David Holmes Alex Polizzi - The Fixer

I am Alex Polizzi.

I cut my teeth in my family's international hotel empire

and now run a multimillion pound food business with my husband.

Last year I fought to save six failing family firms.

This family business has actually ruined our family.

'Now I'm back for a fresh fight.' Attitude, woman!

Listen, I'm on your side.

'To pull six more families back from the brink.'

-There's no communication.

-You're going to quit?

-Yeah.

'In the midst of economic crisis thousands of firms are going bust

'every month.'

Just in the last three months, you've lost about £3,000.

I'm really struggling.

'Everything is at stake.'

Where is the money coming from?

It's more than finance. It's family.

Answer me a question.

-You're not going to see any.

-Everybody keeps pulling out.

You're the lazy one. You do nothing!

I'm now dreading it, properly dreading it.

'This week, a funeral directors that is heading 6 feet under.'

Excuse me,

but this looks like somewhere to come for a cheap funeral.

I don't think we look cheap.

'A dad who thinks he knows best.'

She wasn't here to tell us not to. So we've done it.

'Customer service that brings tears to your eyes.'

No!

There's just a few more forms that we need filling out.

'And lacklustre leadership.'

Why is that acceptable here?

I find you inadequate as a boss.

I'm on my way to leafy Fleet in Hampshire,

to attempt to fix a family business that I'm hoping

I won't actually be using myself for quite a while.

FUNEREAL CHURCH ORGAN PLAYS

I'm about to enter the world of funeral directing,

one of the few industries in the UK that continues to grow and expand

in spite of the recession.

I've had to do quite a lot of research and what it's shown me

is this is an industry that bucks all the current economic trends.

Revenues have grown 3% every year for the last five years.

With a value of nearly £1.5 billion,

the UK funeral industry employs nearly 25,000 people.

However, the final nail is almost in the coffin for Holmes & Sons.

We can go days sometimes without the phone ringing.

A few weeks ago I think I checked the phone just to make sure

it was still working.

David Holmes has owned and run Holmes & Sons Funeral Directors

for five years, but in that time he has barely made a profit.

Truth be told, I am probably a better funeral director

and a better human being than I am a businessman.

David has been in the industry since he was a teenager

but as large conglomerates buy up the small independent firms,

he is struggling to know what to do to survive.

The bigger have got bigger and the smaller seem to be getting weaker.

And I'm not sure we know how to fix that.

I would be absolutely devastated if this business were to fail.

He employs two of his children full-time in the business -

22-year-old Ollie and 20-year-old Toby.

MUSIC: "Fix Up, Look Sharp" by Dizzee Rascal

Who probably, more than anyone else in this business, cleans

the toilet or the windows or that kind of stuff?

-Me.

-No, it's me!

But they're young and undecided and can't yet commit to the family firm.

His opinion is,

if you're looking down at your phone you can't be paying attention.

But sometimes Facebook can be more important.

No-one my age would think, "I want to be a funeral director, "there's got to be something else."

A job, really. It's a job.

Instead of working in M&S, I was stacking shelves,

Thorpe Park, it was roller coasters, here it's just dead bodies.

-Yeah, it's quite a scary thing to say...

-Yeah.

When you're 22, just saying...

For the rest of your life you're going to be a funeral director.

I think that would kind of depress me.

David's dream is to pass on his family business.

It's part of what you work for when you've got a small business.

That maybe there's a chance of your kids taking over

and maybe having a good life from it.

But if things continue like this,

there won't be anything left to inherit anyway.

David has run up an overdraft of tens of thousands of pounds.

Everything is on the line here - my house, my reputation.

Everything that I own.

Unless things improve,

I can't see the business being here in three months' time.

At the moment there just wouldn't be any point in carrying on.

I've got only 10 weeks to make a difference and save the business.

We're just round the corner from David Holmes & Sons now

and I can tell you that just from a quick observation,

this appears to be a very affluent area.

It's leafy, the houses are big and they're well spaced apart.

Fleet in Hampshire is one of the most affluent towns in the UK,

with earnings 40% above the average.

30 miles from London, the area is crammed with luxury homes

and populated by professionals and executives.

A business in a wealthy area and a growing sector.

Where did it all go wrong?

FUNEREAL CHURCH ORGAN PLAYS

Not quite what I was expecting.

Apart from the coffins,

it could be... it could look like an insurance brokers or something.

I'm not sure I am mad about this.

"He loved to laugh. So we booked the comedy club."

It just doesn't mean anything to me.

'This is the last thing you should use to promote such

'a sensitive service, especially to potential upmarket clients.

'Time to meet the man responsible for this mess.'

-Nice to meet you.

-David.

-I'm Alex.

-Yes.

-How long have you had this business?

-About five years.

-And how long have you been in the industry?

-I started as a teenager.

-So you've been in the business a long time.

-Mm.

-OK.

And why am I here?

Because we're failing to engage with the local community.

I just don't know why.

He did for a while keep trying to put quirky things in the window.

Is quirky what you look for when you are looking for a funeral director?

Possibly... Possibly not.

And I'm absolutely fascinated as to what these slightly dusty things

-are doing here.

-Oh, dear. You've found some dust.

These are scattering devices. So, for about, I think,

-10 or 15 quid...

-THEY SQUEAK

-Yeah.

-..you can have one of these.

Put the ashes in, then put them back together, then go off

and kind of more discreetly scatter the ashes...

