Hillier Funeral Service Explains the Importance of Pricing Transparency

In 2018 a market study was launched to conduct a review of funeral services in the UK. The central concern was that consumers pay higher prices for funerals because they are not in a position to make the best choices and are vulnerable to exploitation. The study found that most funeral directors were not displaying their prices online.

As a result of the Competition Market Authority (CMA) investigation, funeral directors will now be obliged to improve the transparency of price and commercial information provided to customers. 

At Hillier Funeral Service we understand that in most cases people are very vulnerable when they are organising a funeral. We always aim to treat our customers fairly and to serve them in a way that we would wish to be served ourselves. As independent and family run funeral directors, we welcome the findings of the CMA as we have our full range of pricing available on our website so customers can make informed decisions. This includes digital brochures for all our optional services such as flowers, service sheets, webcasts and photo tributes.  

Our promise to the families we serve is that we will be open about the price of our services, including third party costs in initial conversations, within our price lists and on our website. We will always confirm our pricing in writing. There will be no hidden costs and we will keep our pricing in line with our competitors. This is why we have signed the fair funerals pledge for 5 years in a row.

Another issue raised by the investigation is that the funeral industry remains unregulated meaning that funeral director facilities vary hugely and as do the quality of services offered. Price can be a very important factor when choosing a funeral director, however the level of service is also a very important element. When comparing prices ensure you are comparing like for like funeral packages.  If a price is lower it may be that something is not included and will be added as an extra later on. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the funeral directors facilities, for example how many viewing chapels do they have available, are evening and weekend chapel visits possible and is this included in the price quoted?

In non covid times as a business we have never been afraid to show anyone around our back of house facilities if asked and we often facilitate the washing and dressing of loved ones by their family members. The type of service offered can often been found on the funeral directors website and by looking at reviews on well known sites such as Google and Trust Pilot. 

Although the industry is unregulated, Hillier Funeral Service are proud members of the National Association of Funeral Directors and National Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors who carry out regular checks of our procedures and premises to ensure we are offering the best possible service. We are proud that our premises are seen by these trade associations as outstanding. As part of this we have also been recognised by the Good Funeral Guide and have been listed on their website for 7 years. 

Hillier Funeral service has been a family run business in Swindon since the 1920's, through the generations our sole goal has been to ensure every family is supported and every loved one has a fitting tribute to their life. The company now in its 4th generation is still very much a family run business with Mark Hillier as the manager with his daughter Rebecca. Our hope in the future is that the investigation will bring about positive changes in the funeral industry. 

Find out more about Hillier Funeral Service HERE!