“All Funeral Homes Do The Same Thing” – 5 Reasons We Are Different

Posted on February 26, 2017 by J. Chad Pendley under Most Common Questions
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Another one of the most common sayings we hear is that “All funeral homes do the same thing” and then after we serve that family one of the most common sayings we hear is “No one does it better than Mayes Ward-Dobbins”.  While this is a common misconception of all funeral homes (thinking they are all the same) some people do not consider what all has to happen and just think that all funeral homes will get you to the cemetery.  While this may be true of some funeral homes out there I will give you five reasons why we are different.

Reason 1

First, and probably the biggest difference that we offer, is our people.  Most people consider only the funeral home when making a decision on where they should go… when in fact you should be choosing a funeral director.  Planning a funeral service is a personal experience that should only be done with someone that you are comfortable with and most importantly, you can trust.  Our funeral directors have the combined experience of over 200 years and they are very intentional about making sure everything you could possibly want is carried out to the very best without fail.  Our directors also make it a point to make you feel as comfortable as possible and we only treat our families as if they were just that… our own families, not clients.  We encourage families to visit other funeral homes and not just look at the building but meet the directors until they find someone they are comfortable with.  We offer the largest staff in our area and it is only for the reason of making sure that every family that chooses Mayes Ward-Dobbins has everything that they could possibly need or want.

Reason 2

Family owned and Family Operated.  This may just seem like a catchy sales slogan but it means so much more for the families that we serve.  Our family not only owns the funeral homes but we all operate the funeral home as well.  This means more than just that our family will be here to help serve you but it means that as a family we make all of our business decisions together.  By doing this we are able to take your family into consideration to know how every decision will effect each member of your family.  In our family we have a mother, a father, sons, brothers, extended family, etc… so we know how every decision will impact each relationship in your own family.  Our family does not decide on anything unless our whole family is in agreement that it will be the best option for each family member.  This is very different from  the “corporate” funeral home mentality where everything can derive from numbers, profits and pleasing share holders and from the independent funeral homes where the owner is making decisions to best suit their own personal needs.  Here at Mayes Ward-Dobbins we only make decisions as a family for your family.

Reason 3

Personalization.  We feel very strongly about designing a funeral service that honors a loved one and not doing “just another 2:00 p.m. funeral“.  In the golden days (or as I say the olden days) you did not have very many options when it came to planning your own funeral.  There were limited venues that were available, limited merchandise for selecting and everyone had to sing all the verses of Amazing Grace before they left the service!  Now we have so many more options to make a service that represents who that person was.  We have brought in motorcycles to visitations, played the wildest music playlists, conducted funeral services at sports arenas, music venues, college campuses, bars and restaurants. If you can think of it I can almost promise you that we have done it.  We are not here to plan the easy service that works best for our schedule… we want to find out who that person was and create an event that when people come to the service they say “That is exactly how he or she would have wanted it“.

Reason 4

Our Technology.  We have adapted our services to be offered in any form that you may need.  In our funeral homes we offer customized printing, dvd tributes, personalized tribute pages on our website, live streaming, custom merchandise, customized music playlist, etc…   The list could go on but it would be a long read!  Basically, we can produce, perform or record anything that you can dream of in any format that it may take.  It could be as simple as providing you a direct box for your acoustic guitar to our state of the art sound system or as complex as custom coding a new page to your website to host the funeral service and other information.  Not only do we provide this to our families for Funeral and Memorial services but we also do this for birthdays, anniversary’s or even class reunions. I know to many technology in the funeral home may seem bleak at best but what it offers to our families is nothing short of amazing.  Imagine that the grandson who lost his grandfather was serving our country in  the military across seas and could not find a way to make it home to deliver the eulogy that he promised his grandfather.  Now imagine that we can live stream him in to our projector and screen in the chapel to deliver that eulogy just like he was there.  This is one of the greatest examples of how our technology has given the opportunity to someone that before would have had no options.

Reason 5

Advanced Planning and Aftercare Services.  We believe that there is so much more than just planning a funeral.  We have the people that can help you long in advance of your passing to help setup items such as your estate, financial plans, funeral plans, advance directives, financial plans and many other options that you may need in your planning.  Even after the funeral we have people in place that can help lead you through grief counseling, probate, obtaining legal documents, VA benefits, etc…  So many families that we serve are left without plans and it takes someone they trust to come in to help them restructure their lives and help them get back on track. It can be as simple as helping them learn how to cook for themselves or even teaching them how to pay their bills.  The point here is that we are more than just a “funeral planner” but yet we serve as Life Transition Experts.  Our services start way before the funeral and go long after the funeral.

 

These are just five of the many reasons that set us apart from others in our industry and it is important to note that all funeral homes offer basically the same end result but the process is completed differently at every funeral home.  We want to make sure that you have someone that will actually walk with you through all of these tasks and not just let you figure it out on your own.  Take the time to meet with several funeral homes (and funeral directors) until you find the place where you are most comfortable.  Taking the time now will save your family from making the wrong choice during their time of loss.

As always, please feel free to reach out to any of our funeral directors for more information and feel free to ask us the question, “What separates you from the other funeral homes?”

 

J. Chad Pendley

Chad is a licensed professional and is a native of Cobb County, growing up in Powder Springs and currently living in Marietta Ga. After graduating from McEachern High School Chad attended Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service and graduated as a Master Artist of the Pi Sigma Eta Honorary Mortician Fraternity. He was the recipient of the Bill Pierce award and Daniel E. Buchanan award, recognizing him as a leader in the funeral profession. A member of the Marietta Metro Rotary and different organizations in his profession, Chad also participates in monthly activities promoting the funeral home and networking with other professionals in the area. He is a member and attends Westridge Church in Dallas Ga. He is married to Kristin and as a proud father, Chad enjoys the time he gets to spend with his family and that usually revolves around the softball fields. He has a gift of developing a warm, helpful, and strong relationship with the families he serves and is a valuable source of knowledge at Mayes Ward Dobbins.

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