wait until someone dies to plan a funeral. I organised and paid for mine when I was 42 as you pay the current price and it saves your family having to organise it

We're all different. The last people I would ever use would be the ones who shove leaflets through the door. If I needed to organise a funeral, I'd ask friends/family for recommendations. I imagine that many people do that no matter what the 'it's a business and they need to advertise', posters say about it.

I'd like to get all the the takeaway leaflets plopping onto our doormat too, it's not just the funeral ones. I wouldn't care less about the unsolicited/junk mail if there was an 'opt out' feature but there doesn't seem to be. There really should be.

I don't need double glazing at the mo but understand that in five years time I might

I can't afford to get my trees chopped down but in a few years I might

I think you are emotional ( v understandable) and are miss directing your stress at the wrong people

Sorry your husband is vulnerable

@bettbattenburg - if you clear the cookies from whichever device you're using, it might stop the online ads.

Jesus Christ - if ever there was an over-reaction....... 🤦🏻‍♀️

In my opinion there is no need to advertise as people generally use firm that have been used my friends and family

I wouldn't have a clue where to start. It's never occured to me after a funeral to start asking what funeral place they used, although it wouldn't be much use as I don't know anyone locally who has had to organise one.

Wait til you hit 60, OP! You get bombarded with this shit all the time as if you’re sitting on the edge of your grave with your feet dangling.

@lioncitygirl

Jesus Christ - if ever there was an over-reaction....... 🤦🏻‍♀️

If ever there was a pointless post...

Funeral places need to advertise. It’s a dying business.

The last people I would ever use would be the ones who shove leaflets through the door. If I needed to organise a funeral, I'd ask friends/family for recommendations.

Imagine you're 88 years old, the oldest in your family and quite frail. You never had any siblings or children and your few close friends have already died or are house-bound in care homes, maybe with dementia. Like most people of your age/generation, you've never been online. Your husband dies suddenly at home, at the weekend. They don't produce a physical Yellow Pages book any more and you don't remember the names of any local funeral companies - because they never tend to advertise their presence, in case it upsets people.

Be honest: would you really not find it a help and comfort to see the leaflet in your drawer that came through the letterbox six weeks ago and which you put in a drawer 'just in case', knowing that one phone call will instantly ease a whole load of worrying unknowns from your already highly emotional and upset mind? What other numerous options would you feel you had available to you?

Of course, funerals are sad occasions that many people don't like to think about, but they're a completely normal part of life and there's nothing shameful or stigmatising in thinking about them and making plans - it's not like it's a leaflet from Ashley Maddison.

Funeral places need to advertise. It’s a dying business.

Also, have you ever looked at a local map and noticed that cemeteries are always situated in the exact middle spot of the town? They're the dead centre....

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

The last people I would ever use would be the ones who shove leaflets through the door. If I needed to organise a funeral, I'd ask friends/family for recommendations.

Imagine you're 88 years old, the oldest in your family and quite frail. You never had any siblings or children and your few close friends have already died or are house-bound in care homes, maybe with dementia. Like most people of your age/generation, you've never been online. Your husband dies suddenly at home, at the weekend. They don't produce a physical Yellow Pages book any more and you don't remember the names of any local funeral companies - because they never tend to advertise their presence, in case it upsets people.

Be honest: would you really not find it a help and comfort to see the leaflet in your drawer that came through the letterbox six weeks ago and which you put in a drawer 'just in case', knowing that one phone call will instantly ease a whole load of worrying unknowns from your already highly emotional and upset mind? What other numerous options would you feel you had available to you?

Of course, funerals are sad occasions that many people don't like to think about, but they're a completely normal part of life and there's nothing shameful or stigmatising in thinking about them and making plans - it's not like it's a leaflet from Ashley Maddison.

If I was 88 years old, I would imagine I would have been a few by then, certainly enough to see how they were conducted and which ones took my fancy.

I dislike leaflets being produced which will largely end up in the bin. The 'scattergun' approach to advertising needs an environment tax.

I'm not picking on funeral directors, I feel the same about takeaways too, double-glazing and any other crap that somebody feels important enough to pop through my door. I do have a 'no junk mail' sticker and have trained the postman/kids to put it straight in the recycling bin.

.. and no, the leaflet wouldn't be languishing in a drawer. Like many people, I've made my plans. If I had to arrange another funeral, I would contact my own provider.

It isn't unusual for funeral directors to advertise at all. You've probably had leaflets before and put them in the recycling without paying any attention.
All of our local Funeral Directors have adverts in the local free newspaper which is absolutely fine. I would be a bit 😲 if they put an advert through my letterbox. I've never received one.

People die all the time, it's the circle of life. They are a business and the big chains advertise on tv. Yabu you can simply recycle if not interested

I'd prefer it if no-one put leaflets regarding anything through my door ever. I get leaflets from all the local takeaways so often and it drives me nuts. They all go straight into the recycling bin. It is such a waste.

I dislike leaflets being produced which will largely end up in the bin. The 'scattergun' approach to advertising needs an environment tax.

I'm not picking on funeral directors, I feel the same about takeaways too, double-glazing and any other crap that somebody feels important enough to pop through my door. I do have a 'no junk mail' sticker and have trained the postman/kids to put it straight in the recycling bin.

I do agree with you on that principle in general.

I was off work part of last week caring for a family member who had had an op. I swear the vast majority of daytime TV adverts are for funeral plans and similar. Basically they could replace all ads with a message saying "you're going to DIE SOON , spend some MONEY". Weird.

So my question is having I got this out of proportion or not.

Yes. Massively.

My dad died last week. Nothing to do with any pandemic. People die all the time and funeral directors still work and need to advertise their businesses. I don't see the issue.