" 12OCT08 Open Forum Funeral Chatter "

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WELCOME, glad you could visit us, OUR TOPIC: "COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND "HOLIDAY IN THE USA" OPEN FORUM FUNERAL CHATTER" THIS CHAT WILL PROBABLY BE COPIED TO www.funeralserviceprofessional.com FOR ANYONE TO ENJOY LATER. Just a few rules for everyone: 1. USE ONLY PLAIN BLACK TEXT 2 DO NOT USE COMPANY NAMES 3 DISCRIMINATION IS NOT ALLOWED. If you would like chat reminders please send to: LOWELLMA@AOL.COM
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Host_John: Hello Shawn
S_Moore has joined.
Host_John: Happy Columbus Day weekend!
Host_John: Hi Sam
S_Moore: thank you..same to you
Host_John: how are things in Sunny California
S_Moore: fires and wind
Host_John: oh no Fires?
S_Moore: turned the air off 2 days ago and the heat on this morning
S_Moore: nice this afternoon
shawn: good you guys?
S_Moore: hosed off the garage door and driveway
Host_John: was beautiful here today in the mid 70's
S_Moore: hi Shawn
shawn: good you?
S_Moore: good
Host_John: what are you doing with pre paids that the cash advances have grown so much?
Host_John: we are considering options, thus far we have ate the difference
S_Moore: i think we refund excess
S_Moore: we havent paniced but our cremation rate is 50percent
mactj2 has joined.
Host_John: I am talking about shortfalls
S_Moore: they ante up
Host_John: church costs and newspapers have not gone up, you are very fortunate
Host_John: even copies of DC's are going up here
mactj2 has left.
S_Moore: everything is going up
S_Moore: i dont know how people afford to die
Host_John: well the best thing is gasoline is coming down over this side
S_Moore: I did commissary shopping yesterday and food is out of site
S_Moore: has dropped 50C here
Host_John: 2.89 for the cheap gasoline
S_Moore: 3.49 for mid grade here
sirwilhelm1 has joined.
S_Moore: Hi Sir
sirwilhelm1: hello all
Host_John: wow you were over 4 bucks a gallon?
S_Moore: almost 5
Host_John: yikes
S_Moore: Desel has been over 5 for 6 months
Host_John: I don't know what disel costs here
Host_John: what do you see for opening & closing of graves?
S_Moore: I have 2 trucks and it is expensive to keep the rolling
Host_John: municipal 700 and private 1300
S_Moore: it has to go up
S_Moore: about 8
Host_John: I can see how the chat reminder really works
S_Moore: right
Host_John: with no reminder traffice slows here
sirwilhelm1: we upped our service charges because of gas prices
Host_John: can't say I blame you Sirw
sirwilhelm1: its barely enough to offset
S_Moore: we havent added any surcharges (yet)
Host_John: energy is geting more and more expensive
sirwilhelm1: and our per mileage charges went up
Host_John: the good old days in America are history I am afraid
S_Moore: any one know the price of a green cremator?
hrbeckham has joined.
S_Moore: hi hr
Host_John: Hello Howard
sirwilhelm1: hrm whats a green cremator
S_Moore: Chemical Cremation
hrbeckham: good evening all, just got home from work
sirwilhelm1: late night hr?
S_Moore: Proud of you Hr
hrbeckham: thanks
S_Moore: yvw
Host_John: great to have a job, so many companies are downsizing
S_Moore: true
hrbeckham: alot of details to go over, taking a few days off
sirwilhelm1: now you can relax hr
S_Moore: i saw on the news some really different casket that will be at the convention..take your camera
hrbeckham: a little thinking about going down to Orlando. have a free pass to the exhibit floor at Nfda
hrbeckham: I sure can not afford the fantastic fee that nfda is charging to attend otherwise
cnmmnc has joined.
cnmmnc: Howdy!
hrbeckham: I called and ask how much to attend 1 serminar...they wanted almost $400
S_Moore: Hi we were waiting for you
cnmmnc: Whats new?
hrbeckham: Hi there
Host_John: I see they are offering online convention stuff
hrbeckham: interisting
Host_John: Ill try it out tommorrow at work if I remember
hrbeckham: why go and pay when you can stay home and watch?
