Funeral Communications Now

ASD Wins NFDA Innovation Award

Kevin Czachor Accepting ASD's Innovation Award from the NFDA

On Monday, October 8th, ASD was named the winner of the NFDA's 2012 Innovation Award. ASD was recognized for our game-changing Smart Phone application, ASD Mobile, which has revolutionized communication for thousands of funeral homes nationwide. The innovation award represents the pinnacle of achievement for a funeral service vendor. We are honored to receive this award from the world's leading funeral service association.

Established in 2009, the NFDA Innovation Award is given annually to a funeral service vendor whose product or service represents creativity, innovation and excellence. A distinguished panel of judges selected ASD Mobile as one of the five finalists for the award. After the 2012 finalists were selected, the funeral service community had several months to vote on the product or service they felt deserved the award.

ASD Family-Member Owner Kevin Czachor was on stage to accept the prestigious award at the Opening General Session. Within minutes of the announcement, ASD's social sites lit up with comments from funeral professionals showing their support and appreciation for the app. To all of our clients and friends that voted for ASD Mobile to win the 2012 NFDA Innovation Award, thank you for helping ASD Mobile become an AWARD-WINNING app!

Walk Through Our Office From the Comfort of Your Chair!

ASD's Virtual Tour Displayed on Google

For many years, we have wanted to show funeral professionals the technology and infrastructure in place here at ASD. Thanks to Frank Clark and the Google Trusted Photo MD Team

ASD now has a

high-definition Virtual Tour of our facility. The crisp detail, focused images and panoramic views make you feel as if you are walking through our building. Use the arrow keys to move from room to room or zoom in on anything you would like to see in greater detail.

You can see our Google Virtual Tour anytime on our Google+ Local page.

The ASD team had an incredible experience this month attending the NFDA convention. The largest gathering of funeral directors in the world featured spectacular exhibits, dynamic speakers and a full lineup of exciting events and opportunities for us to connect with funeral directors from around the country. For ASD, the most memorable moment was winning the 2012 Innovation Award. We are so grateful to the NFDA for making ASD's experience at the convention one we will never forget.

We were happy to give away some spectacular booth prizes this year including several 40-inch flat screen TVs, bamboo keyboards, a free Virtual Tour from Google Trusted Photographer, and a premium listing webpage from Funeral Home Resource. Congratulations to the following winners:

Craig Olson - West Funeral Home in Casselton, ND
Joe Coyle - Coyle Funeral Home in Toledo, OH
Randy Grime - Sheets & Child Funeral Home in Churubusco, IN
Martin Szabat - Brugger Funeral Home in Erie, PA
Jon Reichmuth - Reichmuth Funeral Home in Elkhorn, NE

After every trade show, the ASD team returns with ideas and inspiration for the next year. We are already looking forward to the 2013 Convention in Austin, TX. Thanks again and we'll see you all next year!

Read Kevin Czachor's 3-Part Series in the Funeral Business Advisor

Kevin Czachor was recently published in the Funeral Business Advisor. Kevin's article, "Raising the Bar: How to Choose the Right Vendor for your Funeral Home" ran as a 3-part series in the May/June, July/August and September/October issues of the magazine. Kevin's series helps funeral directors to determine what criteria to use when selecting the companies they work with.

In Part One of this 3-part series, Kevin identifies how to fully evaluate a funeral home vendor's experience, transparency and reputation.

Part Two provides information on how to compare the technical capabilities of different companies and discusses the benefits of making a personal connection with a vendor.

Part Three examines some final considerations that should be made before entering into a long-term contract and discusses how to monitor the vendor's service after you become a customer.

Click here to read all three parts of Kevin's series on our blog.

ASD Clients Have Received Over

$40,000 in Rewards Credits!

Start sharing in the savings and

reduce your answering service cost by 50% or more!

The organizations and associations listed below have endorsed ASD as their preferred answering service, supported our company as a business partner or selected ASD for a vendor membership:

ASD is proud to be a Preferred Partner of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association.

ASD is thrilled to be selected as a Provider of Preference by the North Carolina Funeral Directors Association.

ASD is proud to be a Special Vendor Member of the California Funeral Directors Association.

ASD is honored to join the Virginia Funeral Directors Association's Partnership Program.

ASD Supports the IFDA as a Provider of Preference

ASD is proud to be a Business Member of the OGR

This week, our Call Specialist Chanica handled a call from a gentleman who spoke very limited English. The caller initially wanted to hang up when the director did not answer, but Chanica spoke slowly and patiently, eventually discovering that a person had just passed away.

Due to the customs and language barrier, the caller did not directly state that a death had occurred until late into the call. Chanica's patience and sharp instincts helped her to determine this was a new First Call for the funeral home.

Chanica is this week's "Sensitive Save of the Week" winner.

