I read an interesting article the other day. The article was based on suggestions from a member of the Texas State Florists’ Association after attending the Texas Funeral Directors Association convention.

When it comes to sympathy flowers, florists and funeral directors have the same goal, to help families through the bereavement process. It is well established that flowers are a comfort and joy to those during times of grief. Flowers can help both entities achieve their goal. But to achieve this goal effectively it requires a working rapport between the florist and the funeral director.

The article suggested that florists could put a brief description of the flower arrangement on the back of the enclosure card. This eases the process of writing the thank you cards and removes some of the burden from the funeral home’s staff. Families appreciate this gesture but often the funeral home staff doesn’t have the time or terminology to do this.

In return, the florist opens a line of communication with the funeral director; who can then share the importance of flowers and the quality of the local florist with the family and friends of the deceased.

A few other suggestions made were:

Florist should familiarize their delivery drivers with the funeral homes, staff members and drop off procedures.

Use standard containers that are easy to transport and set up.

Be aware of transportation constraints of the funeral homes when designing casket sprays.

These are just a few of the suggestions that can help create a rapport and line of communication between the florists and funeral directors.
I personally know how important it is to have a good rapport with the funeral home. When I worked for a local florist we had a funeral board. Our local funeral homes would call or fax us the information about services and we would list all the pertained information about the deceased on the board. When customers called to place the order we were prepared. We also kept up with delivery procedures of every funeral home. Because of our relationship with the funeral home, when family and friends inquired about where to order flowers for the services the funeral home staff would recommend us.

If you have any ideas about how to develop a rapport between florists and funeral homes please share them with us.