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Weekly News at ASD

 

Dec 09, 2013

ICCFA and ASD Partner to Create Helpful Hotline

Beginning in 2014, ASD will be teaming up with the ICCFA to create a support hotline for members in need of counsel from a cremation expert. When ICCFA members call the hotline number, they will be connected to a Cremation Coach who can answer their questions. ASD will help members reach ICCFA’s Cremation advisors, Poul Lemasters, Esq., Julie A. Burns, CCRE, CSE, Nectar Ramirez, Ron Salvatore and Larry Stuart based on the subject matter and nature of their question.

“Many ICCFA members already count on ASD as a trusted call-handling partner. This new partnership gives us the opportunity to work directly with the association to help achieve our common goal of providing guidance and resources to ICCFA members,” says ASD Vice President, Kevin Czachor. “We have exhibited at the ICCFA convention for the past five years and have been very impressed by the interested in new opportunities and the willingness to listen and share the association’s members have shown. I think this will be a great opportunity for cremation specialists to get access to outstanding consultants in the field and for ASD to get to know more ICCFA members.”

Check out the November/December issue of the Funeral Business Advisor to learn more about the ICCFA’s new Cremation Central.


App Spotlight of the Month – Flowdock

Featured earlier this month on Mashable’s list of 15 Underrated Apps Every Entrepreneur Should Use, Flowdock is a team collaboration app for desktop computers, mobile devices and the web. The app allows teams to instantly collaborate on projects and emails with group chat and a shared inbox. File uploads, drag and drop tools, activity streams, and instant notifications help teams to work together more efficiently and from any location. What we love most about this app is how it keeps every team member on the same page regardless of their location, which is wonderful for funeral directors who are often in transit but need to remain connected to their staff at all times.


ASD to Host CE Classes for PA Funeral Directors

On Thursday, January 16, 2014, ASD will host six hours of continuing education in two separate three-hour classes right here at our office in Media. Funeral Professionals from Pennsylvania are welcome to register for one or both classes. Classes will be held from 8am-11am and 12:30-3:30p with a break for lunch and tours of ASD’s facility. All training will be conducted by David Bashline from Regulatory Support Services. Space is limited. To register or to learn more, please contact Lauren Kress or Jessica Fowler at 1-800-868-9950 ext. 4 or email Lauren@myasd.com.

Click here to learn more and to download the registration form.


ASD’s Sensitive Save of the Week

When someone is close to passing away, family members often struggle with pre-planning a funeral because they don’t want to be away from their loved one. This week our Call Specialist, Carrie, answered a call from an elderly woman whose husband was on hospice. The caller stated that she only had a short window of time to talk because she didn’t want to leave her husband’s bedside for too long. Carrie assured the caller that she could contact a director immediately and asked for her contact information. The woman became upset because she was calling from a cell phone but in her emotional state could not recall the number. Carrie then read the number saw on the Caller ID so the caller could confirm it was correct. By the end of the call, the woman had calmed down thanks to Carrie’s assurances that a director could answer her questions without delay. She is this week’s “Sensitive Save of the Week” Winner for recognizing the urgency of the call and using the tools she had at her disposal to help this upset caller.

Click here to see last week’s “Sensitive Save of the Week” winner!


ASD’s Monthly Employee Spotlight: Rose

In case you missed it, we featured our Assistant Supervisor, Rose, on our blog earlier this month. Rose, has been a vital asset to ASD for more than 9 years. With Rose’s 10-year Anniversary approaching, we wanted our clients to learn more about one of our most dedicated and caring employees. Rose has trained dozens of ASD employees and is a valued member of our Assistant Supervisor team. When she is not training new employees how to speak to funeral home callers, she is busy helping clients with updates to their accounts. Rose has proven her commitment to ASD time and time again through her exemplary work and outstanding attendance. Known affectionately around the office as “Rosie,” she is always lending a helping hand to others and her co-workers love the one-of-a-kind, hand-knitted gifts she creates when she is not doing outstanding work at ASD.

Click here to learn more about Rose.


Snow Days

We were hit with our first snow storm of the year this week and our town of Media was blanketed with over 8 inches of snow between Sunday and today. It’s hard to believe that Winter hasn’t even begun yet and already the snow is piling up across the country. Don’t forget to take extra precaution when traveling in Winter weather. Be sure to pre-program No-Answer Call Forwarding to divert calls to ASD in case you lose power or are unable to make it to the office. We make advance preparations for any major weather event and will be here to protect your phone lines no matter what Mother Nature throws at us! While snowy weather can certainly be a hassel for many, at least it makes for some beautiful scenery.

Photos captured by ASD Operations Director, Ric Cusumano.



 

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

 

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