We were thrilled to learn that 30 of our clients took home the Pursuit of Excellence Award at the NFDA convention. Congratulations to the following winners:

Anderson-Burris Funeral Home & Crematory, Enid, OK

Arrington Funeral Directors, Jackson, TN

Baird Funeral Home, Troy, OH

Ballard-Durand Funeral & Cremation Services, White Plains, NY

Bartolomeo & Perotto Funeral Home Inc., Rochester, NY

The Branch Funeral Home, Smithtown, NY

Burritt Hill Funeral Home, New Britain, CT

E. Blake Collins Funeral Home, Wilkes Barre, PA

Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton, MD

French Funeral Home, Brazil, IN

Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Spokane, WA

Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, New Haven, CT

Kapinos-Mazur Funeral Home, Ludlow, MA

Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., Hamburg, NY

Mangano Funeral Home, Inc., Deer Park, NY

Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services, Mount Morris, MI

Martin Funeral Home - Fairgrove, Fairgrove, MI

Martin Funeral Home - Vassar, Vassar, MI

Morman Funeral Home, Wakeman, OH

Newington Memorial Funeral Home, Newington, CT

Old Bridge Funeral Home, Old Bridge, NJ

Proko Funeral Home, Kenosha, WI

Routsong Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Kettering, OH

Savage Funeral Service, Binghamton, NY

Sharer-Stirling-Skivolocke Funeral Home, Alliance, OH

Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, Fairfield, CT

West Funeral Homes, Inc., West Fargo, ND

Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Royal Oak, MI

Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home - Utica, Utica, MI

Wonderly Horvath Hanes Funeral Home & Crematory, Fremont, OH

Find Out Why ASD is America's #1 Funeral Home-Exclusive Answering Service

No extra costs for nights, weekends and holidays

Family Owned and Operated since 1972

We tell you on what ring we answer your line

90% of all calls are answered on the 1st Ring

All calls are recorded for 100% accuracy

One location in the USA - ASD NEVER outsources calls

Free advanced web features

Customizable Email and Text Messaging

Supervisor assistance available 24/7

Call 1-800-868-9950 or email [email protected] for more information.

Contact ASD

Family owned and operated, ASD - Answering Service for Directors blends state-of-the-art technology with an experienced team of knowledgable Call Specialists that possess a high level of understanding of the funeral process.

Find out why ASD is the most trusted answering service for funeral homes with a 30 day, no risk FREE TRIAL of our service. Be sure to ask about our 40th Anniversary Special.

1-800-868-9950

[email protected]

ASD ON THE ROAD:

Our Photos from the NFDA Convention (click to enlarge)

Thank you to Lacy at Aurora Casket for taking this photo of ASD Family-Member Owners, Kevin Czachor, Kathy Kelley, Marty Czachor, Jr. & Project Manager Lauren Kress

Thank you to the NFDA for this gorgeous flower arrangement

ASD Accounts Receivable Manager, Dara Dix & Treasurer, Kathy Kelley speaking to a funeral director at our booth

ASD's Rewards Partner Cocktail Party was a blast. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Project Manager, Lauren Kress & Accounts Receivable Manager, Dara Dix with Ashley Montroy of the FrontRunner Professional team. Thanks for stopping by our booth Ashley!

ASD in the News

The NFDA Recognizes ASD with 2012 NFDA Innovation Award

8 Things Funeral Service Can Learn from NFDA 2012

Raising the Bar: How to Choose the Right Vendors For Your Funeral Home (the complete series)

OFDA Partner Wins NFDA 2012 Innovation Award

VIDEO: Opening General Session of NFDA Convention

ASD Clients in the News

Understanding the Undertaking

Nelsen Funeral Home & Crematory Celebrates 120 Years

Pennsylvania Funeral Home Puts the 'Fun' in Funeral

Bartolomeo and Perotto Funeral Home to Provide Christmas Stockings for Soldiers

We Want to Hear Your Stories!

ASD would love to profile your funeral home for our blog or industry publications. If you have an exciting story to tell, event you are planning or information you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you! Contact ASD's Staff Writer, Jessica Fowler, at [email protected]

ASD Rewards Partners:

For more information, click on any of the Partner logos below.

Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

We are at a loss for words after seeing photos of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. To our friends in New Jersey and New York, we are keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers as you work to rebuild your communities.

We are trying to determine what funeral homes are in need of assistance and get the word out to others. If your funeral home was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, click here or email [email protected] to let us know how we can help.

If you would like to help a funeral home that is requesting supplies or aid, visit our blog for more information.

Coming Soon:

"ASD Mobile for Android"

On July 17th, ASD began Beta Testing our "ASD Mobile for Android" app. This full-featured app is a mobilized solution to help directors manage every aspect of their ASD

account. As of today, over 100 Funeral Homes are Beta Testing our app and using

"ASD Mobile for Android" to manage their ASD account.

The feedback and suggestions we have received have helped us to enhance the app's performance and ensure it is fully functional on all Android devices. We expect to release the app to the Google Play Store very soon. Be sure to check back for more updates.

ASD Technology Partners

The following companies have developed software that can integrate with ASD.

For more information, click on any of our Technology Partners below.

Past Issues of Funeral Communications Today

2012

2011

ASD's Pledge to Clients

Our top-quality service maintains the highest degree of professionalism with extensive training, careful monitoring and cutting-edge technology that tracks and records every incoming call. We understand that our voice may be the first impression a family member has of your funeral home and continually review your calls so that every time your phone rings, an experienced and compassionate operator will be there to answer.

Sincerely,

The Czachor Family

ASD Founders & Family-Member Owners

Connect with ASD - Answering Service for Directors 24/7.