Michael W. Kubasak - Conferences & Seminars
My conference and seminar presentations are the KEY to your success.
Lessons
Learned From 6 Feet Under:
Cremation And Risk Management Concerns
There is practically no area of the United States where cremation does not
continue to grow in popularity. Coupled with the fact that society is becoming
increasingly litigious, all professions must practice with a keen awareness.
Funeral directors should provide all client-families with:
 |
Personal service |
 |
Understanding and compassion |
 |
Open and timely communication |
 |
Explanations |
Cremation consumers have different expectations than burial consumers. In the
arrangement conference, both the funeral arranger and family are in a learning
process. Many funeral directors feel threatened by cremation and may not
respond properly to requests for cremation. For the most part, we are
comfortable when dealing with a burial family, and the family is comfortable
with us. On the other hand, we are not as comfortable in dealing with a
cremation family and they can be skeptical of us due in large measure to their
unfamiliarity with the cremation-funeral process. This can raise serious
issues of trust.
This workshop will identify practical and useful ways to help you recognize
areas of misunderstanding, how to avoid complications, and to assess areas of
manageable risk when serving cremation and burial families. Mike will use
actual courtroom examples from his 20 years as an expert witness to help you
evaluate risk exposure in your practice.
Test Your Cremation Knowledge
 |
How would you professionally explain cremation in easily understood layman's words? |
 |
What are your funeral home's policies and procedures for identifying? Is one needed? |
 |
What do you do if a family wants to witness a cremation? |
 |
When does a cremation authorization form become an invitation for lawsuit? |
 |
Can your funeral home be held liable and responsible for outside contractors? |
 |
Is it necessary to inspect your outside contractor crematory and what should I look for? |
 |
What must you do when only three of five children authorize a cremation? |
 |
Who gets the cremated remains when the person paying your bill is not in charge of the disposition? |
 |
What should be done with unclaimed cremated remains and how can you avoid this? |
These and many more issues of vital importance to your practice will be explored
and answered. Having the wrong answer can be costly and can lead to claims of
malpractice!
All funeral service personnel must be comfortable with cremation … Mike will help
you successfully prepare for the challenge of cremation.

The New Economics of Business:
Creating Extraordinary Events For Families
Many funeral homes compete solely on the basis of price and in so doing,
become no more than a commodity. Funeral professionals need to ask: "What
do my client-families truly value in funeral services?"
Good service is no longer good enough!
The new economics of funeral service requires that we become more involved in
creating something new: Memorable Experiences. Many consumers are
searching for new ways to say goodbye. Today, personal services must engage
client-families in an intensely personal way.
In the 1970's, funeral service values underwent a transformation with the
widespread acceptance of cremation without any form of recognition or ceremony
attached to it. Today another transformation is taking place … new ways of
funeralization continue with consumers who desire unique and highly personal
ways of celebrating and remembering. Your prosperity will be contingent on
your ability to create a new value through memorable experiences. Complacency
and sameness are our nemesis and it leads to a loss of differentiation and
revenues.
Mike Kubasak owned and operated his funeral home in the most competitive
funeral service marketplace in the United States. He successfully
differentiated his company from among hundreds of competitors. And, Mike can help
you do the same!
In this thought provoking presentation, Mike will get your creative juices
flowing!
He will cite examples from other personal service professions and businesses
that engage their customers and will help you position your company for the new
economics of business; Providing your customers with what they truly
value!

The Casket Selection Process:
Creating An Experience That Pays Dividends
Most people arranging for a funeral lack basic knowledge and fundamentals about
caskets. This can be a dilemma for the arranger. If the arranger tries to
"sell" a casket, the family will likely resist and see this as added pressure.
Yet, the arranger must provide much information in a limited period of time so
the family will make an appropriate selection.
 |
What needs to be shared to reduce the family's anxiety in choosing a
casket? |
 |
What must the arranger do to be a consultant and not a salesperson? |
 |
How can you improve casket selection without increasing accounts receivables? |
 |
What is one, no-cost improvement you can do now in displaying caskets that will
simplify and improve casket selections? |
 |
What must each family know before stepping into your selection room? |
This workshop is designed for all funeral home personnel who meet with families
and present caskets, both for burial and cremation.
You will learn from Mike Kubasak, who as a funeral home owner, consistently had
one of the highest casket averages in the country. As an innovator in
merchandising, presentation skills, and consumer understanding, he will help
you acquire new skills that will relieve you of the burden of selling and will
have your client-families making better buying decisions.
|