After analyzing more than 100,000 sales records and 20,000 surveys for a specially commissioned, in-depth report on COVID-19’s impact on the funeral profession, Johnson Consulting Group released its “Performance Tracker Trends and Insights: 2020 COVID-19 Impact” report. Incorporating results received as of September 30, 2020, from the company’s 2020 Performance Tracker sales and family satisfaction survey, the report offers analysis that contextualizes the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic within the profession and how clients are reacting to restrictions on funeral services. Key findings include:

• As the pandemic continued through summer and into fall 2020, families were less likely to recommend their funeral home to others, often citing a problem with costs or the way services were handled as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

• Families indicated lower levels of satisfaction versus 2019 across every attribute for burials, most notably with the initial contact and with staff.

• In the second quarter of 2020, families reported far lower levels of satisfaction, particularly for traditional at-need cremations.

• Family satisfaction levels for preneed, graveside or immediate burial arrangements, already lower in 2019 than traditional burials, dropped and remained well below previous ratings.

• Families unable to hold the services they wanted often opted for lower-cost, direct or immediate alternatives.

• Issues with technology, livestreaming, recordings, music, displays and other features often added to an “already stressful experience of trying to coordinate a funeral during a pandemic.”

See the full report at johnsonconsulting.com.