Host_John: Ill try it for the experiance if for nothing else
hrbeckham: anyone ever "moonlight"
Host_John: moonlight the Movie?
Host_John: No
hrbeckham: work a second funeral job?
cnmmnc: The only point to going out of town' to the conventions is that you can call it an expense
Host_John: yes we lend out who ever gets called
Host_John: they guys and gals love it
S_Moore: no, but i worked in a research lab while i went to school
hrbeckham: no raise this year & could use some more cash for the holidays
Host_John: if someone needs pall bearers or a distant removal we will let that guy/gal take the job
Purge_Lipps has joined.
hrbeckham: thought about doing some embalming on the side to help
Host_John: there will be a lot of long faces this year, income is down for many
cnmmnc: trade work is fun
cnmmnc: keeps you on yout toes
hrbeckham: I have a "regular" job so I would have to do it on my time off
hrbeckham: I would have to do the tradework on the side
Host_John: get what you can Howard
Host_John: some firms collect the earings but we do not
S_Moore: would management call it a conflict of interest?
hrbeckham: I'll put some feelers out to see if anyone could use me
Purge_Lipps: whadda they do with the earings ?
hrbeckham: I live 50 miles away from where I work, different county
Host_John: good move Howard
Purge_Lipps: how bout other jewelry ?
Host_John: they take them in as regular income
cnmmnc: earnings
hrbeckham: I would not work in conflict with my main job
hrbeckham: jewerly is returned to the family
Host_John: Sorry for the slip of the fingers I did mean earnings
Purge_Lipps: np
Host_John: there was an issue with a hospital that lost deceaseds jewlry and it was all over the newspaper and tv
Host_John: the jewlry got mailed back to the hospital
Purge_Lipps: fortunate it was found
Purge_Lipps: we had an "issue" w/jewelry yrs ago
Host_John: too bad they will never find those crooks
Purge_Lipps: gal dropped over @ a social
Purge_Lipps: whisked off in an ambulance
Purge_Lipps: we took remains outa the morgue
Purge_Lipps: bagged
Purge_Lipps: husband in later - asked for jewelry
Purge_Lipps: no jewelry
Purge_Lipps: hospital didn't have it
Purge_Lipps: ambulance didn't have it
Purge_Lipps: husband was going ballistic
Purge_Lipps: somebody checked the dirty laundry
Purge_Lipps: pearl necklace had come off in the sheets
Purge_Lipps: & was thrown down the laundry chute
Host_John: good they found it
Purge_Lipps: fortunate indeed !
Host_John: stuff never goes off stolen
Host_John: misplaced but never stolen in my career
Purge_Lipps: luckily the husband came in within an hr -or- 2 to make arrangements
Purge_Lipps: had he waited til the following day........ who knows what might've happened
Host_John: once it gets dumperized it is much harder
Purge_Lipps: sure
Purge_Lipps: likely the pearls would've scattered
Host_John: all those green bags
Host_John: wish we could get trash bags in different colors
Purge_Lipps: ?
Purge_Lipps: we use red; white; black trash bags
Host_John: if the funeral home had all yellow trash bags it would be easier to pick our stuff out of dumpser if we had too
Purge_Lipps: gotcha
Purge_Lipps: in our locale, the trash is collected, sent to a "collection station" where it's Squashed into bales
Host_John: red is for blood stained stuff only
Purge_Lipps: bingo, same here
Purge_Lipps: Hm
Purge_Lipps: once the trash reaches the local colletion station & is compacted........ I dunno if you'd ever be able to Id anything again
Host_John: we now recycle paper and plastics
Host_John: dumpser is emptied once a month
Host_John: now it rarely gets half full
Host_John: so much paper is recycled
Host_John: we also changed to plain paper fax and use the backs of unneeded photocopies for the fax
Host_John: works great
Host_John: I come into work and there are always 2 to ten pages of junk faxes sitting there
Host_John: now it hits the recycler
Purge_Lipps: We stopped listing our Fax # years ago.......... true, I miss out on a helluva lotta fabulous vacation deals........
Purge_Lipps: we've probably cut our junk fax's down to 5% of what they used to be
Purge_Lipps: took several yrs, but, it finally worked !
