When a loved one dies at 2:00 a.m. and a family member calls a funeral home, who answers the phone at that hour? While some funeral directors answer the phone themselves 24/7, in many cases, a midnight call will be taken by an answering service.
In this interview with Kathy Kelley with ASD, the Answering Service for Directors, she explains the benefits for both families and funeral directors. ASD has been in business since 1972, specializing in answering calls solely for the funeral industry.
“We’re able to take the calls for the funeral directors 24/7, so they can sleep, take vacations with their families, work with families that are currently in their system already, and help them out,” said Kelley. “We act as their receptionist, and we gather all the information needed and reach out to the funeral director on call to let them know they need to help this family.”
The funeral home can also forward calls on an overflow basis, letting the answering service know who’s on call and what things to say. ASD can get in touch with funeral directors by text, by phone, and through an app they created to help manage calls they field for the funeral home.
The people who answer the phones at ASD are specially trained to handle calls with empathy, accuracy and patience. “They can help a family in their time of need,” said Kelley.
Unlike other answering services, ASD only works for funeral and cremation businesses. Learn more at www.MyASD.com.