02.20.10
Posted in cemetery awareness, cemetery consulting, cemetery litigation, cemetery management at 11:59 pm by Administrator
CemOps has launched on its website: http://www.cemops.com A complaint form designed as a tool for everyone. Whether you are: A consumer and have had little fortune getting answers to your questions or concerns - An employee who has tried to get management to listen to you about concerns – A manager who is overwhelmed by constant complaints and feeling you just can’t find the answers for them all – An owner who just doesn’t seem to be able to put a finger on the sky rocketing costs associated with today’s operating environment while maintenance and employee costs continue to climb in tough times – and you all feel you need answers.
On CemOps website, we now offer the complaints form page to help answer some of the pressing issues facing anyone involved in the cemetery, funeral, and crematory industries. And finally, someone willing to address those concerns from ALL the partners who make up the success or failure of a death care business venture.
You can access this new page at: http://www.cemops.com/complaints_form.html
Your personal information will be held in the strictest of confidence, and is only needed for the purposes of contact by us once we have made our determinations. If you wish us to contact a cemetery, funeral home, or crematory on your behalf we will not share your personal information without your permissions. If you are an owner we will check out your concerns and report directly back to you and nobody else, insuring your privacy and the integrity of your needs. If you are a manager or employee we will protect you from any possible retaliation by not reporting your identity.
The purpose of this page, is to help slow some of the news items making headlines that continue to erode the trust placed on us by families in need. To help employees and managers become stronger by communicating helpful methodology in facing complaints, and determining the severity of their concerns. And to help owners and families work together to correct issues to the satisfaction of all involved, helping to slow the increasing negative media attention and court dockets and rebuilding the faith in our profession.
At the end of each year, Cemops will publish a report on the website, categorizing the type of complaints received – any geographical tendencies – cooperative efforts on the parts of the parties involved, or the lack thereof – violations of state or federal law statistics useful – and training efforts to further strengthen our profession in the eyes of our consumers and onlookers.
It is our sincere desire that everyone who is vested will use this form. There is no cost for using this complaint form, and this can only help improve relations that continue to be strained by both internal and external sources. We expect to be able to communicate with all parties via email, which will keep this free. It makes sense that if we can keep our costs down, we can continue to provide this service at no charge. So take advantage of this offer. Light up your keyboards and let us know what is on your minds and hearts.
This is the first of it’s kind, considering the number of search engine hits available telling you the procedures for filing a complaint in states. Here, the only procedure or step needed is simply filling out our form. We will take it from there with no further need of following lengthy procedure or burdensome steps. We will do that for you.
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02.05.10
Posted in cemetery consulting, cemetery law at 4:09 pm by Administrator
Today, I read an article from my google alerts, regarding the fact that employee theft and fraud is a definite problem in the cemetery and funeral industry. This article was written by a law firm, with a fraud department that has litigated cases of this nature.
We at CemOps have discussed this very concern with industry ownership, and to date we find little interest in pursuing the issue. The crime described by this post, is a crime not of greed mostly but of need. In the most recent 13 cases I have been involved with each of those events of theft by employee eminated from cemetery sales people who are payed commission only. Of those commission only folks, most do not make it 6 months in the profession. There are many reasons for their failure, some their fault and some the fault of those who hired them, but the clear accelerant for theft by employees is usually need. Folks called Family Service Counselors (commission only sales people), must sell in order to receive a paycheck. After weeks or months of no money, they can be trapped in the desparate cycle of needing to pay rent, utilities, etc. Put a person in a desparate situation and what can you expect?
Don’t misunderstand, we have no pity for them and when we catch them we prosecute to the fullest. The industry as a whole has the ability to stop this, and some of the companies have, by paying hourly wages AND bonuses or commissions. Take away the desparation and you take away the temptation.
Then you have office personnel who are the last ones to handle monies. What controls do you have in place to insure every dime of that money makes it into your bank account? We can teach you those controls and put them in place. We can also teach you what to look for that will tell you if your people are stealing from you. This type theft is generally very sneaky, and done by people you trust on a daily basis. People you would swear would never do that to you. They are the most dangerous of them all. They hide behind your wall of trust, while they steal from you. If this is happening to your operation you owe it to yourself to find out. If it is not, you can look at the investigation as confirmation you have the best people you could possibly have.
Reality? In the past 13 locations I have managed there has been at least one instance of theft by employee. One of those employees weren’t even stealing from the company we worked for. They stole from another funeral home, but end result we had to make the family whole to maintain our reputation. This particular employee used documents from another funeral home to sell a family, as a representative of our establishment. In this instance, the owner did the right thing. They put their reputation ahead of their bank account and took care of the family. But what if this hadn’t been discovered? What if nothing came up until the family suffered a death 20 years from now?
That is exactly what a rogue employee is counting on. They are counting on the fact they will be long gone before anything ever comes of it. If you want to know if you are a victim of this crime, call us. Not only will your business reputation be protected, but you will not have to worry about your bottom line being affected by such crime.
You will also have the comfort of knowing you don’t have those people in your midst anymore, in front of your families. Peace of mind in this arena is key.
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