May 14, 2014
The most crucial question a funeral director must consider when choosing vendors and products for their business is, “How will this decision affect the families I serve?” There are many factors that must be considered when selecting an answering service, but we know that the impact on families always comes first for funeral directors. For this reason, ASD has designed several tools and features that were created specifically to help funeral homes enhance the level of service offered to families.
Seamless communication allows directors to offer a high level of support and customer service. Our customizable features and programs help directors to respond quickly to families in need, capture critical pricing calls, and stay on top of all new activity, even when others are on-call. Many of these tools are patented and cannot be duplicated by other services. By improving inner office communication and helping everyone remain on the same page, ASD can greatly reduce the risk of a lost or mishandled First Call.
We know that your colleagues in the funeral profession best understand the specific challenges of your business. Here are some ways our clients say they have used ASD’s tools to enhance the level of service offered to families.
Intercept At-Need Calls in Progress
“I have the flexibility to either enter the call immediately and attend to the situation at hand to better serve our families or allow ASD to handle it. The call is still recorded, you can listen in on the conversation, and I love having the option to say I can immediately take care of the family or if I’m not able to. I’m still aware that there is a death call and am prepared in advance for it.”
–Thomas Gale, Director of Currie Funeral Home in Kilmarnock, VA.
Funeral directors like Thomas Gale are able to offer a personal touch to families without sacrificing convenience with our patented First Call Connect feature. Directors are notified the moment ASD begins to gather first call information and can connect into the call instantly, as if picking up a second line at the funeral home. Click here to learn more about First Call Connect.
Keep the Office At Your Fingertips
“ASD Mobile is a very quick, simple way to manage everything that our on-call attendants would ever need: from changing on-call order to managing obituaries to checking incoming calls. Push notification is a must for any person in the funeral business.”
–Chad Scott, Director of Lohr and Barb Funeral Home in Elkins, WV.
Families benefit when directors can access information and respond to their needs in less time. ASD’s NFDA Award-Winning app, ASD Mobile, helps make this possible by giving directors access to all telephone activity from any location. Directors can streamline tasks and use push notifications to control how, when and why they are notified of a new message. To learn more about ASD Mobile and to see a demo of our app, click here.
Don’t Let Price-Shoppers Hang Up
“I like the convenience of being able to handle price-shopper calls for the funeral home myself. It can be frustrating when I’m stretched for time, especially in the morning, to have to punch in numbers when I’d rather speak with family members without wasting time, so its a great help to just be patched directly to them. It gives family members the answer they need quicker so they’re happier and we’re happier.”
-Carlton Shamburger, Hawthorn Funeral Home in Carthage, TX.
With ASD’s Price-Patching feature, price shoppers are connected directly through to you rather than hanging up and contacting another funeral home. To learn more about ASD’s Price-Patching feature, click here.
Respond to Messages Without Making a Phone Call
Respond to Messages Without Making a Phone Call“We live in a rural area and I don’t always have cell phone service. I like that ASD can give me time to reply to our messages. It is helpful during funeral services because it gives you time to excuse yourself quietly or if you’re with a family making arrangements you don’t have to react immediately.”
-Scott Chwalek, Director of Peck & Peck Funeral Home in Copake, NY.
As a funeral director, you know that there will always be times when it is inconvenient to answer your cell phone. ASD can give you time to respond to your messages via push notification, text-message or email, ensuring you are never interrupted during sensitive times. Click here to learn more.
Stay On Top of Activity, Even When Others Are On-Call
“The First Call Report improves communication within the office. It comes in handy especially when another director is on call and takes a death call because it lets us know that the passing was handled during their shift so we can coordinate when we’re going to meet with families. We can line up the schedule for the day easier. It’s also great when we’re on the go, just knowing if I’m at an event that I can be alerted when a death call is in progress is very helpful.”
-Hector Ferrer, Director of Thomason Funeral Home in San Marcos, TX.
For funeral homes with multiple on-call staff members, it can be a challenge for everyone to remain on the same page. If at-need calls are not handled quickly, both families and the funeral home’s reputation can suffer. The First Call Report ensures that owners and managers can track first calls, even when others are on-call. Click here to learn more about ASD’s First Call Report.
Reduce Data Entry Tasks
“We enter our service information in one program and it’s able to disperse to ASD with one click of a button. It makes our life a lot simpler.”
-Joseph Bivona, Director of Sinatra Family of Funeral Homes in Yonkers, NY.
Spend more time with families and less time handling data entry tasks by syncing your funeral home’s management system or website software with ASD. This feature saves time and reduces errors which benefits both your staff and the families your funeral home serves. To learn more about ASD’s FuneralSync feature, click here.
If you’re interested in learning more about how these features can be customized for your funeral home, please contact us at 800-868-9950 for more information.
About The Author
Jess Farren (Fowler)
Jess Farren (Fowler) is a Public Relations Specialist and Staff Writer who has been a part of the ASD team since 2003. Jess manages ASD’s company blog and has been published in several funeral trade magazines. She has written articles on a variety of subjects including communication, business planning, technology, marketing and funeral trends. You can contact Jess directly at Jess@myASD.com
