AN OPEN LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY
Dear Friends,
At some point in time, everyone has had or will have the emotionally draining task of making funeral arrangements for a loved one. If your last experience with a funeral home emptied your savings account, exhausted insurance proceeds and/or wiped out an anticipated inheritance, we feel your frustration. It’s time for family rites to be about loving memories, not high pressure shakedowns with devastating financial consequences. Don’t you feel, as we do, that funerals should be about saying good-bye, not about the “almighty dollar”?
Most of us don’t even consider shopping for funeral prices until we are faced with the death of a family member. But, by then, time is of the essence. No one is thinking clearly and families end up signing whatever is put in front of them. We find that the most satisfied consumers are the most informed and that if you shop for the best prices while you are not “at-need”, your decisions are definitely wiser and more frugal. Speaking from experience, we urge families to keep abreast of the latest funeral prices in our area so as to be better prepared by doing their homework in advance.
Please allow me to introduce Thomas Murray Funeral Service Licensee and share with you my vision. We are not with any large corporations that have bought out so many of our family owned funeral homes. I’m a North Carolina Licensed funeral director and embalmer with 35 years of experience in the industry. My staff and I are excited and motivated to serve your family and we are determined to change the long- accepted trend of funeral costs spiraling higher and higher with each and every year.
As a small business owner, my vision is to arrange and conduct beautiful, dignified at need funerals, cremations and memorial services in Burke and surrounding counties at affordable prices. The future has become uncertain and frightening for everyone and most of us are just trying to make ends meet. If I’m long winded, it’s because I am passionate about my hope for a better economic future for all of our citizens. Just remember, making important decisions at a devastating time leaves you vulnerable to those who want you to “dig deep” into your pockets. Inflation is too often used as an excuse for higher prices, but there is sound proof that memorable funerals can be conducted without bankrupting the family. It’s not always going to be possible for us to reach so many of you in such a dramatic way, so we are taking this opportunity to speak from our hearts and hope you will open yours.
Though we are entitled to make a fair profit in the funeral profession, it does not give us the right to take advantage of families who are grieving. Compassion for others tells us there is a big difference in making a small profit and downright greed. Some funeral providers share this ethic and some don’t; it’s important that families make that distinction!
So, how will dealing with Thomas Murray Funeral Service Licensee be different? First of all, we guarantee to provide each family with a meaningful funeral service at an affordable price. Our profit margin is not our bottom line…our bottom line is the satisfaction of our families. And, by the way, we offer the very name-brand caskets, outer burial containers, urns etc. that are carried by our competitors.
After receiving your call, we will come and sit down with you in the comfort and privacy of your own home to make the funeral arrangements. We urge you to compare by giving you our General Price List. A pre-need arrangement you may have at any other funeral establishment can be transferred to us “at time of need” and any monies remaining after the funeral bill is satisfied will be refunded to the family. And let’s face it; wouldn’t you rather use that extra money for a grandchild’s education, outstanding hospital bills or your own retirement, than paying for an overpriced funeral?
We promise to serve our families with openness, compassion and we welcome your questions and calls. We proudly serve all faiths, races and creeds and assure your patronage and confidence in us will always be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Thomas Murray