Jul 03, 2012
Happy 4th from ASD!
From everyone here at ASD, we wish you and your family a happy and fun 4th of July holiday! Last year on July 4th, ASD answered 98 percent of all calls by the fourth ring, and 88 percent by the first ring! Every major holiday, ASD creates a special schedule that includes all of our employees. While our call specialists work shorter shifts, scheduling all of our operators increases the overlap of employees to guarantee the office is never short staffed.
Enjoy these long Summer days with confidence that your calls are always our top priority. You don’t have to be on the phone to be in control of your business. ASD is here to professionally and compassionately answer your calls anytime you need a break.
Meet Our Newest Supervisor: William Leighton
We are excited to welcome William Leighton to our experienced team of Supervisors. Bill was hired as a Call Specialist in 2007 when he was 18 and just starting college at Villanova University. Managers quickly noticed Bill’s eagerness to learn and to teach others. He was promoted to a Training Specialist position within a year. In 2010, Bill began taking on new responsibilities as an Assistant Supervisor while earning his Bachelor’s degree. Bill gradated with a degree in Business Management last Spring.
ASD has always been a highly appealing work environment for young professionals looking to start their career. The average ASD has been with the company for over six years, largely because ASD offers employees tuition reimbursement and opportunities to grow within our company. As a supervisor, Bill will help clients with account updates, oversee training, and provide support to the Call Specialist team. His years of experience handling funeral home calls will help him to assist our clients with the highest level of customer service.
According to Bill, “I have grown as an employee and more importantly as a person during my career at ASD by trying to emulate the outstanding staff around me. Their dedication to their work, our clients, and to one another has been a major influence on me and has helped me reach my career and personal goals. I cannot think of a better environment to grow up in.”
ADOPT-A-HERO: Round 2!
ADOPT-A-HERO: Round 2!ASD sent out four more care packages last week to the soldiers we were connected with through the ADOPT-A-HERO program. We hope that our care packages reach our soldiers without delay and in time for the 4th of July holiday. Recently, we were happy to learn that one of our heroes, who is also the nephew of a longtime Supervisor, will be returning early from Afghanistan very soon. If you are interested in becoming involved with the ADOPTA-HERO program, visit their website to learn more. The program makes it easy to get involved–they simply help you make the connection . Click here for more information.
Outstanding Service Awards
Outstanding Service AwardsEach week, ASD recognizes four employees with an “Outstanding Service Award.” This special recognition is given to the ASD Staff who exhibit the sensitivity and attention to detail that set ASD apart from other answering services. Here are some recent “Outstanding Service Award” winners:
►Training Specialist, Denise, patiently handled a call from a woman who had arrived at the funeral to view her mother only to find the doors were locked.
►Call Specialist, Kiara, compassionately assisted a grieving family member who was calling to report a passing. The funeral director called in later to thank Kiara personally.
►Training Specialist, Bill, gathered time-sensitive First Call information from a hospice nurse that initially only wanted to speak to a director.
►Call Specialist, Alisha, calmly defused an irate caller who was angry she had not received her ex husband’s death certificate.
Click here to see last week’s winners.
Blast from the Past
ASD’s Billing Manager was going through some old boxes when she stumbled across a clever little poem that a client wrote to us back in 2001! What do you think? Does ASD make a good muse or what?
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
