By Phil Hickson – SVP, Global Partnerships at The Estate Registry
Why there is a need for a consistent, death notification service and why all consumer-facing organisations should have a dedicated bereavement services team and processes.
Managing the death of a loved one is a stressful time. Indeed, the responsibility of managing a deceased estate at any time, regardless of whether there is an emotional attachment, is not a job for the faint hearted. Its takes organisation, dedication and resilience.
The Germans have a phrase that perfectly describes the challenges faced: Formulare. Formulare. Von der Wiege biz zur Bahre. Forms! Forms! From the cradle to the grave!
The challenge starts almost from the very beginning: letting people know. It’s a difficult enough job informing loved ones and relatives, but that challenge takes on a completely new perspective when informing creditors. The problem is that no bank or building society follows the same process. The way a utility firm handles death notifications is entirely different from the experience one might find telling Sky TV or a myriad of other streaming services that seem to appear on an almost monthly basis.
Speaking to those who have been through the process, all are agreed that a consistent death notification service across all private sector organisations would have been helpful. Nearly everyone is also agreed that it should mirror the service provided within the Public Sector, which although in need of some refinement, goes a long way to relieving the stress and the time needed to inform every Government department to whom an estate may owe money.
It’s an opinion that finds favour too among probate solicitors who are similarly agreed that a common notification process would have eased the burden on their clients, and helped accelerate the time in which an estate could finally be settled.
One could argue that the financial institutions, utilities, television subscription providers etc have a moral responsibility to serve their customers as well in death, as they do in life. Some have trumpeted their support of existing platforms such as Settld and NotifNOW and been justifiably proud of the support they are delivering. Some, but not all.
Which makes you wonder what has to happen to bring others along on the journey? What will it take for those who have yet to embrace digital death notifications to take the leap? What will persuade those who have yet to create dedicated bereavement services teams to finally see the moral and financial value it can bring to their organisations?
Last year there were a little over 580,000 deaths recorded in the UK and, except for the pandemic, that number has remained comparatively constant for a decade or more. On the one hand this seems like a big number. On the other, as a percentage of an organisation’s customer base, it will feel comparatively small, and perhaps that’s why some don’t focus on bereavement in the way that they might. If that is the logic, however, then it is misplaced. All of us will have experienced being held on a line and told that our call is important. What could be more important than a death?
This article was submitted to be published by The Estate Registry as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.
