Bereaved individuals often need to undertake several practical or administrative tasks, such as transferring household bills to the name of the remaining spouse, following the death of a loved one. Research suggests that 61% of bereaved adults had difficulties with these tasks. Crooks and colleagues (2024) sought to explore the experiences of bereaved individuals interacting with private sector businesses. This study included secondary analysis of data from 1133 survey respondents using thematic analysis. Three core themes emerged: (1) needs of bereaved people outside of ‘business as usual’, (2) admin burden while grieving and (3) the impact and experience of organizational failures. The study reveals that some businesses are not effectively addressing the needs of bereaved customers, resulting in a negative impact on their experiences. The authors suggest that businesses provide accessible guidance on processes or consider implementing a trained bereavement department or team. Read more…
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