Any dealings with SCI (service corp int'l)

policy doctor · 03-12-2008, 04:17 PM

Got a recruiting call from SCI to sell their pre-need /pre-arranged funeral pkgs. They give agent access to their database and also want you to do mtgs at associations to pick up additional leads. They furnish a benefit pkg like insurance, 401k. etc, and They don't have a problem with you maintaining your current contracts, just not compete with their leads.

However, when i tried to pin them down on exactly how many agents per funeral home location (they have several in metro areas), commission level, number of leads he was evasive and said the next management level would call. (so what's up with that?)

I remember some guys posting here that they were doing this and it was working well for them. Is this a company worth pursuing, or are there better ways to market without them, like Forethought? Seems like the funeral business is actively recruiting agents now with their Trusts pkg.

mswebb06 · 07-23-2008, 08:07 PM

I have heard some not so great hings about them, if you have not already contact the expert on this board regarding funeral home sales, and pre-need.

xrac · 07-24-2008, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by mswebb06

I have heard some not so great hings about them, if you have not already contact the expert on this board regarding funeral home sales, and pre-need.

Talk to Newby. I believe he originally started out with a funeral home who was later bought out by SCI. He did not enjoy working for SCI and I am sure that he will find this link and tell us more.

Newby · 07-24-2008, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by xrac

Talk to Newby. I believe he originally started out with a funeral home who was later bought out by SCI. He did not enjoy working for SCI and I am sure that he will find this link and tell us more.

This was an old thread so I assume he has long passed on SCI but for anyone else interested.

As far as working for a funeral home and/or cemetery in pre-need sales...I highly recommed this. If you select a good, well run locally-owned funeral home you are in the best position. Corporates are not as good. SCI is the bottom-feeder in the funeral business.

SCI would be like the McDonalds of the funeral business except they have the highest prices to the consumer.

xrac · 07-24-2008, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Newby

This was an old thread so I assume he has long passed on SCI but for anyone else interested. As far as working for a funeral home and/or cemetery in pre-need sales...I highly recommed this. If you select a good, well run locally-owned funeral home you are in the best position. Corporates are not as good. SCI is the bottom-feeder in the funeral business. SCI would be like the McDonalds of the funeral business except they have the highest prices to the consumer.

Newby, shows how sharp I am in that I didn't recognize this as an old link. Duh! I know you favor hooking up with a local funeral home. That raises a couple of questions in my mind. First, how does one get the training they need to learn your business if you start at a local. Will the local funeral home provide it and will it be any good? I suspect that might not be the case. Second, would you suggest getting on the phone and just calling the funeral homes to see if they are looking for someone to sell?

Newby · 07-24-2008, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by xrac

Newby, shows how sharp I am in that I didn't recognize this as an old link. Duh! I know you favor hooking up with a local funeral home. That raises a couple of questions in my mind. First, how does one get the training they need to learn your business if you start at a local. Will the local funeral home provide it and will it be any good? I suspect that might not be the case. Second, would you suggest getting on the phone and just calling the funeral homes to see if they are looking for someone to sell?

I was lucky because I just happened to fall into the best way to learn when I got started. I hired in with a very well run locally-owned funeral home with 4-locations plus a cemetery. I got to train in with people who knew what they were doing and had some experience. That's the best way.

Today that same place is owned by SCI. I stayed for one year after SCI bought it and it was night and day difference. SCI tweeks everything to get profits up and all the tweeking just shows up with less satisfied clients, employees, vendors, etc. It was much less satisfying to work there after that. I did make great money my year with SCI but I don't think you could ever make that with them today. They have cut that too.

The independents are just a better choice. But of course there are some aweful independents out there too.

arnguy · 07-24-2008, 01:02 PM

I had a friend, now deceased, who worked for SCI about 8 or 9 years ago. He hated it. Made good money but they were rapacious on the charges they made to the consumer.