If you've rarely or never shopped for cremation, you may find the process a bit daunting.

There are plenty of companies that will cremate a loved one—and nothing more. When you choose a Dignity Memorial^® provider, you're choosing professionalism, compassion and attention to detail that is second to none. Serving families is our passion and our commitment.

That said, we know that most people are unfamiliar with cremation, and there's a lot to learn. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with your options and take the time to determine the right choice for your family. The best way to do that is to ask questions—lots of questions—that will help you understand exactly what to expect from each provider with whom you talk.

These 11 questions will help you get a good idea of how a cremation provider operates. Keep them handy and take notes as you make calls.

All Dignity Memorial providers are licensed and insured in the states in which they operate. Never work with an unlicensed or uninsured cremation provider. Find a cremation provider near you.

Dignity Memorial providers own their own crematories or work with trusted crematory partners. All employ crematory operators who are licensed and certified by Cremation Association of North America, or CANA. Having our own crematories or working with trusted partners allows us to ensure that your loved one is well cared for throughout the cremation process. Cremation providers without their own crematories may not always know the whereabouts of your loved one. What happens when a loved one is passed from the provider with whom a family contracts to another operator? That provider may lose control of the quality of the process and level of care.

The old adage "you get what you pay for" couldn't be more true than when it comes to the services cremation providers offer.

The appeal of a low-cost cremation provider often vanishes when you find out that the price you’re quoted isn't the price you’re going to pay. Other cremation providers may charge extra for mileage. They may charge for the removal of a pacemaker or tack on a fee for a larger loved one. We don’t do that.

We offer affordable packages, and we’re transparent about our pricing.

We encourage families to prearrange cremation services, but we know that’s not always possible. It’s for that reason that we work with families to help them figure out how to cover cremation expenses.

• Pre-need funeral insurance
• Final expense insurance
• Burial insurance
• Life insurance
• Credit card
• Check
• Cash

Plus, our experience dealing with insurance is often helpful for the families we serve. We can assist with the logistics, even filing a claim on your behalf or providing short-term assistance while you’re waiting for insurance to pay out.

It’s one thing for a business to claim great service—it’s another for a business’ customers to claim that business has great service. Google gives people a chance to rank a business after interacting with it. One star indicates poor service; five stars indicates excellent service. The higher a business’ Google star rating, the greater your chances are of having an outstanding experience.

Hundreds of thousands of families trust us with their loved ones each year—and they consistently give us five-star ratings for exceptional care and a high level of personal attention.

Other cremation providers may say they have exclusive custody of your loved one, but many don’t own their own crematories and outsource cremations to third parties. Your Dignity Memorial provider or a trusted partner has custody from the time our transportation professionals bring your loved one into our care until they’re returned to your family.

From the moment we take your loved one into our care until the moment we return them to you, we safeguard their identification through every step of the cremation process. Our custody-of-care program means that we check, cross-check and check again.

You can reach your Dignity Memorial provider 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We take your privacy very seriously. We have stringent procedures in place to protect your information, and we will never sell it to anyone. For more information, see our privacy policy.

Our cremation services come with a 100% Service Guarantee. We strive to get every detail right the first time, every time. Should any detail of our service not meet the expectations as promised in our agreement, we’ll do everything we can to make it right, up to refunding that portion of the service. That’s part of the Dignity Difference.

We can do either one. We’d love to host you for an in-person tour, or we’ll show you around virtually.

What I can't emphasize to you enough is that choosing the right funeral home/ cremation service for your loved one and your family can make all the difference in the world in the way that you get to say goodbye to your family member. ... It is important that I mention we did NOT go with a company that has a super-low set price for this service and this service only, we didn't want my Dad to be just another name or number, we wanted him well taken care of by a family business.

—Joanne R., Calabash, NC

Not every cremation provider treats every person with the dignity and respect Dignity Memorial insists upon. Nor does every provider take the measures we do to ensure the loved ones we bring into our care are the same loved ones we return to families. Get help now.