But independents such as John Cannon of the New Comer-Cannon home, say personalized service should not cost more. Last year, his home handled the cremation of a Harley-Davidson aficionado and created a room with the man's bike and memorabilia. I don't charge extra for that. SCI, which owns 3,755 funeral homes, has begun using the relationship it establishes with customers as a foot in the door for selling after-funeral services, including estate planning, legal advice, and grief counseling. With this we're talking to hundreds or thousands of people instead of dozens per day.
Prepaid funerals are also a big part of the sales push by chains.
If you were born before 1951, expect your solicitation call soon. The trouble with prepaid funerals Paying today for the promise of services and merchandise delivered years from now is always an iffy proposition for the buyer. Loewen officials counter that Duffy's policy paid for services and a cloth-covered casket. Prepaid funerals, sold as burial insurance, have been around since the 1940s . But prepaid funerals did not become a booming business until the 1980s, when the Loewen, SCI, and Stewart companies all saw that the product could lock up and gain market share.