June 1999
The Director - Features
Bereavement is the Bottom Line
Placing people before profit is the key to business success
The funeral is often the last memory bereaved individuals have of their loved one. Funeral directors can make a difference on whether that memory is pleasant or painful.
Bereavement is the Bottom Line—Placing people before profit is the key to business success features a true example of how a funeral home's actions left a bitter memory for one of their clients. John DeBerry, who has served as the intervener for the FSCAP since 1990, wrote the article. It includes a reprint of a letter the disgruntled client wrote explaining her ordeal with the funeral home. DeBerry explains how he tried to help the client after the letter was forwarded to FSCAP. DeBerry is also the bereavement coordinator for the Palliative Care and Home Hospice Program of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