-SQUEAKING

-..whenever you like.

-Very discreet(!)

-I don't think we've sold one.

-Yeah, OK.

As if dusty products weren't bad enough, grieving customers

are confronted with a rather chilling wall of coffins.

The room for families to view their loved ones is cold

and uninviting.

It's no wonder only one in ten of David's clients choose to use it.

'Along the corridor is the dirty staff kitchen.'

I would be slightly disconcerted coming to see a body here

and being able to see into your kitchen area.

'It's all disappointingly low rent.

'Not the kind of place I would want my loved one to be laid out.'

'At least David's sons Ollie and Toby are making sure the hearse looks nice.'

Alex. Hi, darling.

Do you think you're skilled at something, in particular,

in this business?

No way would we be in the funeral business

if it wasn't for our dad, not a chance.

Some of the days when there's nothing to do,

we leave feeling tired and sorry for ourselves.

Sometimes we say the most exciting thing

we've got to look forward to is lunch. And that's never a good day.

No.

'Both boys are thinking of walking away from the business.

'David would lose the only thing that is attractive to customers -

'the fact that this is a family business.

'I've got my work cut out to unite father and sons.'

I've got one more person to meet.

Sheena is the funeral home's manager and she has been working here

since they opened.

She's not a family member but is a powerful voice within the business.

Bye.

-Alex, this is Sheena.

-Hello, so nice to meet you.

-Hi.

You must have an opinion as to why things aren't going the way

-they should here.

-I do have an opinion.

We can't afford to do every advert that's available to us.

No, well, no-one can. Who can?

-So, you don't think you're doing anything wrong in this business?

-No.

-You think it's all financial?

-I don't think we do anything wrong.

Not wrong, what I mean is,

are there are things you could do better, maybe?

No.

'Stubbornly misplaced confidence is not going to help me

'fix this business.

'And I'm sure the longer I spend here,

'the more I'll find out is going wrong.

'But to the customer, first impressions mean everything.'

I don't think that the first impression that you give

is to your credit. It's a bit like an office suite.

It's not very warm and it could be an insurance broker's office,

-couldn't it?

-It's all right changing everything in here,

saying what we need to change but it's getting them in first.

-That's the thing.

-Listen, sweetheart, I agree with that

but there's no point getting them in and putting them off.

-That's true.

-So you have to work both angles of it.

When you finally drag someone in through that bloody door,

you have to make sure that the impression that they get...

I mean, this looks like, excuse me,

but this looks like somewhere to come for a cheap funeral. To me.

I don't think we look cheap.

It's like, "You look cheap and tacky," but we don't.

-Bit of an insult.

-Yeah.

She's not a funeral director and she's not used to showing people

in and out of a chapel of rest like you are or I am.

She will have very decided opinions on what should be done here.

But just a cursory look around this space shows you why this is

somewhere that people don't flock to.

The shop needs a complete overhaul to make it fit for purpose.

And we need to find a way to increase awareness of this

independent business, but the big question is

whether this funeral directors has a future as a family firm.

Time to start tackling the sons in Holmes & Sons.

Given a free choice, I would not employ members of my family.

At the moment, Ollie and Toby appear half-hearted about the job,

which could be severely damaging the business's reputation locally

and driving customers away.

'But if the boys can really cut the mustard as funeral arrangers,

'they could be a huge asset to their dad.'

It does say David Holmes & Sons.

And I know that both of you are quite young,

this isn't the profession that you've chosen

and I want to see how you're managing with it,

as you find yourselves now.

I'm sending in undercover industry experts posing as bereaved clients,

to test the boys in this vital and difficult role.

And secretly scrutinising them with me in the flat upstairs

is Charles Cowling, author of The Good Funeral Guide.

This is the all-important part, I assume, of a funeral,

the arranging part and the talking to the bereaved.

It's absolutely crucial.

It mustn't be a seemingly businesslike conversation.

Although in the course of it, of course, business is enacted.

During an arrangement, you're dealing with bereaved

and traumatised people.

-Good afternoon. Hello there, I'm Toby.

-Hello there.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

-I'm Oliver Holmes.

So it's essential to show real compassion and warmth

while at the same time making a sale worth an average £3,000.

So, my Aunt Barbara died last night.

We just want to make this really different and special for my dad.

It's a good start - the boys are polite.

It's the room that's causing a major issue.

We've got a desk between the funeral director and the mourner.

It's just dreadful.

We're not having two human beings having a conversation,

look at his body language!

Compared to a normal standard coffin,

it's probably about double the price so it's around £600.

It's all form filling, no emotional connection.

He's very focused on the costs of everything,

rather than trying to create an imaginary perfect scenario.

Certainly you would expect that this information would have to be

written down at some point, but that it would come at the end.

Many of the best funeral arrangers will sit there with the family and

the first thing they'll say is, "We're going to have a chat.

"But we're not going to make any decisions at all in this first meeting."

Of course, we make lots of decisions in the first meeting.

We do lots of business in that first meeting.

But the first thing is to take the pressure off people

and also make them understand they can go on changing their mind.

-To be confirmed.

-Yeah.

Toby is about to face one of the real test of this job...

..a client who breaks down.

Now it's up to Toby to reach out to his client to put business

aside and show some empathy.

There's just a few more forms that we need filling out.

Oh, no, darling!

Oh...

Oh, God, I can't even watch. It's so ghastly.

And would anyone in the family or yourself like to view Belinda's...

-Belinda?

