ASD Enhances Company Training Program with Group Training and Continuing Education Sessions
Media, PA—ASD – Answering Service for Directors recently enhanced the company’s training facilities to include a state-of-the-art Group Training center for new employees. With synced computers and a large projection screen, ASD’s Group Training center provides trainees with an in-depth look at ASD’s sophisticated computer systems. Question and answer sessions ensure new hires advance through the training program at the same level.
ASD’s Group Training classes are being taught by experienced employee, Diego Meneses, who has been with the ASD team since 2006. Before being promoted to his current Supervisor position in 2014, Diego worked as a Training Specialist teaching new hires how to handle calls professionally and compassionately. As ASD’s Group Training instructor, Diego’s goal is to ensure new employees graduate from group training with a strong understanding of how funeral homes operate and ASD’s role in protecting each and every call.
“My training experience has come from the mindset that training is constant,” Diego says. “As a Marine, I was in an environment where training is everything and all the time. When it came to leadership training, Marines always trained their replacements. That means you grow your people to eventually take your job or your place when you leave or move up. I still think that way. At ASD, I teach each new employee to answer every call with compassion, courtesy, patience and understanding. I teach them call control is saying the right things in a courteous and compassionate way in order to gain the caller’s trust. Everything else I try to teach is built around that simple mindset.”
Every month, hundreds of applicants apply for positions at ASD, but only a select few make it through ASD’s rigorous, 6-month training program. At the end of each two-week group training class, new hires advance to the second stage of the program: one-on-one training with a designated Training Specialist. These veteran employees mentor new Call Specialists and evaluate each employee’s performance with Supervisors signing off on every step of the process.
In order to take calls independently, new employees must be able to speak gently and professionally on the phone with the understanding that it may be the worst day of the caller’s life. Additionally, trainees must demonstrate full comprehension of ASD’s proprietary systems developed exclusively for funeral professionals by the company’s technical team. By ensuring that all Call Specialists meet this essential criterion, ASD has been able to build an experienced and skilled team with very little staff turnover. More than 50 employees have worked at the company for 7 years or longer.
In addition to supporting new employees by introducing interactive group training sessions, ASD has also expanded the company’s continuing education program for all employees. These helpful classes allow our staff to learn about different funeral customs and increase their expertise. ASD’s continuing education classes are taught by a retired local funeral director who can provide real-life examples and answer questions based on personal experiences.
“Training is crucial to everything we do here at ASD because of the enormous responsibility entrusted to us by funeral directors,” says ASD Vice President, Kevin Czachor. “By creating new learning tools and allowing our staff to continually grow their knowledge base, ASD can offer a higher level of service to funeral homes while fostering a supportive company culture.”
About ASD
ASD – Answering Service for Directors has created a new class of answering service for the funeral profession. Family owned and operated since 1972, ASD blends state-of-the-art technology with an intensive, 6-month training program focusing on compassionate care. The company’s custom-built communication systems and sophisticated mobile tools were designed solely to meet the needs of funeral homes. With patented solutions, ASD’s smartphone app was recognized as the winner of the 2012 NFDA Innovation Award after revolutionizing communications for thousands of funeral homes nationwide. By offering funeral directors unmatched protection for their calls, ASD has redefined the role of an answering service for funeral homes. For more information, visit www.myASD.com or call 1-800-868-9950.
