Genuine care and gentle honesty
Not sure what to do next?
Don't know where to begin?
Not sure what to ask a funeral home?
Let us help you
Losing someone you love is always a dreadful time, remember you can always get in touch with us to let us help you through it. Caring for your family as if it is our own is our driving force, it's the reason why we started this business as we saw that level of care missing from our industry.
So if you are not sure what to do next, please have a look at the advice and guidance below, talk to us via the chat box below, give us a call or pop in to our offices.
We won't give you advice that simply lines our pockets, we will give you honest advice to help you get the very best for your loved one and your family at the very best value for money.
Our advice will cost you nothing and comes with no obligation to use our services. It's as simple as that. If you're not sure what to do next, contact us. We're available 24 hours a day, every day and are standing by to help you.
What to ask
Regardless of which provider you choose to take care of your loved one, there are some questions you should always ask. These 6 simple questions will help you to understand what a funeral will cost you and what services you can expect from your funeral director. They will also tell you a lot about the company you are dealing with.
"these questions tell you a lot about the company you are dealing with"
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Will you charge extra for collecting my loved one from their place of death?
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Can I visit my loved one at any time, is there any additional costs for this?
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Do you include a coffin in your quoted price?
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Do you include coffin bearers in your quoted price?
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May I see your preparation area where people are looked after?
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Are there additional charges for the hearse travelling via a home address to the service?
These questions will expose many of the hidden charges in funeral prices. These hidden costs are often not shown to you up front bit will be added on to your invoice, making a funeral a lot more expensive than your quote. Even worse, we have heard from our customers of them not having free and open access to their loved ones while in the care of a funeral director.
"I will answer those questions clearly and honestly, right here on my website"
1. We do not charge for picking up your loved one from any Milton Keynes area location. For longer journeys we have a minimal fuel-cost charge of £1 per mile.
2. We will never charge for visits to your loved one while they are in our care. During the day time, evenings or in the middle of the night, we see it as a duty, privilege and honour to provide you the comfort of being able to spend time with your loved one. You will find us available and ready to offer the support you deserve at any time.
3. We include a coffin in the cost of your funeral.
4. Coffin bearers, if desired, are included in the cost of your funeral.
5. We are more than happy to show you the whole of our premises in Emerson Valley. We developed the interior of the property ourselves with our business in mind and are proud to show it to our customers. It gives them the assurance they deserve that we really do treat your family member with the same care as our own.
6. We do not charge to travel via home addresses, or on a route specific to your loved one. We know ourselves how difficult and how important this last journey is. We will make sure it suits your wishes.
Being completely transparent as to our costs and our service is the only way we will ever do business at Milton Keynes Family Funeral Services. This approach has enabled us to help hundreds of families over the years, many of whom have written cards, emails and Google reviews expressing their gratitude.
"We see these things as the simple courtesies which every grieving family deserves."
Religious Groups
We have had the honour of serving families from all faiths during our years of practice. We can use this expertise and experience to gently guide you through the process, respecting tradition where you want it, and embracing Western culture as much or as little as you desire. What is important to us is that we tailor the perfect funeral for your loved one including the perfect preparations beforehand.
Washing and dressing
You have the option to perform washing and dressing your loved one if you desire. We can guide and assist you through this in our fully equipped, pristine preparation area and will be involved as much or as little as you wish. We can fully support you through this process, or leave you to take care of your loved one in complete privacy. It is entirely your decision.
Mantras
We will arrange for appropriate music or mantras to be played to comfort your family while in our care. There is of course no extra charges for this, or any other of our religious aspects. This is simply what we do to care for your loved one.
Celebrants
We have great relationships with celebrants from local religious and non-religious groups. Whether you already have someone in mind or would like us to make an introduction, we will be able to help you get exactly what you, your loved one and your family would wish.
Staying in touch
We can advise you on any aspect of a funeral, from registering the death right through to the funeral day, letting you know exactly what will happen at each stage. We will help and guide you through the whole process, nothing is too much trouble. We always visit every family the day before the funeral to go through everything in person, so you know exactly what will happen on the day.
"We visit every family before the funeral to go through everything in person..."
We also embrace technology and will update you every step of the way as the preparations are completed for your loved one, with any combination of text messages, emails or phone calls to suit your wishes.
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We will never leave you sitting at home wondering when we have collected your Mum or Dad from the hospital - we will tell you the moment it has happened
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We will never leave you wondering when you can come and see your loved one, we will move swiftly to get things in place so you can see them as soon as possible. We will update you the moment you can come and see them, and spend time with them.
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We do this because this is exactly what we would want in your position.
Call our 24 hour phone number: (01908) 505570
Email me: john@mkffs.co.uk
Visit our office at the Emerson Valley Clock Tower local centre:
12 Whitehorse Drive
Emerson Valley
Milton Keynes
MK4 2AS
Further assistance
While always available to you to offer our own support, we also recognise you may need some other help and support at this most difficult time. Below are some useful links for resources we know our families have found useful.
The government website offers a clear step-by-step guide for what to do when someone dies. This will help you to navigate through registering the death, accessing bereavement benefits and dealing with the challenges of dealing with the estate of your loved one.
Cruse is a volunteer organisation which offers bereavement care to families in Buckinghamshire. From counselling to practical assistance, one-to-one help to group sessions, we trust Cruse with the responsibility of helping the families we serve.
Hope again, a partner organisation of Cruse, offer a safe, youth friendly space where young people can work through their grief in their own time and own way accompanied by trained and experienced volunteers working individually with the young person.
Every six seconds, Samaritans answer a call for help. They are there, day or night, for anyone who’s struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure.