Funeral Concierge

What is a Funeral Concierge?

A Funeral Concierge provides families with guidance and information related to planning a funeral. They offer options for clients based on individual needs and guide them through the funeral planning process.

A Funeral Concierge should have no financial motivation to direct clients to one funeral home, product or service - they are a neutral resource available to give guidance at a time when understanding options can be difficult. They should provide options based on the client's individual needs without making recommendations.

How to find a qualified Funeral Concierge

There is no licensing or governing body defining the standards for Funeral Concierges. The only national organization committed to setting a standard for funeral concierge services is a privately owned organization, Everest Funeral Planning and Concierge Service. They can be hired for a one-time fee at the time of need or for an annual membership fee. Their services are also available as a benefit through some employers' group life insurance policies.

Everest Advisors are licensed funeral directors with extensive knowledge of how the funeral industry functions, having worked in a funeral home at some point in their careers.

Everest Advisors are available to:

At time of need:

Gather pricing information and present it to the family in an easy-to-understand format
Negotiate funeral service pricing, if asked to do so by the family
Help the family compare prices of caskets and other products
Provide 24-hour assistance throughout the funeral process
Carry out existing wishes

Advanced planning:

Guide clients through the funeral planning process
Document a client's end-of-life wishes and store the information in a secure data warehouse

Check with your employer to see if you are eligible for Everest Services at no additional cost to you as part of your benefits package.

What should I expect from a Funeral Concierge?

At the time of a death, a family will contact Everest and an Advisor will be assigned to work with them over the telephone. They will provide 24-hour assistance throughout the funeral planning process, delivering a full range of funeral concierge services personalized to the family's needs.

If a client has made plans in advance, a personalized funeral plan is confirmed
If a client has not made plans, the Advisor will help the family create a personalized funeral plan

Some of their responsibilities include:

Providing a step-by-step guide through the many decisions required of the family
Sharing options with the family, but never recommending one product or service over another
Researching prices for funeral products and services
Organizing phone conferences (toll-free) for geographically dispersed family members to participate in the funeral planning process
Working with a funeral director once a plan is in place to
o communicate the plan to the funeral home and
o negotiate the pricing with the funeral home for products and services requested by the family

What should you expect to pay for Everest Funeral Planning and Concierge Services?

You must be an Everest member to access their services. You can become a member by:

For advance planning: If you would like to become a member and your employer does not offer this product as part of your benefits, you may join by paying $48/year.
At the time of need: Pay a one-time fee of $495.
Check with your employer to see if you are eligible for Everest Services at no additional cost to you as part of your employee benefits package.

If you would like more information about Everest, please call 1-800-913-8318.