Benjamin Franklin put it best: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Though the Founding Father of the United States coined this phrase to remind Philadelphians about the importance of fire awareness, nearly 300 years later it can still apply to many aspects of modern life—our industry included.
As with any online funeral service, there is always the possibility of the unexpected. A strong gust of wind could knock out a power line. The internet could decide to take the afternoon off. Maybe someone forgets to hit the record button. “Technology can be scary,” admits Neil Sleight, performance assurance manager at OneRoom. “But a little prep can set you up for success.”
At OneRoom, we’re in it together. We help our funeral partners prepare so we can minimize surprises, maximize agility, and ensure you’re delivering above-and-beyond service to your families.
Proactive Support and Automation
Ten years of industry experience lend us ample foresight into the most common roadblocks that arise when recording or live-streaming a funeral service.
When an event is scheduled, our team runs automated health checks on OneRoom equipment as part of our OneRoom Care program. This helps us identify any potential issues long before an event takes place, leaving ample time for us to solve the problem. “These steps are important and help build assurances as we lead up to the actual ceremony,” explains Sleight.
During OneRoom’s automated health check, we look at:
- Camera status: When you schedule an online funeral service, we send that schedule to the cameras so that they know to record to an SD card, just in case the internet goes down and you can't live-stream. We check that the cameras received this notification.
- Hardware readiness: Two hours before a scheduled event, we see if our hardware is online and ready, while ensuring that our team has time to reboot and contact you in case of any internet issues occurring at your location.
- Backup recording: Post-event, we confirm there were no SD card or camera issues. We also make sure that the backup copy of your service was recorded successfully.
We take these precautions seriously because we’re serious about the service we provide you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t also prepare.
9 Best Practices for Funeral Directors
We want to equip our valued partners with the skills they need to successfully record and live-stream. That starts with getting ahead of scheduling.
“Funeral partners should schedule online funeral service as early as possible so that OneRoom’s automated health checks can run as designed, allowing our team to spot any issues and resolve them quickly,” says Sleight.
Reduce potential headaches by considering these additional best practices:
- Practice makes perfect: Schedule a “test service” until you are comfortable using the OneRoom Platform.
- Share the invite: Send an email to family members with the invite to the live-stream so that they can create their own recipient list, even if the link will be posted on your website.
- Include the deceased’s obituary link: Add it to your scheduled event.
- Download the OneRoom App: You can stop or extend the service from your mobile device (think of it as your remote control).
- Add extra time: When scheduling a service, allow for additional time should you forget to extend. We recommend at least 15 minutes.
- Connect your audio system: Sound comes from your system. Double check volume levels are set correctly and wireless mic batteries are charged.
- Speak clearly: Gently remind celebrants, family, and friends to speak into the microphone during the service.
- Recognize virtual attendees: Consider asking the celebrant to acknowledge those unable to physically attend the service and where they are viewing from.
- Make it known you’re recording: Inform all guests that the service will be live-streamed and/or recorded. You can do this in a register book, with a poster at the door, or in your email correspondence.
Just Remember: We’re Both in It
We believe in the power of recording an online funeral service and making it accessible to families and loved ones both present and virtual—and we know you do, too. As we continue to execute our preventative health checks, we encourage you to diligently schedule events and implement the best practices outlined above.
Our big hope? By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to devote your complete attention to the family in need and provide them with a ceremony that they can treasure for generations to come. Together, let’s heed Ben Franklin’s advice: a little foresight, a more purposeful experience.
And if, along the way, you have any questions, we’re right here.