-Belinda, sorry, I do apologise, Barbara.

-Yeah...

He doesn't have...

He doesn't have the emotional competence to handle it.

-I feel quite sick.

-I know. I agree with you.

Get to you...

You need emotional intelligence, but you need emotional experience.

You've got to have done the hard miles emotionally yourself.

-Thank you.

-No, thank you, it's a pleasure talking. Thanks very much.

I think they're so nice, these boys.

I think they really need leadership.

I blame David entirely for this situation, I want to make it clear.

And if he's going to get his children ever to be customer-facing,

they have got to do it better than this.

'The situation is serious.'

It's clear that the boys have not been given enough

training or direction from David.

Weak leadership breeds a deficient team.

'It's time for him to face facts.'

Nice and cosy.

They were unanimous in agreeing that that set up is absolutely,

to use one word, hideous.

For someone who is recently bereaved,

to come in, to be sat across a desk from someone,

to feel that separation just when you need that warmth of human

kindness, and I'm amazed at you for having set it up like that.

A couple of weeks ago we were looking at...

But why has it been set up like that, darling?

-You have the experience.

-To be honest...

-Come on.

-I blame you for everything, by the way.

-That's fine.

No, let me explain to you why.

You've got two sons here.

They've never worked in another funeral directors,

so they're doing things your way.

And so I blame their failings on you.

If you came in, Sheena and I are mature,

we're able to put an arm around you.

There is no way these boys are ever...

But he's been running an office single-handed, darling.

You're not there, you've trusted him to do it.

We're slightly looking past the first point,

which is getting them through the door initially.

I'm not avoiding that.

I'm saying, what's the point of getting them

through your door, if once they get to you...

Because honestly, I don't know...

You've not had the real experience...

I was asked to come in and deal with David Holmes & Sons,

which is you four.

If you want to take yourself out of the equation, please do, darling.

But I'm being honourable and dealing with what I have in front of me.

Of course we have to get people through the door,

but at the moment, it seems to me

that what you're offering is low value, in a way, funerals.

What you should try and be is that up there that everyone is

talking about, that my God, if you want your funeral done properly,

there's only one person to go to in this 20-mile radius and it is them.

-That is what you want.

-Exactly what we're looking for.

It's been a tough few days for the family,

and for Toby, the reality has hit hard.

I hated it. I did. And it made me angry.

-And I don't want to be part of it any more.

-You're going to quit?

-Yeah.

-Unless Alex comes in and watches what we do,

how else is she going to know how to fix the business?

If you do quit, I think you're going to look a bit petulant,

particularly as Alex doesn't feel there is

anything that you've done to merit, you know, walking out.

So why do it? Why walk?

I don't want to come across as a quitter...

The truth hurts, but my mission is to engage David's boys,

not force them out.

However, David's dream doesn't just depend on the boys.

First and foremost, the finances have got to be solid.

I've worked hard to establish a business that hopefully one day

I could hand on, and at the moment it's hard to see that happening,

because I'm just not doing well enough.

Unless we can make this work, there will be no future for the boys.

Funeral directing is a unique profession,

but it's still a business.

-Hi. Do you want some tea?

-I'd love one.

'David is ultimately responsible for all the financial decisions,

'so I want to know more about his attitude to money.'

Is there anything about working with him that drives you mad?

I call him Giveaway Dave,

cos he actually does give away things that I would charge for.

A lady wanted a casket and he just let her have it.

He is quite a softy on those side of things.

People often say, "You're an undertaker,

"I don't know how you can bear to do that job." But the reality is,

we don't deal with the dead, we deal with the living.

I won't sit here and tell someone that, until they give me

a couple of thousand pounds, we won't be able to move.

It's a very human business.

David is generous to a fault.

His business has potentially only weeks to live

and he is on the verge of killing it with his kindness.

-Sheena calls you Giveaway Dave.

-She does call me Giveaway Dave.

-Which is not a compliment.

-I am a soft touch. I can't help it.

This warm glow about the heart that this generosity gives you is

not going to last very long when your business isn't here any longer.

Our kindness will ensure we are busy

and if we are busy, we'll make money.

Your reward may come in heaven but...

We are building our reputation.

..I'm not entirely sure it will come on this earth

-unless you get to grips with it.

-Well, to be frank, yes...

'But it seems David's inability to think through his business

'decisions knows no bounds.'

If I need a limousine out here,

I have to book one often from London, which costs me £250.

How much do I charge for a limousine? £190.

I do that because the going rate for a limousine seems to be about £190.

So, every time someone has an extra limousine, you're losing 60 quid.

-Yes.

-Jesus Christ, darling.

It's lucky you're not very busy cos otherwise you would be broke.

-Is that not how most people run a business?

-No, it is not.

You have said to me that the Co-op is more expensive than you.

Yes, they all are. All the local corporations.

And yet that doesn't drive people to you

-so surely that tells you something.

-Probably it should have done, yes.

'People buying funerals do very little price comparison

'so David's sell-them-cheap business strategy is fundamentally flawed.'

'He may be a kind-hearted man but he is clearly not a businessman.'

I obviously need to persuade David that there can be

a synchronicity between ethics and successful working practices.

His business is suffering because of his morality at the moment

and he has to see that the two can coexist.

Giveaway Dave's policy of offering funerals as cheaply

as possible is destroying his business

and it isn't providing a high-value experience for his clients either.

I feel that the service that Holmes & Sons is offering is not

nearly personalised enough and it is completely lacking in inspiration.

'I am taking the family to meet high-end wedding planner

'Siobhan Craven-Robins who has created events for Hollywood stars

'including Joan Collins and Greg Kinnear.'

I'm hoping that showing them how a really good wedding planner

does it will spark their interest in event planning,

which is ultimately what they are there to do.

'The funeral market is changing, with people wanting events that

'celebrate a life rather than mourn a death.

'If the family offer more than just the basics, they will sell

'higher-value funerals, especially in their affluent location.'

Right, so, what I am trying to do is get you away from only

doing the very cheapest side of the market which ultimately

doesn't generate very much income for you.

One of the things I wanted to show you is these fantastic pics.

When clients first come to me, the flick through these.

These are all different weddings that I have done over the 17 years

that sort of show different elements of it.

The idea is that someone then sees some element of that that

calls to them and transposes that into their occasion.

Exactly. It just helps to give people ideas.

What you're not doing is sparking people's imagination.

Well, you have sparked mine because I certainly feel, and you have made

me think, that you don't see what we give you until you have had it.

By then, that is all very well for the people we have served

and they go away happy but the new potential clients don't see that.

Toby, what do you think?

Yeah, I love the book. I think it is a really good idea.

It is visual and it makes it very personal and so I like it.

Sometimes, when a family comes in,

they have already sorted out a venue so, you know, when I am

talking to families, I could actually say

half of them have already sorted out...

Darling, you know what, it's quite annoying

because I just feel like there is always an answer for everything.

If it was all so bloody rosy in the bloody garden,

I wouldn't be sitting around this table with you.

What are you meant to do? Am I meant to say,

-"Actually, no, you can't...?"

-No, darling. No.

-There is more money...

No, I am suggesting that you have a way to show people options.

'So it is not just David who has a problem making money

'out of this business. But I have a plan to help him

'increase his profits without taking the money from their customers.'

Does someone, by booking it through you, pay a lot more than

they would if they were paying for it independently?

No, and I mean that is something that you should perhaps look at

with having recommended suppliers.

They certainly don't pay any more and with some of my suppliers

they actually get better deals cos, obviously, like yourselves,

I represent repeat business.

'Negotiating commissions with suppliers will allow

'the family to profit from booking venues,

'caterers and florists without their customers paying any more.

'If the family can drive this idea forward then it is part of

'the solution to David's ethical dilemma.'

I like anyone who has different ideas and is just showing different

things because it's worth a listen and worth a try.

We are always going to be more open to ideas

because we are not as experienced

and as set in the traditional family ways as Sheena and Dad.

The way it is being done is the traditional way it has always been

so, yeah, maybe these different ways are going to be the way forward.

'David and the boys seem to be on side

'but there is so one voice of dissent.'

I mean, how can you compare a wedding planner to a planning of a funeral?

Because they are both major events.

They're major events but one has got a 60 grand budget

-and the other one hasn't.

-It is still the same.

You are still pulling together various elements,

you're still advising. If I came to someone to plan a wedding...

We have already got a florist. We have already got...

But you have got it scattered around as

if it's been fired out of a shotgun around the office.

She showed you all these elements in one book.

You're focusing on the fact that she was a wedding planner

and you are a funeral director and you have got all the answers.

I'm not saying I have got all the answers. They were saying,

"You need to get your profit from people like the printers."

Additional profits.

I mean, if you're a car salesman, when someone comes to talk to

you about a car, they call it taking you out of the market.

You're in the market for a car, they are taking you out of the market.

When someone comes in here, they are in the market for what? A funeral.

But we want to take them out of the market for a venue, flowers,

-catering, as many items on that list as we can.

-We're already doing that.

Are we? I don't remember seeing a cheque from a printer or a venue or

a caterer or a florist.

Where are all these commissions that you are earning?

I give up. I think I do actually give up. I'm going out to the bin.

-They don't exist.

-Yeah, right(!)

Sheena and my dad might be a little bit annoyed at each other

but I think that's

because they are always going to have different opinions about what

is going to be best for the company and where we have been going wrong.

My dad and Sheena disagreeing shows that maybe

I'd be able to get some of my ideas in there, Toby would be.

'Fresh thinking is what this business needs

'and action is something it needs even more.'

'I want the family to do the hard work for the customers, searching

'out the very best florists, venues and caterers in the area.'

Go into various businesses that might be useful for you,

talk to them, see what trade discounts you can negotiate.

Remember that this is just as much for the benefit

of your customers as it is for you

and you shouldn't be embarrassed about

talking about money because that is, after all, the basics of business.

'If the family can make commissions of between 10 and 20%,

'this will add up,

'potentially putting thousands of pounds straight in their pocket

'but Sheena looks like I have suggested they rob graves.'

You, get your... Come on. Attitude, woman.

But, really, listen, I'm on your side. We are all on the same side.

I am not against you, I'm with you.

Now, put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

For goodness sake. OK, go.

'Negotiating deals with suppliers means a more complete

'service at no extra cost to the customer.'

-Hi, I'm Sheena from Holmes & Sons.

-Hello, I'm Hazel.

-I'm Oliver, this is my brother Toby.

-I'm Jane.

'The logic couldn't be simpler - if you promise a supplier more

'sales, they can afford to offer you a discount.'

Money, how would that work?

We are looking for foremost a good deal for us,

a good deal for you, a good deal for families.

Ideally, what we'd like is to have a commission.

Yeah, that's absolutely fine. That's standard industry practice.

See? Standard industry practice.

'Clearly, Sheena still isn't enthused and I obviously

'hit a raw nerve by taking them to a wedding planner.'

We are quicker, we are better, we are bang, bang, bang,

within five days we have organised an event.

Whereas she takes, like, two years or maybe eight months or whatever

and has a bigger budget so therefore it isn't the same.

'But the boys are a different story.'

What sort of percentage discount

would you be able to help us out with?

We'd be able to offer you a 20% discount on that

for all those customers.

See? What you have to do is screw them down to it, ultimately.

Everyone is looking for business.

But, you know, that is, 20% is a significant amount.

-Let's try somewhere else.

-The one-stop shop.

It's an idea that's going to fly, baby.

Hi, I'm Oliver Holmes and this is my brother, Toby,

and we're looking to build a relationship with the local florists.

They seem to be doing really well and the more I see them,

the more I'm convinced that what is really bad for them

is being stuck in that office without enough to do.

They are so much better enthused and energised

and out and about and doing something practical.

It's good for you guys, because, obviously,

using the same supplier, you get 15% of whatever you sell, as well,

so it's good for both of us, really.

I think they need a lot more direction than they're being given,

and they need to be encouraged to think on their feet

and do stuff like this. They're really good at it.

It was really nice to meet you. Thanks very much for your help.

No problem at all. Take care. All the best.

'Now I just need David to grab the bull by the horns and lead

'his staff to get this one-stop shop idea going over the next few weeks.'

'But, a week after I leave, David amazes me with a decision

'that's shocking even for someone with his lack of business brain.

'Rather than focusing on his sons' and my fix,

'he's signed a ten-year lease on another premises.

'He's opening a Holmes & Sons branch in Aldershot.'

We're now standing in the reception area.

There'll be a wall here, very much like the Fleet shop,

and in here will be the arranging office.

If Alex didn't think this was a good idea

she could potentially walk away, and I think she is confident

about this business that she can help us

make the business successful.

'He's put himself further into debt,

'taking out a family loan to pay for the shop-fitting.

'With his house and his business on the line,

'I can only hope that he's put more thought into this than it appears

'as I'm back too late to change anything.'

We've got six months, we think, to make something happen there.

-So, what happens, in six months can you give up the lease?

-No.

Oh. I'm just fascinated in the idea that you're not doing

particularly well, let's open another one.

What market research have you done?

Just, erm...

We think we will be the only family business in that area,

and we think that that is likely to attract people.

But you're just basing this on hope.

You haven't done any market research, you haven't...

What have you done to base this on? It's just gut instinct.

SHE SIGHS

'The ten-year rental contract will cost David £80,000.

'With a business already so close to the edge,

'this is surely financial suicide.'

When my grandfather first opened a property,

he stood in front of it and clicked every time someone walked past

so he could see what footfall was.

That is the kind of market research that you need to do.

She was like, "Oh, my God, you shouldn't be doing that."

And I'm thinking, "Well, why not?"

There comes a point when you're standing on the edge of that cliff

and you've just got to jump.

I feel slightly depressed by how much

and how fiercely they defend their stupid ideas.

They might as well be playing roulette.

'If David won't focus on my fix and on ways to make money then

'there's nothing I can do to save this business.

'What's more, his management style is making life even more difficult.'

I think my dad could do a better job of motivating.

He's never told me, "I think you do this well."

Which I think is important, to tell you what you do well.

And he's completely forgotten about the one-stop shop.

Only Olly is doing anything about it.

I could never picture my dad in a million years

doing anything like this.

He thinks it's probably more of a girl's job, so...

Did he have a task? He must have had a task.

But, honestly, I'm so distracted by this,

I can't even remember what we're supposed to have been doing.

'I am increasingly losing my patience with David.'

-How are you?

-Good. How is everything?

I haven't really been here for the past fortnight.

The boys have got on with the task.

It's not difficult to have made that book, is it?

-But you're the boss of the business.

-Well, I do ask them how it's going.

And have you told them to do anything?

Have you directed them in any way?

-Not really, no.

-Oh, God.

'If David wants to realise his dream of passing the business

'to his sons, he is doing absolutely nothing to help himself.'

You know, I feel frustrated on lots of levels.

I feel frustrated with you as a boss because I think

if you have two young men here who are not experienced

in the business, they need directing.

They need telling what to do.

You need to find out what they do every day.

I find you inadequate as a boss.

He needs to try harder, he needs to work harder,

he needs to be more involved.

I can't carry this.

'David's crazy decision-making has left me dumbfounded

'just weeks before the relaunch,

'and his unwillingness to properly direct his young staff is worrying.

I have to shake some life into this reluctant boss.'

'I have got an idea that should inspire David.

'A way they can build their reputation in the community which is

'perfectly in tune with his ethics.'

Good afternoon, Holmes & Sons.

'There are other ways to show you care

'than handing out free coffins, and David is missing a trick.

'I want them to start their very own volunteering scheme.'

To which end, I had prepared this

for you to put names and phone numbers.

What you're asking people to do is commit an hour of their time

to help someone who has been recently bereaved and to do

anything that they need to do, whether that is a chat,

some gardening, or drive them somewhere that they need driving to.

Frankly, I'd rather be painting.

I'd like to see you engaging with people.

You know, you have to start from somewhere.

'It's not the positive reaction I'd hoped for.