Host_John: we call the numbers to be removed and that helps as far as I know we don't list our fax
Host_John: I think our associaitons sell the numbers
Purge_Lipps: I've heard some outfits like that then Know there's a Fax @ that # & they sell your # - when you respond back
Purge_Lipps: bingo
Host_John: now most assn's are selling our e-mail addresses
Host_John: got a lot of convention stuff via e-mail
Purge_Lipps: you can control that easily w/a spam filter
Host_John: anyone going to Orlando?
Host_John: na it is easier to delete
Purge_Lipps: true
Host_John: restricting my e address blocks out new people
Purge_Lipps: I've got 2 -or- maybe 3 spam filters working in unison....... For the most part I see email from folks & firms that I wanna see email from
Host_John: asking again now, what do you do when a pre paid newspaper is much more than you thought?
Host_John: do you charge family or just absorb it?
Host_John: we have been absorbing it but are considering charging the family the excess?
Purge_Lipps: whaddya mean by a prepaid newspaper ?
Purge_Lipps: an obit ?
Host_John: Obit church dc's
Host_John: cem and crmation
Purge_Lipps: I'm not with you I guess......... we know what are charges are going to be in advance of any publications - we bill the family exactly what the other source bills us
Purge_Lipps: our obits are proofed & returned to us to sign off on before publication
Host_John: Pre paid funerals
Purge_Lipps: ok
Purge_Lipps: we stipulate a figure as an advance to work with
Purge_Lipps: -or- a credit so to speak
Purge_Lipps: if it's more, we bill
Purge_Lipps: if it's less, we advance credit
Host_John: we have not billed but are studying margins
Purge_Lipps: we do an accounting/itemization for all families
Purge_Lipps: our firm is 150+ yrs old & has always operated w/that philosophy
Purge_Lipps: I just want what I'm out & what I'm due
Host_John: ya so you come up shy 150 what do you do?
Purge_Lipps: our prearrangements are written w/the codicil: Cash-advance Items to be billed at prevailing rates at time of need.
Purge_Lipps: no problem
Host_John: so you bill them for the extra 150 or do the exchange product or services to reach asset level?
Purge_Lipps: we bill for the extra 150 - if they stick w/the original services & merchandise
Purge_Lipps: very few families "monkey" with the heavy-duty items (casket/services; etc.)
Purge_Lipps: before anybody gets their shorts in a knot...........
Purge_Lipps: in my 30+ yrs here - we've given more refunds out than collected addt'l charges at the time of need
Purge_Lipps: due to interest income
Host_John: we should all use the bank you are using PL
MTMartin has joined.
Host_John: Hello MTM
Purge_Lipps: most of mine are insurance-funded trusts........ since the Irs overhaul in '87 regarding prepaid funerals
hrbeckham: someone asked me for a discount the other day... I told them I could make a deal for a 1964 Jag Xke (red or green) in perfect shape with a v8 or v12 under 50 k miles.....guy laughed...it was a little gamble but it broke the tension
Host_John: economy is getting bad
Host_John: I think all businesses will feel it
hrbeckham: I am sure it will hit casket and vault sales
Tom has joined.
Purge_Lipps: the Kfc chain will no doubt reap addt'l biz
hrbeckham: howdy Tom
Tom: Hi
Purge_Lipps: did u close your flight plan, Tom ?
Host_John: I agree when they see Auntie Milly has 8, 9 or 10 K in a per paid and they are out of work they think of options
Tom: Yep
Purge_Lipps: did you monitor 121.9 like a good boy ?
Host_John: Hello Tom
Tom: 121.5
cnmmnc: "daddy, uhh I traded the new hearse for a karmann ghia" lol
Tom: Hello John
Host_John: hope all is well TOm
Tom: Great...
Host_John: Age, Gender, Location check please
Host_John: 60, M, Happy Hampton Beach NH
Tom: 56 Male Central California
hrbeckham: 53/m/ne Fla
Purge_Lipps: 56 Male, Flyover country
cnmmnc: 32,guy, my livingroom I think
Tom: Lot of old people here
MTMartin: 63,m,michigan
hrbeckham: but we are still able to sit up and take nurishment
Host_John: we are all still working
shawn: shawn 22 toronto
Host_John: speaks not too well of pensions in Funeral service
Tom: With this ecomomy we will be working of a long time
Tom: til we are 100
hrbeckham: pensions?
