Aug 15, 2014
Even after completing mortuary science programs and internships, funeral directors never stop learning and must complete continuing education classes throughout their career. At ASD, we’ve adopted a similar philosophy in our approach to training and staff retention. We understand the enormous level of trust our clients have invested in our service. Our comprehensive 6-month Training Program ensures that new employees recognize the importance of protecting your sensitive phone calls. However, even after completing training, ASD Call Specialists must continue to develop and sharpen their skills.
Below are just a few of the ways ASD regularly monitors and evaluates our staff:
- Every single call ASD handles is recorded. We log every call that we answer including hang-ups and wrong numbers and all calls can be reviewed on our website, mobile app or voicemail system. Listening to messages lets ASD clients know how families are treated and protects potential new business opportunities.
- The moment an ASD Call Specialist begins to gather first call information, a notification will appear for Supervisors and Managers alerting them ASD is handling a First Call. If the call is not dispatched within a short time frame, they will be alerted again to check on the status of the call. Creating these real-time safety mechanisms within ASD’s systems eliminates the possibility of a client losing a business opportunity due to an operator’s error.
- Calls are calibrated on a routine basis for quality, professionalism and sensitivity. A thorough scoring system that evaluates tonality, message accuracy, call control and other important ASD standards is used to calibrate calls for every ASD employee.
- Managers regularly review calibration scores with Call Specialists and discuss any areas in need of improvement. Monitoring calibration scores also helps us to recognize talent and skill so we can determine which employees are best suited to train others or work on special projects.
- Supervisors oversee calls 24/7 to handle any situation that might fall into a gray area and to monitor employee performance.
- Managers and Supervisors informally meet on a daily basis to discuss daily issues. There are multiple scheduled meetings as well to share ideas and brainstorm solutions that enhance ASD’s customer service and staff morale.
- ASD has programmed a feature that allows Supervisors and Managers to listen in on any call in progress and automatically shift from one call to the next. This tool can be used to monitor a specified group of employees such as new hires to evaluate tonality and call control.
- Interactive training videos, continuing education classes and an open forum to share ideas allow ASD Call Specialists to further develop their skills.
- Every ASD employee signs off on a Confidentiality and Level of Service Contract to ensure they will not disclose any private funeral information.
There is always something new to learn when handling life’s most sensitive and difficult calls. We recognize that you may have worked multiple generations to earn the trust of the families you serve. Our ongoing training efforts, employee monitoring and complete transparency ensure that your funeral home is always represented by professional, empathetic and competent staff.
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