'What David doesn't see is that a volunteering scheme

'will make them stand out from their competitors

'and gives a clear message of the business's caring principles.'

So, what we're looking for is people who are willing to give

perhaps as little as half an hour, an hour of their time

once a month or once every couple of months, just so we've got...

'What's more, it won't cost them a penny.'

I often think what would happen, you know,

if I died, what would happen to my wife.

It sounds a good idea to me.

-I don't mind being on your list.

-That's very kind of you, sir.

Yeah, good idea.

When you said funeral directors, I didn't realise there was one

at the other end of the town, but we do now.

-Could we sign you up for that, sir?

-Yes.

It's just helping someone out,

another way of helping the community.

-Is it something you would be interested in doing?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Brilliant.

Yeah, a few people that I care about have passed away,

and if I can help I am happy to do so.

'With a bit of effort,

'they are really connecting with the community.'

Initially, when we got out here, they seemed so unsure.

They didn't see the validity of it, and also it didn't look

like they were going to give it any effort at all.

I think it shows to them that ask, engage with people,

and you will get a response.

Something like this, I think, is fantastic.

It's new, it should, you know,

have a lot of interest in the town, hopefully.

'And David's lead is inspiring the boys.'

I didn't think everyone would be so willing to get involved

but they seem more than happy to get involved

and put their names down, which is good.

-We've only got two spaces.

-Well done!

You might actually have the bare bones

of a volunteering service right there.

'If David is to keep his business in the family,

'I need him to keep leading by example, but there must be

'a deeper reason why he hasn't been pushing his sons harder.'

This business has potential as a career,

but only if they're committed and interested.

If they're not, then, quite frankly, I'd rather they went out there

and tasted the big, bad world and maybe realised how easy it was

when they were working in the family business.

I don't want them to realise how easy it is.

-I want them to have a bit more fire in their belly.

-Yeah, I agree.

I think you need more fire in your belly.

Well, I'm at the... I'm five years, six years into a very, very...

-Shitty time.

-Yeah.

I think that's something that you have to look at.

It's very hard to say to people, "You need a fire in your belly,

"you need to be passionate," when I don't think that you are.

At least, you don't appear to be.

'It's clear I need to help David rediscover his passion

'for his business, which is looking as tired as David sounds.'

'And to do that, I want to tackle one of the fundamental

'problems of this industry.'

-Death gets rather a bad press in this country, strangely.

-It does.

And, in some ways, you're selling the unsellable,

and we need to find good ways to sell ourselves

and what the product is.

'Funerals are a distress purchase.

'The majority of people call the first funeral home they think of.

'This is not a market that shops around for long,

'which is why name recognition and branding are so important

'in this industry - both things

'I think Holmes & Sons have got very wrong.'

'I'm taking the family to see multi-award-winning agency GBH.'

'They've created branding for high-end companies

'such as Puma and Virgin.

'They certainly know when a brand works and when it doesn't.'

We've actually come up with words that we feel accurately

reflects the way you are currently coming across.

So, here's our handy device.

First up, family business.

That is a positive one. Next up, honest.

-Good.

-Also positive.

I feel bad news is coming.

You come across as independent, but a bit isolated.

Use of inappropriate language.

Indistinct.

Low cost.

Inconsistent.

Temporary.

Sorry about that.

And, finally, poor attention to detail.

What are your thoughts about what we have to say about your business?

Low cost - what would that...?

Well, the offer is coming across as fairly cheap.

I hate that word.

That's why they used low cost.

They were being kind.

Poor attention to detail - if our image conveys that message,

the very core of what we do is our attention to detail,

so that is SO saying the wrong thing.

Actually, the reason I feel almost sick about the fact

that we've allowed that to happen, if we can't be good with our own

attention to detail,

can I trust them with something as important as a funeral?

-That's the danger, isn't it?

-Yeah.

At least now we all agree on the negatives we can take it forward

and we're in a position to actually do some good work now.

-This is the past. We must move on.

-Swiftly.

'Now the penny has dropped,

'is David ready to tackle the very long-winded name of his business.'

David Holmes & Sons Independent Family-Owned Funeral Directors

and Monumental Masons.

Quite a mouthful, isn't it?

We need to, at least, have a look at simplifying

what you're putting on the front of the shop.

We thought we'd throw it over to you and say, do you need the "David"?

LAUGHTER

-No.

-No.

-That's what I said, didn't I?

Let's do a vote. "David" - thumbs up or down?

"Monumental masons"?

-"Sons"?

-I think get rid of "Sons".

What do you think - "and family"?

That gives a bit more leeway

for any of you who come and go into the business.

-"Sons" down?

-The sons can go, yeah.

Gosh, unanimity.

-Holmes and Family Funeral Directors - I love that.

-Right, good.

I like it. It's much cleaner.

'It's a breakthrough, and it's not just the name

'that's going to change.

'The agency are also going to help rebrand the look of the whole shop.'

To me, it's like where have you been all my life?

Just so, so excited.

'I'll sleep soundly in my bed tonight knowing that these guys

are thinking about how to put Holmes & Sons across.

I think they're buzzing.

When Alex first came to us and she said,

"It's cheap, it's this and that,"

I can actually say it is. It's cheap. It's rubbish.

It was so easy and obvious to see once they put it up there

how bland and uninspiring it was.

This was a very good day.

I think we're all agreed on that.

But one big question still remains -

are Toby and Olly any more committed that they were?

