I've started lots of posts, they're all sitting in drafts. We blew it with one family and it's been difficult for me to post anything as feel sort of like a fraud. Yes, in the same time period, a lot of other families were pleased with our services. But one family became a casualty of war and there's no excuse for it or way to fix it. We were too short staffed and too busy and we did a poor job. You can mess up a drive through order and still get another chance to feed that mad customer. We can not change the experience someone has when burying their mother. It doesn't go away. It's not like we dropped her or anything horrible, it was a series of small mistakes that added up to one big disaster. We're still trying to work it out with them (and with the owner), we being me and New FD. It's been a difficult few weeks.
On the other hand, we got several return families (good for us, way sad for them), but it tells us we're doing a good job overall. One lady even brought me a beautiful bracelet as a thank you. It was so humbling.
So, for the most part, funeral life is okay. For one family it was horrid and I'm still trying to evaluate and see what I can do differently in the future to keep it from happening again.
Thanks to those of you who've wondered where I've been...
5 comments:
Glad to see you back, even if things have been rough. No matter what you do for a living, there are going to be times when things just don't work out right. You learn from them and move on. In your business, mistakes are a bit more far-reaching, but the object of your ministrations doesn't care. It's the ones left behind, who are in a heightened state of anxiety and sadness anyway. It's not like you're a doctor whose mistake might kill someone. Learn and move on.
With all those people coming back, you must be doing something right.
Glad you're back! The few bad things which happen tend to overshadow the good things, but that's the way of life! {{{hugs!!}}}
" It's not like you're a doctor whose mistake might kill someone"
I know it shouldn't have, but that line made me giggle.
Hard line of work you are in. You're right, it's not like you forgot their french fries, it's something that will stick woth them & cannot be changed. Hope everything works out.
Hi Noelle,
I found your blog a couple of weeks ago and have been really enjoying it! Just wanted to stop lurking and actually say hello, and thanks for the really, really honest insights!
Im sorry your having a bad time Noel. And I have been wondering where you were. Im sure that whatever happened was an oversight and you and the new FD will do your best to correct it. The fact that someone bought you a new bracelet tells me you are doing your job well. I dont think anyone has ever given our staff at the local funeral home a gift!!! SO someone really appreciates your kindness and caring. You just keep on doing what your doing...we can read between the lines and see how caring of a person you are. Dont fret too much over things you cant change...these things happen in everyones line of work and we just hope to do better the next time. God bless you and dont be too hard on yourself Noel.
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