When Foresight Companies conducted its annual survey of consumer behaviors and attitudes toward the funeral industry one clear trend stood out. There’s a consumer knowledge gap, and it’s largely up to funeral directors to fill it.
It may seem like today’s consumer is well-versed in funeral service options, but the truth is they are in the learning process. The demand for upfront pricing, online information and transparency indicates that consumers want to know more. In an industry that’s rapidly changing, it’s understandable that consumers are trying to become more informed.
The top question is, how will funeral directors in Texas step up to close the knowledge gap?
Consumer Opinion on Funeral Industry Professionals is Good, Which is a Great Starting Point
The 2025 Foresight Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study found that the majority of people have favorable opinions of funeral industry professionals. That’s a real positive for funeral home directors because it means there’s a certain level of trust and respect for their role and what they have to offer.
Consumers gave funeral industry professionals a 70% approval rating. That’s better than the 61% approval rating for the industry as a whole.
What Consumers Value Most About Funeral Directors
Consumers who took the Foresight survey noted several things that make a funeral director valuable. Funeral directors scored points for their:
- Professionalism
- Compassion
- Ability to Comfort
It’s the human aspect of the job that can’t be replaced digitally that consumers appreciate the most.
Where Texas Funeral Directors Can Make Improvement
Even though most people think funeral directors provide invaluable support, there are a few things that Texas funeral directors should focus on to stand out and be an invaluable asset.
Honesty and transparency is huge. A third of consumers said being transparent about prices and mentioning more affordable options were the biggest trust builders. Overall, many consumers believe that credibility within the funeral industry as a whole isn’t great. The more open and upfront a funeral director is, the more likely it is that consumers will want to work with them.
Modernizing business practices and services is another area where funeral directors are lacking. About 40% of funeral directors aren’t even putting prices online. But then there are funeral homes like Cremation.Green. We’ve been digitally based for years, and we’re helping shape policy in Texas to make modern services available throughout the state.
Texas Funeral Directors Should Provide Online Digital Assets
Texas funeral directors can ease concerns about credibility with online digital assets that are readily available and informative. Consumers who need to arrange funeral services should pay attention to the funeral home website. It should be a source of information where things are easy to find.
The information that consumers want to know that many funeral directors aren’t putting online include:
- Detailed pricing
- Virtual facility tours
- Scheduling tools
- Visual resources
Funeral directors have to realize that consumers are comparing the funeral industry to other types of businesses. Upfront, clear information is what’s expected from today’s consumers regardless of the service.
If you want to work with a funeral director in Texas that fully informs families in a transparent, honest way, then Cremation.Green is the clear choice. We’ve been helping modernize the funeral industry in the Lone Star State for well over a decade, providing compassionate care and ensuring Texans have disposition freedom.
To learn more about our eco-friendly funeral services and how we support families in Texas, check out the rest of the website, give us a call, text us or email whenever is most convenient.
Educating Consumers About Their Options is What Texas Funeral Directors Should Be Doing
A big surprise from the Foresight survey was how few respondents thought they had been well educated on the options for disposition. Just over a third (37%) felt like the funeral director they worked with fully educated them about their disposition options. At the same time, 76% of funeral industry professionals said they try to educate consumers.
There’s a discrepancy that likely stems from the fact that many funeral directors aren’t discussing all of the options. Many tend to focus on what they offer and provide little to no information about other services.
The other issue is that funeral industry professionals think that consumers know more than they actually do. Because of that, they aren’t providing as much information as consumers actually need. Handing a consumer a pamphlet or mentioning a service in a brief conversation isn’t enough to inform consumers. Funeral directors need to have in-depth conversations, give consumers the chance to ask questions and follow up with resources so that consumers can learn more.
Only providing a limited amount of information can actually do more harm than good. It can cause consumers to become more confused. Confusion can lead to disengagement or delays in decision making, which is the last thing that funeral directors want.
Here’s a quick list of what a funeral director should be educating consumers on:
- Preplanning vs preneed
- Cremation options
- Memorial and celebration of life options
- Green alternatives
- Concierge services that are highly personalized
Consumers should be looking for a funeral director that provides a wealth of information. And if they are an industry professional, they should be familiar with services beyond what they offer.
Consumers Need Direction on What Can Be Done With Cremated Remains
More people are choosing to be cremated or cremating a loved one, but they aren’t sure what to do with the cremains. It’s a reasonable conundrum since there are a lot of options, some of which aren’t well-known. The only two options that most consumers are familiar with are keeping the cremated remains in an urn at home and scattering cremated remains.
When discussing cremation services, a funeral director should mention what can be done with the cremains beyond those two options. They should mention that burial and putting cremains in a columbarium niche at a cemetery can provide a permanent resting place. There are also many ways to turn cremains into keepsakes such as jewelry, art or pottery.
At Cremation.Green we’ve invested heavily in educating consumers across Texas. Since we specialize in green funeral services, we understand that there are serious knowledge gaps that can prevent families from getting the experience that they truly want. Our funeral director is happy to provide all the information that’s needed to make an informed decision about disposition.
You can call, text or email us at any time to ask questions and get answers so you’re more informed about all the funeral service options.
