ASD Prepares In Advance for Hurricane Sandy
At ASD – Answering Service for Directors, we understand that you can’t control the weather, but you can control how you prepare for it. As many funeral directors on the East Coast are bracing for the affects of Hurricane Sandy, ASD wanted to let their clients know what measures they have taken to prepare for events like this.
For over five years, ASD’s owners searched for a building that met both their safety and technological requirements before choosing the current location in Media, PA. The company’s newly constructed, solid brick building houses countless fiber optic cables reaching multiple carriers, ensuring that an outage of one provider will not shut down ASD’s operations. The onsite backup power generating station is strong enough to supply all energy needs until local electricity is restored.
ASD’s location was chosen specifically because it is not located near any flood plains or low lying trees. However, not all of the company’s employees are located in the safest areas so ASD maintains an open door policy and will provide accommodations so their staff and their families can stay overnight at ASD if necessary. During Hurricane Irene, over 40 ASD employees camped out and took calls in the morning to ensure their clients’ calls were protected through the storm. For some employees, ASD’s headquarters became a required shelter due to mandatory evacuations for flood prone areas. Children and relatives of staff members were welcome to take refuge from the storm.
ASD’s large, 15,000 square foot building provided enough space and comfort for staff members of all ages. The company’s facility is also equipped with a full alarm monitoring system to regulate any abnormalities that might affect the safety of their employees. Despite the size and scope of Hurricane Irene, ASD performed at high capacity, answering more than 98 percent of calls by the fourth ring, and over 85 percent of those were answered by the first ring. During this timeframe, ASD compassionately handled more than 1500 first calls.
ASD encourages funeral directors to take their Virtual Tour on the company’s Google+ Local page to view the facility in high-definition and see how the company has invested in their infrastructure.
ASD hopes that everyone remains safe throughout the storm and welcomes their clients to contact them 24/7 if there is anything else that came be done to help during this time.
About ASD
ASD is the leader in answering services and call support for funeral professionals. Family owned and operated, ASD 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. The company’s intensive training programs ensures that the potential value of every call is recognized and communicated to directors in the most cost efficient way. ASD’s innovative technology, custom-built systems and call support expertise have made it a national leader in the death care profession. Headquartered in Media, Pennsylvania, ASD offers comprehensive answering services for funeral homes and funeral related businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit www.myASD.com or call 1-800-868-9950.
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Twitter: @myASDcalls