I think the inside of the windows need a bit of a clean.

When I first arrived, the boys were disengaged

and David's leadership was doing nothing to change that.

Tomorrow, we'll probably give the whole hearse a polish.

It's always been David's dream to keep the business

in the family when he retires.

It would be better to lose the family from Holmes and family

than to keep employing two sons who don't want to work there.

Originally, when I went into the funeral business,

to me it seemed the most exciting thing in the world.

I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning.

It's not that I'm not interested in funerals, it's just...

I have lots of interests.

I want to pursue other things, possibly, as well.

And we would be daft to say we love it or enjoy it

as much as you when you've done it for the period time you have.

Olly has been offered a place on a teacher training course

and has to make a decision whether to accept it

within the next few weeks.

Toby has potential, but has always seemed reluctant.

The thought of being in the same

job for the rest of your life scares me.

You feel, hang on a second, maybe I shouldn't be doing this.

I'll maybe do it when I'm older.

Will they still be here in a year's time? The answer is, I don't know.

I would be really sorry to see either of them go.

Things can't carry on like this.

The uncertainty is having a negative impact on the business

with all three of them just coasting along.

It's time they made some decisions.

If I put a gun to your head and asked you to say,

what would you advise them to do?

Yeah, I would rather they stayed and made a go of it.

I'd rather we all made it work.

David is never going to get this sorted of his own accord,

so I've told the boys to think through their options.

If they decide to stay,

then David has got to invest in training them properly.

If they don't, David's dream to pass his business to his sons is dead.

I would like to try different things and see what sticks

or see what I enjoy.

I think the thing I enjoy about here is working with you

and working with Olly.

So, working at another funeral director's, I probably wouldn't...

I don't think I'd enjoy it as much.

And I think it will benefit me to go away and see different things

and learn new things and try out different experiences, I think.

My plan next year is to go away travelling.

You know, it's been good to have you.

I feel quite relieved to have aired it and told my dad about it all.

And, definitely, being honest about everything is a good thing.

It's not something we do enough, be honest with each other

and sit down and do a very simple thing and just talk.

Olly is David's last hope.

If he follows his brother, then the family will be gone

from Holmes and Family.

It's a very tough decision deciding what to do.

Um, I don't want to feel like I'm dependent on the family still,

which feels like you never really left home.

I feel like I've got a lot to offer here.

I've got lots of drive, and if we can help the family name grow,

I'd like to stay.

I think it's absolutely fabulous that you've made that decision

and, for what it's worth, I think this is the right thing for you.

-I really do.

-Surprising, I was astonished.

I genuinely believe that, if I were run over by a bus tomorrow,

that you are capable of running this business.

I have been thinking it might make sense for me

to take a bit of a step back and drive the hearse or limousine

and you to be doing the conducting.

So, you're the one that's introducing yourself

to the family on the doorstep,

you're the one taking control at the crematorium,

because I think it will make you feel more responsible.

Yeah, and that sounds good to me.

A new era dawns for the family business.

Now father and son can move forward together as a committed team.

That's really good to hear.

It's not very often that I hear much praise from my dad.

It was nice to sit down and hear him say nice things.

It was nice to hear him

talk fondly about what I can do for the business.

It was nice to see a smile on his face.

I think having a decision from the boys is really good.

To know that Olly really seems to be now committed

and wants to make a go of the funeral industry

and the family business is really nice.

I think Olly is more and more convinced

that this is what he wants to do.

It makes me care even more about giving him something to come to.

Changes afoot at Holmes and Family.

In collaboration with the branding agency, I've put

a plan in place to transform the look and layout of the shop.

It does feel like a new beginning.

The painting feels symbolic. It makes it feel more like a rebirth -

a fresh start.

We're done with this. This is the old Holmes & Sons.

Since deciding to stay in the business,

Olly has pushed forwards with the one-stop shop idea

and is finally negotiating deals with suppliers

and starting work on the book of inspiration.

But some people still need further convincing.

I thought we were talking positively about the book.

Yeah, but that's for you.

You can talk whatever you want about the book. I don't care.

-I think the idea is...

-How are you going to present that to a family?

You don't present it to them.

You just leave it there and they can have a look through it.

-I know my florists...

-That's not cos I don't know them.

I don't need the book to help me,

a massive book to aid me with my ideas.

-But that's what you're doing.

-But it's not to help me.

-Who's it to help, then?

-It's to help families.

If you remember rightly, that wedding planner said,

"Have a conversation with them."

Mmm.

Say this is a book and you're a family.

I'm not going to go, "This is a very good book that I did. Have a look.

"I'll see you in half an hour."

But at least the arguments

aren't stopping the work on the shop being completed.

I'm coming back to Holmes and Family to see the new-look

shop in person for the first time before it's relaunched.

'When I first visited Holmes & Sons,

'I was shocked by their depressing, cheap-looking exterior.'

This is a change.

'Now, the shop front is both eye-catching and understated.'

I am hoping that this is going to make people stop and look.

It's a much smarter exterior.

Well, doesn't this look better?

A waiting area that does not shove coffins down your throat

as soon as you walk in.

Inside, the space is calming and reassuring.

I don't think anyone could take exception to this.

In the arranging room, the barrier between arranger

and client has been removed.

What they will need to do is concentrate on people

and leave all the paperwork to the last minute.

This is obviously a much better set-up.

So, what do you think of the transformation?

I think it's brilliant. I think it's very good.

