East Chicago -- Ivy Tech Community College Northwest's East Chicago campus was the host site of the Batesville Casket Company's innovative customer service program - the Honoring Lives Tour - on September 10 - 11. Fifty-five participants, including Ivy Tech mortuary science students and licensed funeral directors from Illinois and Indiana, went through the mobile tour centers. The Tour, which travels throughout cities and towns in North America, provides funeral directors and their staff an opportunity to enhance their skills and learn about innovative products and programs.

Batesville undertook this unique approach to customer relations to make it easier for funeral directors and their staff. Traditionally, professionals were invited to visit in Batesville. However, because funeral directors are on call 24/7, it was difficult in many cases for independent firms and their staff to find the necessary time to visit Batesville.

Rick Soria, program chair of mortuary sciences at Ivy Tech said, "It is imperative that today's mortuary science professional understand how to listen to what families expect from their funeral director. As the leader in casket manufacturing, Batesville provides resources to our future funeral professionals which enable them to be successful practitioners. We are proud of our professional relationship with such a leader in the funeral industry."

Visitors to the tour learned about solutions to running a business and serving the value-driven customer as well as several challenges facing funeral service today - the rising rates of cremation and obesity, evolving technology, and increasing desires for personalization by consumers.

"We are pleased that the College hosts such events like the Batesville Tour for local funeral directors. Batesville offering a continuing education credit for participating allows us to earn required continuing hours at a local venue. It is often times difficult to break away from the funeral home but bringing Batesville to East Chicago makes it easier for us," adds Ivy Tech mortuary sciences advisory board chair Jim Burns of Burns Funeral Home, Crematory, and Pet Crematory.

The two Honoring Lives tour centers made stops in more than 261 cities throughout North America since starting in 2005. During this time period, the tour center hosted more than 15,000 funeral professionals from more than 7000 firms. In addition, students from approximately twenty mortuary schools visited the mobile displays.