OUR ETHICAL COMMITMENT

At Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services our commitment is to provide to our clients the highest level of service and excellence of care whilst maintaining a dignified and discrete presence.

Over 35 years within our industry is testament to this, for without it we would not be here today. This is further highlighted by our prescence within small communities where poor service does not go unrecognised.

We commit to maintaining this legacy without  compromising our level of service. We further expand on our commitment by not employing intermediaries or agents to assure our clients personalised attention to detail and professional care.

We have and will continue to provide for all circumstances and tastes. From simple and private, family gatherings to large, public services accommodating for the most economical and modest or exacting and particular budgets.

Our commitment is to uphold the highest standard of service, products and equipment in defiance to the growing commodification and gimmickry of the funeral industry, continues to set our Family Business apart, and we will continue to provide the very best in professional, compassionate and personal care.

  • Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services is 100% family owned and operated by Broderick Floyd and not a corporation which owns many funeral companies (even if they retain their ‘old’ name)

  • We stand under our own name, not that of an unrelated company long since bought several times over

  • Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services does not employ agents or third parties, each and every step of the funeral process is conducted solely by Mark & Broderick Floyd

  • Recommendation of our services comes only from the people we have been serving for over 35 years, we do not pay commissions

  • Before or Following the passing of a loved one we will not make unsolicited contact to offer our services

  • We will never place advertising material in hospitals, aged care facilities and nursing homes, information will only be provided to those requesting it

  • Any and all literature produced by our company will contain solely relevant advice & information about our services

We are active citizens of our local community, sponsoring and support many sporting clubs, organisations and charities and reinvesting into our local communities.

All of our services are provided in accordance with the relevant legal and statutory requirements, including (in full) the Victorian Funerals Act 2006 and we will provide you with a full Goods & Services List and itemised Estimate of Costs should you require.

Our invoices are itemised, divided into 'Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services Fees', and 'Third-Party Disbursements' without commissions or mark ups. Our full invoice terms are also available by contacting our office.  

Quoting Policy

Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services are unable to give online or over the phone 'Quotes'. A lack of a uniform framework for quoting funeral directors fees and estimating third party costs allows unscrupulous operators to gain business by unethically exploiting the large gaps in regulation and level of understanding within the community.

We do provide written & itemized Estimates of Costs to any prospective customer and will travel to you (at no cost and obligation free) to discuss your needs and provide you with an accurate idea of the services you may require and their costs.

The funeral industry is almost entirely unregulated. Current laws for burials and cremations, the investment of pre-paid funeral money and the recording of information for the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages all operating from those entities backwards to the Funeral Director. The Victorian Funerals Act 2003 contains a limited amount of financial/ethical impropriety inclusions but are largely insufficient and not-enforced by Consumer Affairs.

Legally Funeral Directors do need to separate ''Funeral Directors Fees'' from "Third Party Disbursements". Whilst there is no regulated funeral industry-wide standard for what constitutes a 'normal' Funeral Directors Fee and what services must be included, this can make comparing quotes difficult. E.g. Whilst it is illegal to increase the quoted price of "Funeral Directors Fee", it is not illegal to omit "Fees of various names" within the quote, even though most customers will most likely require them.

Unscrupulous funeral providers therefore use unrealistic or misleading assumptions in the quoting process, most commonly;

  • As discussed above, there is no 'Standard' single Funeral Directors fee. Dependent on your requirements and the company involved, separate or additional fees for the following may be charged for;

    • Hearse

    • Viewing

    • Chapel or Church

    • Staff Celebrant

    • Attendance at Cemetery/Crematorium

    • Number of Funeral Staff

    • PA/music equipment

    • Visual Presentations

    • Printing of Orders of Service

    • Administration Fees

    • Mortuary work

    • Mourning Vehicles

    • Marquees and seating

    • Transfers (Afterhours/Mileage)

    • Finance/Credit Charges

    • Audio/Visual recordings

    • Memorial book

    • Mileage

Potential fees may not be itemized in any phone/internet quote, and you will be charged extra (than your original quote) to have the services you may have reasonably expected as part of a funeral service. It is important to ask for more than just 'How much for a funeral?' when seeking quotes. At Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services we always recommend asking for a detailed written copy of all inclusions/extras when speaking with potential funeral directors.

Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services 'Service Fee' is all inclusive, with limited additions being an estate-services fee, mourning coach, memorial book and additional (+60km) mileage, these are often not essentially required and hence not included as standard. Full details & costs are itemized in our fee schedule.

  • The style and quality of the coffin used

    • 'Standard' Coffins can differ quite markedly from company to company, even though they may have the same or similar sounding names. Often a sub-standard coffin is included (in the quote) to gain your custom and then high pressure sales tactics used to up-sell to a more expensive coffin.

At Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services our 'Standard' coffin is the Flinders, which can be seen in the photo gallery at the foot of Our Services page, it is provided as pictured with 6 handles and drapery as standard..

  • Professional or 'Staff' Celebrant

    • Many companies use a staff member to provide civil celebrancy instead of a trained and accredited professional. They often do not have the same skill, experience and ability and the result can be a service that is constructed via 'cut and paste' with little individualised personal input. However the family may be charged a comparable fee to an independent celebrant.

Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services use only accredited, professional celebrants, are extremely selective about those we recommend and take great care to select the most fitting celebrant for your needs.

  • Misquoting of third-party disbursements

    • Cemeteries and Churches etc. do not charge uniform fees. By quoting out-of-date or incorrect disbursement fees or different specification than standard (e.g. a grave only for 1 interment) and ex-GST figures the quote can be distorted.

Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services keep a large library of up to date prices fully GST inclusive. We do not add any mark up to these costs and where we do not have a price on file, we will enquire on your behalf always ensuring to provide you with the correct price.

  • The number of lines/cm within a press notice

    • The Herald Sun costs approximately $100 per centimetre, by under-estimating the number of lines/cm required (usually around 30/3cm for a Death AND the same again for a Funeral Notice) the cost can significantly change.

  • The size and quality of casket floral

    • Is the casket floral made by a professional florist, or by a staff member of the funeral home? Are there limitations to the style, size or flowers included in the quoted price? Are they fresh or artificial flowers that will be removed and reused?

Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services use professional florists of the highest quality, or you are free to use your own.

  • Extras

    • To recoup the cost of quoting services at a lower price, some companies push in-house 'add on' products and services. These extras (post-service refreshments, orders of service and thank you cards etc.) are added later in the arrangement process. As they are not included in the quote they are charged at an grossly inflated rate to a comparable third party.

Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services facilitate directly between professional third-parties and the family for non-funeral specific tasks and charge all expenses with no mark up of the price.

None of these practices are currently illegal they make comparing quotes between different funeral companies next to impossible. It has also become common that when consumers are gathering information, "Company B" will ask (quote unseen) what "Company A" had quoted, and reply to the effect of "Company A minus $1". This initially seems common business sense, the reality is more complicated without comparing itemized standard/extra services.

As an alternative to giving a quote online or over the telephone, Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services can arrange a time to meet with you in person, discuss your needs face to face with you and guide you through all of the options and work with you to provide you with a realistic written Estimate of Costs, Obligation Free. The Estimate will be fully itemized and including all items to be included in a funeral service and of realistic number and quality, including the rates for items that are charged per unit, with different extras options and their costs attached, accurate at the day of printing.

This is the only way to truly get an accurate idea of the actual cost and quality of funeral service you will be provided, with no surprises or hidden costs. This also affords you the additional protection of discerning for yourself if you would feel comfortable entrusting your loved one to our care.

While we understand that decisions sometimes need to be made quickly we wish to stress that it is near impossible to compare products and services between companies that deliberately do not give full disclosure to gain your business. Where time is of the essence we can provide an estimated total price, taken from our experience, by comparing previous similar services and whilst this will be close it cannot be taken as a quote as every service and family are individual. We advise those who are gathering information from different companies to be skeptical of any prices that are significantly cheaper, and to at the very least ask about the points listed above.

We appreciate your understanding of these circumstances, and will endeavor to repay your time and faith in us by providing the best possible outcome for you and your loved one in this very sad time.

Mark J. Floyd Funeral Services appreciate your use of our website and would appreciate any feedback or questions that you may have.

Please contact us on (03) 5795 1086  to make an appointment for our staff to visit you, or visit our office in Euroa.