Tom: Only if your 401 K was in Cd's
cnmmnc: you want the funeral service's pension <work until you drop dead>
hrbeckham: that's it
Tom: At least you get a discount funeral eh
cnmmnc: thats the retirement plan
hrbeckham: direct cremation
Tom: I need to talk a call Brb
Purge_Lipps: Kfc !
Purge_Lipps: Col Harlin Cinders.......... Kentucky Fried Crematoriums
cnmmnc: want a thigh or a wing?
Purge_Lipps: I'll, uh, pass
cnmmnc: lol
Host_John: we should have pensions
hrbeckham: cremations-r-us
Host_John: wonder why we don't
Purge_Lipps: there ya go
Host_John: seems we could come up with some idea
Host_John: but now with the stock market eating up all the money in pensions it may be just as well we got it in salary
Purge_Lipps: now the markets "ON Sale"
shawn has left.
Purge_Lipps: Ford @ $1.99............ holy moly !
Purge_Lipps: the market has corrected 40%
Host_John: sure lets all get out there an get some stock
Purge_Lipps: that's typically what it does
Host_John: I don't think they have seen the bottom yet
hrbeckham: it would be great if nfda would come up with a pension plan for member firms...now that would be an incentive for membership
hrbeckham: agreed
Purge_Lipps: I'm going w/past history & the 40% plateau
Host_John: Associations would if they could find a way to make $$$ off it
Purge_Lipps: #'s are higher - the value was greater !
hrbeckham: wate till all the retailers have a black Christmas....and if Oboma is elected.....(no pun here...really) and tax hike are anticipated..we will be lucky to have hamberger more than once a week
Purge_Lipps: agreed
Purge_Lipps: a black -or- dismal Christmas is almost a guarantee at this stage
hrbeckham: better get the plywood caskets on order
Purge_Lipps: &........ with Bawney Fwank at the helm.......... anything's possible !
hrbeckham: 20g will be the upgrade
hrbeckham: Frank and Dodd both should be a federal lock up
hrbeckham: in a federal lock up
Purge_Lipps: they don't have a pen big enuf for all the bums that need to be in it......
Purge_Lipps: send'em to Club Gitmo
hrbeckham: too good for 'em
cnmmnc: number 1 expect to see hundreds of banks fail...do not keep more than what you need to function in any bank
Host_John: if we convert to hydrogen and put a NASA type agency on it we could get energy from water
Purge_Lipps: I like T Boone Pickens thinking........ maybe in 10-20 yrs Cng will "happen"
hrbeckham: what the Us with an engery policy....what dream world are you in????
hrbeckham: T Boone has a good plan
Host_John: if we find a way to convert water to hydrogen we would burn hydrogen
Purge_Lipps: I thot we would've "woke up" in '73 during the Arab Oil Embargo
hrbeckham: natural gas could be a good option to power cars
Host_John: teach all others to burn hydrogen
Host_John: we would keep our water cleaner if we used if for fuel
Host_John: just a dream
hrbeckham: gas price going down now...lets see if we all become complacent again
Purge_Lipps: I'm doing my part........ I ride a kidney-donor-machine as much as possible now........
Purge_Lipps: put over 700 miles on it this weekend
Host_John: if we find an econimical way to convert water to hydrogen the whole globe would be better off
cnmmnc: then the bumbling populace wouldn't get fleeced on energy! My God, we cant have that!
hrbeckham: agreed
Host_John: would be nice to park the car outside and let it be refueled as we are at home
hrbeckham: you think we put man on the moon we could solve this problem
Purge_Lipps: that was a monumental engineering feat, in many ways......... but, different too - we were trying to "beat the commies"
Host_John: I think if we put NASA types on the energy issue we could solve the energy problem
hrbeckham: well bed time for bonzo here.....god bless you all and Pray for John Mccain (he may not be the every consertives dream canadate, but he's all we got) & America
cnmmnc: well the legislature is either a. bought off or b. comprimised so do not be naive to think your government is 'looking out for you'
cnmmnc: americans speaking in general have to relearn about how to 'look out for yourself'
Host_John: night Howard
hrbeckham has left.