The best thing is the layout of the office,

cos the first thing you see when you come in is a nice,

welcoming environment, come and have a seat,

rather than a desk and chairs.

I can imagine someone walking in and us saying, "Take a seat.

"Have a cup of tea. Don't feel that it's a formal environment,

"that you're the other side of the desk." I completely get that.

You've taken us up market.

I notice that Trouble over here is staying very silent. Let's hear it.

-Let's hear it.

-I do like the colour.

-But...

I like my coffins on the wall.

-You mean you'd like to see more death about the place?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-I think the point is that I haven't done this

with my thoughts about whether you're going to like it or not,

and I thought about the customer.

And I'm hoping that this is a way to make them

feel like they get a cut above.

They're now perfectly set up to attract customers from this

affluent neighbourhood.

They have a new look, a new name and, hopefully,

a new-found enthusiasm.

It's time to relaunch Holmes and Family within the community.

The family have decided that the best way to demonstrate their caring

values to the local community is by holding a balloon

release in memory and celebration of local people loved and lost.

Both previous and potential customers have been invited.

It gives us an opportunity to hand out some of the lovely new

Holmes and Family postcards.

It gives us the chance to talk to everybody talk about

the volunteering scheme, and gives us

the chance to celebrate together how far we've come.

This time, it's up to Olly to take the lead.

Afternoon, everyone. Thank you very much for coming.

I'm sure you know why we're all here -

to remember someone we've lost close to us.

So, if I could invite you all to help yourself to a balloon

and we'll follow the band down to the park.

BAND PLAYS JAZZ

They've organised a funeral march with a difference through Fleet,

a fun way to bring everyone together, which will also make

people in the community aware of who they are.

It feels like the whole of Fleet has come out to see us pass

and the band is attracting attention.

Holmes and Family are on the map at last.

Even Toby's Facebook status may be useful at last.

The balloons that the family have organised each represent

a loved one that has passed away.

An event like this shows the community that Holmes

and Family care about the living, as well as the dead.

Thank you all for coming.

It means so much to us

to have Oliver committing his future to the business, which is terrific,

to know that the business will go on another generation.

We're here to release these balloons in memory of the people we've lost.

The people we're remembering tonight and it's not a miserable occasion,

it's a happy occasion, because life is all about celebration.

Remembering the best times and the happy times. If you're ready...

CHEERING

I like the personal touch. Very important.

Especially when you're feeling very vulnerable.

You want to know that you're going to be cared for

and it seems that's what this company does for you.

Sometimes, when you grieve, people don't want to talk to you cos

they don't want to say the wrong thing.

It's quite nice to get together to talk to one another

because everyone's grieved.

We're all in the same boat.

You do have to think about doing something like this annually.

It becomes so much a part of the community life that you're

the automatic thought when people have a bereavement.

They come to you because they've heard about you,

they know about your event, they've done fundraising.

They've seen it in the street.

Anything that you do that is out of the office has a value.

There's so many things that we can get on with now that will make a difference.

Especially the branding.

The shop front, the community project, the volunteering.

They're all such good things that will help us

build a good relationship with the people of Fleet.

I think what Alex has done for me is having that courage to step

away from the desk, out of my own environment.

We don't have to be a big corporation to do a big event.

We can do it on our own strengths.

I'm determined to make this business successful and see it grow.

I think it can because we've got the right people

and the right systems now.

We can't bury Giveaway Dave. I think he'll always be there,

because there will always be people that just don't have the money.

But, at the end of the day, we do need to pay the bills

and it is a business.

Some hopeful talk, but I can't deny this has been a bumpy ride.

For a large part of this,

I felt there was enormous resistance that I was working against.

It's been quite a frustrating experience, if I'm honest.

I feel like there's a lot more we could have done

and all I can do is hope that they've taken on board

the advice I've given them,

and that they're going to put some effort onto it.

I pin my hopes on Olly, frankly.

Four weeks later, they've had enough time to find out

if the changes have actually helped the business.

I think a lot more people have got to know us.

People have been coming in talking about the new shop here.

-Hello!

-Hi, David.

-What do you think of the new shop?

-I'm loving it.

Holmes and Family have seen a 30% increase in bookings,

which is subsidising a slow start to the Aldershot branch.

This is a reception area.

We open a new branch, you never know what's going to happen.

We're confident.

Proving Alex wrong.

You can't expect everything to change overnight.

I think everybody's reluctant to change generally in life.

If we don't like it, then we won't do it.

It's much easier to keep doing things the way you've always done them.

I don't think he'll turn into a different person, no.

He's probably stuck in his ways.

I remember you.

However, the family are making slow,

tentative steps forwards with the volunteering scheme.

-What jobs would you say you're able to offer?

-Any DIY job.

They're really nice.

And the one-stop shop.

The big news is Olly's role is much more concrete in the firm.

-First time in your life.

-My own business cards.

The person who's changed the most has been Oliver.

His confidence has clearly grown.

It's forced him to step up and become more responsible.

Holmes and Family means everything to me.

Now I've chosen to carry on, it feels like it's going to be a career for me

rather than a stop-gap.

This is something I really do a good job with.

And David's passion for the business seems to have been reignited.

My feelings have certainly changed towards my job.

I can remember thinking I had passed my peak maybe.

Now I feel my best days lie ahead rather than behind me.

The future of the family business looks safe.

So, you're confident, happy? Everything's under control?

I can see Oliver taking over and becoming a career funeral director.

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