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Characteristics of a Good Monument Dealer

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Before you put hard earned money down on a cherished gravestone for your loved one, do yourself a favor and read this entire section. The information provided here will at the very least educate you and may even save you money and emotional distress in purchasing a gravestone.

For the longest time the only sources for purchasing a gravestone were from the cemetery and independent monument dealers. Over the years other related business have entered the market of gravestone sales. From funeral homes, to independent casket retailers and now Internet gravestone retailers.

With so many sources selling gravestone products, how does one go about choosing a dealer they feel comfortable with? Are there bad monument dealers out there? What criteria should one use to make an informed decision when looking for a good monument dealer?

These are questions many people ask, but do not know where to find the answers. For those of you who are asking the same questions read on.

In the memorialization industry, just as in any other industry, there are good monument dealers and there are bad ones. Unfortunately, there are people who have been ripped off by lousy or unethical monument dealers. It is very sad and it should not happen especially in this industry given the emotional status of the customer. In this section we will discuss what criteria to use when looking for a good monument dealer. You will also learn how to compare the different kinds of monument dealers and the pros & cons of each.

The following information has been compiled from our own experiences in the gravestone industry and the feedback we receive from the many customers who were kind enough to tell us their stories and participate in surveys.

What Makes A Good Monument Dealer?

In dealing with our customers we have conducted surveys asking them what they think makes a good monument dealer. They have responded with at least five (5) attributes that are essential to being a good monument dealer. They are Knowledge, Compassion, Product Quality, Accessability, and Follow Through.

Knowledge

A good monument dealer shows a vast knowledge in their gravestone products and the industry. This will show in their ability to provide the information you need to make an informed purchase. The monument dealer will understand your lack of experience in this area and take the opportunity to educate you with the knowledge necessary to make an informed purchase.

Compassion

The monument dealer's sales staff will understand this is a very difficult process for you and will not be pushy with a sales a pitch. This is a very important issue since a person purchasing a gravestone is in some stage of the grieving process. In a state of bereavement nobody wants to feel like they're being taken advantage of or pushed into a sale. While this may sound unreal to most people, it does happen.

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Product Quality

Value and quality should be thoroughly considered when purchasing a gravestone. An expensive gravestone does not necessarily mean the best and the least expensive gravestone does not necessarily reflect poor quality. You will know how much you are willing to spend. By shopping and comparing you will be able to determine the value of the gravestone.

Additionally, a good monument dealer will offer products that are superb in quality. Some companies actually pay little attention to this issue and it is bad business considering the gravestone is used as a tribute to memorialize the life of a loved one. If you cannot see an actual gravestone can you inspect pictures of it?

In the case of Internet monument dealers this can be viewed as a drawback but considering the savings typically offered this is a trade off many people are willing to make. Consider the gravestone manufacturer the Internet company uses. Do they manufacture the gravestone themselves or do they use a third party to manufacture them? If they use a third party does that company seem like a reputable one and have they been in business long enough? In some cases third party manufacturers can produce absolutely magnificent gravestone products that are sold by Internet monument dealers. Just because the manufacturing is outsourced does not diminish the quality or value of the gravestone. On the contrary many of the major manufacturers are industry leaders in terms of quality.

Accessibility

You should be able to reach them at any reasonable time when inquiring about the progress of your gravestone and details of its production. In many cases a gravestone order will take anywhere from one to three months. This is a reasonable amount of time considering the fact that it is a customized product. There should be absolutely no reason why you would be denied a status report on your gravestone.

Follow Through

When you decide to make the purchase, how does the company follow through once the gravestone order has been placed and throughout the production and delivery phases. Do they do everything they say they will? After the gravestone is delivered, do they follow up asking for your comments? If there were a problem do they take responsibility and correct it? It is very important for a monument dealer to follow through with promises and to take responsibility for problems made by them; especially in the deathcare industry. Poor accountability on the monument dealer's part can lead to permanently losing the respect of the customer and tarnishing their credibility. In turn this can ruin the company's reputation. A good monument dealer will not let this happen. They will genuinely want the customer to be satisfied with their purchase, even if the company ends up losing money on the sale.

This list of attributes gives you an idea of what to look for in a company that sells gravestone products, but the most important criteria for choosing a monument dealer is how you feel overall about the company you are dealing with. Do not go with a monument dealer you are skeptical about. Trust your instincts.

Here are also two very important factors that need mentioning with regard to the criteria one uses when searching for a good and reputable monument dealer. They are customer testimonials and affiliation with the Better Business Bureau.

Customer Testimonials

These are very powerful in terms of revealing past customer's feelings about the products and services of a particular business. A good monument dealer should be proud to show prospective customers what past customers have said regarding their products and service. Testimonials are a good way to measure the performance of a company.

BBB Membership

Membership with the Better Business Bureau is a great asset to a company. This shows their adherence to the philosophy and practices of the independent organization. The great thing about the BBB is they are a third party entity that takes complaints lodged against companies with poor performance issues. Any record of complaints filed against a company in the last three years will be made available by the BBB.

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