Host_John: we did get Hybrid GMC yukon. a nice piece of technology
Host_John: runs on it's own generated electricity in the city and drops t 4 cylinders once you acchieve speed on highway
Host_John: we take it on all city errands now
Albert_Kansas has joined.
Host_John: hello Albert
cnmmnc: want to cause an even greater crisis? one should look at that other indispenseable energy - food
Albert_Kansas: hi
cnmmnc: hi albert
Albert_Kansas: I ws looking for Brud
Host_John: not seen Brud sorry
Albert_Kansas: too early or late
cnmmnc: parts unknown
Albert_Kansas: k
Host_John: maybe in later on
Host_John: we also inflated tires to max on all the vehicles
Host_John: it has helped on fuel consumpton
Host_John: new thermostats remotely controling each room
cnmmnc: you want to see something scary? I 'm in the supermarket and I'm seeing folks using their credit cards for Food
Host_John: enabeling us to know the temp of all rooms from one location
cnmmnc: this is unreal to see
Host_John: cnm it is the way of the world
Host_John: glad we take credit cards
Host_John: hoping they use them for the air miles or other perks
Host_John: I use credit card at super market to track expenses
Host_John: use for gasoline too
Host_John: helps to proove where my money goes and the company is not buying my groceries and gasoline
cnmmnc: you can exist albeit inconviently with out gas/fuel but you cant exist very long minus food
Host_John: my question has been all night is how you handle shortfalls when it comes to cask disbursements on pre paids such are church, cemetery and DCs?
cnmmnc: yes, recordkeeping thats is fine but suppose tomorrow morning there was no checking, saving or credit?
Host_John: thus far we have been absorbing the shortfalls but now are studying margins and will decide soon how we will handle long term
cnmmnc: oh you do not guarantee prices for cash advances
Host_John: we don't guarantee
Host_John: up to now we just eat the shortfall
cnmmnc: so you inform the family that the current charges must be paid by the day of the services
Host_John: but with price changes in the fall we will have another look
Host_John: I am talking pre paid
Host_John: credit to family is sunsetting
cnmmnc: yeah, so you can update prices
Host_John: we will have to discuss weather to have family make up shortfalls
cnmmnc: every year the three casket companies up their prices so you do as well
Host_John: we think they will reduce services
Host_John: yes we adjust each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas
cnmmnc: if the issue is charges well I think the stress must be placed where it is due, on your services, merchandise is secondary
Host_John: family will make choice
Tom: Where are you tonight John ?
cnmmnc: services are vital goods can be sold/traded by anyone
Host_John: on those who want to re plan the pre paids they always spend downwardly and we make check to the estate of
Host_John: we cannot refund to family directly in Massachusetts in most cases
cnmmnc: if you can 'sit on the account' until the estate is settled, fine
Host_John: Cn I am talking Pre Paids only
cnmmnc: ok
Host_John: we charge interest if we have to wait
cnmmnc: yes
Host_John: we also add collection fees when we have to suit estates
Tom: Hey John We'd eveyone go... did ya run em off
Host_John: fewer estates these days people are smarter with long term planning
Tom: Were'd
Host_John: na they went to bed early
Tom: Getting Dark earlier
Host_John: watching patriots with a lot of excitement
Host_John: dark here Ill tell ya
Host_John: but it is 20 of 10 here too
cnmmnc: also john, I find families are putting their parent on medicaid - to hedge their assets
Host_John: similar here cn
Tom: 20 to 7 here not dark yet
Host_John: I have sheltered much of my assets as well knowing what I see many go through
Host_John: it will be dark soon tom
Host_John: I forcast it will be dark tom
Tom: Thanks for the warning
Host_John: yepper so get ready to put the lights on
Host_John: where did you fly this week Tom?
Tom: Flew some hunters to Oregon to go goose hunting... Lakeview, Or
Tom: It was snowing up there Friday and Saturday... pretty nice today for the trip back
Host_John: great did they return happy?
Host_John: I see on TV where Utah had snow today
Tom: Yep... hunting was great during the snow... wasn't good this morning
Host_John: snow ball fighting
Tom: yep... same system...
Tom: I went Duck hunting back in January... lots of fun
Host_John: well folks time to call it quits here
Host_John: Happy Columbus Day
Host_John: Have a great week see you next time!