Mar 05, 2013
ASD in American Funeral Director Magazine
Pick up this month’s issue of American Funeral Director magazine to read “A Winning Game” by Licensed Funeral Director and Writer Kim Stacey. Kim’s article discusses how using an outdated operational playbook to run your funeral home can prevent you from moving forward. The article argues that local vendors who are unfamiliar with the unique aspects of funeral service client relationships can do a lot to damage your business. ASD is honored to be featured in this article as an example of a funeral exclusive company dedicated to serving the specific needs of funeral directors. You can read the article on our blog next month or click here to subscribe to American Funeral Director.
Meet Our New Rewards Partner: Bluefin Payment Systems
ASD is pleased to introduce our newest Rewards Partner, Bluefin Payment Systems. Bluefin Payment Systems is a leading provider of merchant account services to the funeral profession. Funeral professionals can take advantage of Bluefin’s virtual terminal to process customer payments from any PC, tablet or smartphone, while offering their families the convenience of paying for services over time with Bluefin’s recurring billing feature. This will allow ASD clients to process payments without ever tying up the funeral home’s phone line. Additionally, clients will receive an exclusive discount on each transaction with Bluefin in the form of an ASD credit.
“ASD has created a new class of answering services exclusively for funeral homes,” says John Perry, CEO of Bluefin. “This falls in line with our commitment to the funeral profession, and combined we can offer superior products and services that will provide efficiency and convenience to funeral homes, directors and families.”
To learn more, log on to www.myASD.com and click on Bluefin’s banner on our Marketplace page.
ASD On The Road
ASD’s National Sales Manager, Jason Bathurst is looking forward to a great night at the Delaware State Funeral Directors Association‘s Officers Installation Banquet this Saturday, March 9th. Jason is excited to catch up with our Delaware clients and to enjoy a night of fellowship and fun. Hope to see you there!
ASD Family-Member Owner and Treasurer, Kathy Kelley, had a wonderful time attending MKJ’s seminar last year in Naples, CA with her daughter Melissa. Next week, Kathy will travel to South Beach, FL with her son Joey to attend the MKJ Seminars “Turn-Around Strategies For Building Your Funeral Home Business” & “Websites and Social Media, What Works: 2013.” Kathy is looking forward to networking with funeral professionals and hearing from the dynamic lineup of insightful speakers.
ASD Family Member Owner Kevin Czachor will be presenting a class on March 7 at the Virginia Funeral Directors Associationn (VFDA) ‘s Traveling Caravan event. The event will take place at Mary Washington University Campus and Kevin’s class will be held from 3:15p to 4:15p following a full lineup of dynamic speakers. Kevin’s class will focus on how to use telecommunications to improve quality and service to families. Emphasis will be on using technology to improve high standards of service, communication with families to address their needs and enhancing services offered. Participants will analyze various scenarios under which telecommunications play a vital role in the customer experience and focus on ways funeral homes can increase service with the proper application of progressive cellular and internet technology.
To learn more about the VFDA’s Traveling Caravan event and Kevin’s class, click here.
Every year, ASD looks forward to theICCFA Convention and Expo for an opportunity to meet clients from across the country. If you’re attending, be sure to stop by our booth (#515) and ask about our latest features and promotions. ASD will be raffling off some amazing prizes and giving out some new and exciting FREE gifts we think you’ll love. We hope to see you there!
ASD’s “Sensitive Save of the Week”
ASD’s “Sensitive Save of the Week”This week, our Call Specialist, Barbara, handled an early morning call from a woman who only wanted to know when the funeral home would open. Barbara let the caller know that while the office was closed until 9a, there was always someone available. The caller then stated that her father passed and that she “didn’t want to have to make this call twice.” Barbara was able to compassionately reassure the caller that someone would be in touch with her without delay. She was then able to gather all of the necessary details and contact the director immediately, ensuring that the woman would not have to wait as she assumed before speaking to a director about her father’s passing. Barbara is this week’s ‘Sensitive Save of the Week’ Winner! Click here to see last week’s winner
In Case You Missed It…
Grumpy Cat has taken over the Internet and now, thanks to our favorite funeral blogger Caleb Wilde, Grumpy Cat has finally invaded the funeral profession too! We cracked up laughing after looking at the funeral-themed memes Caleb created using Grumpy Cat and thought you would get a kick out of them as well.
Click here to see more.
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
