• arrange for the removal of bodies from private homes, hospitals and sometimes from accident scenes
• give advice on funeral arrangements
• preserve, prepare and keep bodies for viewing before burial or cremation
• arrange and direct funerals, which may include booking the cemetery or crematorium, arranging death notices in newspapers, printing order of service sheets, organising audiovisual presentations, and arranging music and flowers
• organise the after-service reception, including the catering
• confirm the issue and verification of a medical certificate or obtain a Coroner's Certificate
• register the death and obtain a death certificate
• attend the funeral service and look after the family
• transport the casket from the service to the burial or cremation
• clean vehicles 
• help with legal details, such as Work and Income (WINZ) and Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claims
• make arrangements, such as booking the airline, to send deceased people overseas from New Zealand.

Funeral directors/embalmers may specialise in either funeral directing or embalming, however most are trained and qualified in both areas.