Dec 17, 2021
Christmas is a time of giving and we’d like to give you a huge thanks for being our valued clients. We hope you enjoy a well-deserved rest this Christmas and wish you a happy holiday season!
From everyone here at ASD, we just wanted to take a moment to share how much we value the work of funeral professionals. Your hard work and perseverance over the past two years has truly been a thing to behold. More than ever we feel truly privileged to be able to work with such dedicated individuals who do not cower from adversity despite extreme pressure and lack of recognition. We see your extraordinary efforts and commend you for all the ways you have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support grieving families.
Despite the increased workload and added stress, funeral directors have stepped up in so many ways in an effort to bring comfort to others at Christmastime. There is no corner of our country that has been left untouched by this pandemic. More than anyone, funeral directors understand how much families are hurting. In response to the enormous need for support, many have updated their annual holiday services and traditions in recent times to ensure these important events could still be held. Families who are suffering a loss need to understand they are not invisible or alone and funeral homes have done a tremendous job promoting that message within their communities. In so many ways, funeral directors are truly the unsung heroes of the holidays.
We’ll Be Here For Christmas, You Can Count On Us
ASD understands that being on call on Christmas is a reality for many funeral directors. We realize that the time you have with your family is often interrupted so you can help others in their time of need. But just because you must be available at all times does not mean you should have to be interrupted with every incoming call your funeral home receives on such an important day. As usual, ASD will have staff available 24-hours a day to assist you. We can screen your calls according to your specific preferences and contact you only if a death or urgent situation occurs. With the upcoming holiday approaching, our goal is to provide you with the peace of mind you need to spend this special time with friends and family.
The days of feeling caged by your phone lines during the Christmas season are over. ASD is here to set you free.
With so much on your plate, it can be a challenge to carve out time to spend with your loved ones enjoying holiday traditions like baking, shopping for gifts and watching Christmas classics. Here at ASD, our goal is to provide you with the peace of mind you need to spend this special time with friends and family. Let us give you the gift of more freedom this holiday season. Click on the image below for some of our tips for helping you enjoy this magical time without interruption.
At ASD, we don’t start talking about Christmas a week or two before the day arrives…we begin looking ahead more than a month in advance. With responsive plans and a close eye on the upcoming schedule, we can forecast well ahead of every holiday to provide the most consistent and reliable service available. Christmas, New Years Day and the entire holiday season is fully staffed with back up support so you can enjoy those days knowing that your phones are protected. Our employees are committed to working on the holidays, which is why last year on Christmas Day we answered 94 percent of all calls on the first ring and 99 percent by the fourth ring. Every year, we create a special holiday schedule that includes all of our Call Specialists. While our operators work shorter shifts, scheduling everyone increases the overlap of employees to ensure our office is never under staffed.
We understand holidays may impact how you respond to your messages. Our custom-built systems allow us to update your ASD account based on your needs any time, day or night. Please let us know if you have any special On-Call schedules for the upcoming holidays. We have systems in place to assure you are only being contacted for messages of the utmost importance to you.
These calls include:
► Death Calls Prearrangements & Pricing
► Families calling regarding current services
► Near Death situations
► Calls from other Funeral Homes
► Anyone requesting an immediate call back
If you would like to be called ONLY for the situations listed above, please advise our Call Specialist when checking out that you should be reached for CODE YELLOW calls. All other calls will be available via the website, mobile app & voicemail system. If you have any questions or would like to customize your holiday instructions, please contact ASD Supervision 24/7 at 800-868-9950, fax instructions to 800-595-3956 or email operations@myASD.com. You can also click here to learn more about the different checkout options we provide to meet your changing needs.
If 2020 was a year to bring us to our lowest point, then 2021 was the year for helping one another face a new reality. For thousands of families across the country, that new reality is made all the more stark during the holidays by empty chairs and unhung stockings. Many are struggling to cope with recent losses and may need a lot of extra love this year. To help support families who may need guidance for getting through the holidays, we have included a few helpful articles and lists below we think are worth sharing with grieving families:
Whats Your Grief: 64 Tips for Coping with Grief at the Holidays
Denver Post: Lonely but Not Alone: Dealing with Grief During the Holidays
Refuge in Grief: Those Terrible Holidays
Good Housekeeping: How I’m Remembering Lost Loved Ones This Holiday
Cake: 27 Quotes About Grief & the Holiday Season
Funeral Homes Deck the Halls
It was love at frost sight when we saw these photos of funeral homes all decked out for the holiday season. When it comes to decorating for Christmas, these guys are sleigh-in it! TOP ROW: Chiampa Funeral in Shrewsbury, MA & Hanneman Funeral Home in Bowling Green OH. MIDDLE ROW: Traunero Funeral Home in Tiffin, OH, Ogle and Paul R Young Funeral Home in Oxford, OH & F. Ruggerio and Sons Funeral Home in Yonkers, NY. BOTTOM ROW: Mayhew-Brown Funeral Home in Jackson, OH & Mountain View Funeral Home & Cemetery in Mesa, AZ.
A Tribute To Funeral Director Santas
ASD is shining a red and green spotlight on a few funeral directors that definitely deserve to be on the nice list. These Kris Kringles bring smiles and Christmas joy to their communities by trading in their funeral director apparel to don Santa’s famous red suit. To be a funeral director, one must be able to wear many hats and manage multiple tasks at once. So it’s no surprise that these funeral directors are able to step into the big man’s shoes and take on the role of St. Nick! (Featured: Todd Wilson of Wilson Family Funeral Home in Minneapolis, KS, John Condon of John P Condon Funeral Home in Leonardo, NJ, Todd Harra of McCrery and Harra Funeral Home in Wilmington, DE and David Fry of Fry Funeral Home in Tipton, IA.
12 Days of Christmas: Funeral Home Remix
We rewrote the “12 Days of Christmas” to apply to a typical day in the life of a funeral director. Hope you enjoy!
ASD’s #FuneralDirectorFacts Holiday Image Shared More than 250,000 times on Social Media
An information graphic created by ASD has certainly struck a cord with thousands of funeral directors on social media. The image was created to spotlight the sacrifices made by funeral directors who work on-call during holidays to provide support to their communities. Many people outside of the profession are unaware of the many ways funeral professionals devote themselves to others. ASD shares #FuneralDirectorFacts to help educate others about the dedication of directors. Each fact focuses on a different way funeral directors go beyond the call of duty to serve families.
With Christmas approaching, many funeral directors are prepared to miss holiday celebrations at home if a family in need requires their services. ASD wanted to highlight this sacrifice and create an information graphic that funeral directors could feel proud to share. We are thrilled that so many funeral professionals have related to our #FuneralDirectorFacts. The graphic has now been shared online more than 255,000 times! Watching a positive funeral director image go viral is a thrill for us at ASD.
From everyone here at ASD, we extend to you our blessings for a joyous Christmas and prosperous New Year! We hope you enjoy every magical moment of the holiday season with confidence knowing your phones are always protected. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to make the holidays brighter for you and your family. Our supervisors are available 24/7 to make any changes or updates.
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
