Funeral Service’s main objective is to gently advance the grieving process.
It’s artisans are charged with the sometimes nearly impossible task of transforming the loved one’s body back into as pleasant and familiar a final sight as possible. This requires education, technical skill and an artist’s delicate touch. The markup on shall we say hardware and materials provides the capital for these deeply invested individual’s salary.
There are so many considerations to work around that the layman might never have thought of. Things such as compliance with the law and religious requirements, all manner of unpleasant technical issues with the body itself. I could go into much detail but I don’t think I will.
They must sometimes tactfully steer survivors away from understandable yet bad ideas. They deal with the conflicting notions that technically a corpse is just a corpse, but at the same time it is all that is left that represents a beloved person.
For centuries funeral service was a true family business. Very few people got into the it for other reasons. The commercialization of funeral service has changed this, for better or for worse. Large corporations now have factory like facilities that embalm and restore on what would seem like an assembly line (members of The Old School sometimes refer to these people as “fluid pushers”). This doesn’t mean your loved one is treated with any less respect but it has proven to be rather dispiriting for employees. They never see how their work results in the best experience possible for family and friends.
Customers, like with any business, must try to manage their expectations at a time when that can be especially difficult. All too often no one thinks about funeral service until the time comes.
Inexpensive yet legal options are available. Like @Espiritus_Corvus said no one need be exploited.