STERLING, VA (August 20, 2010) ? The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association now offers the “First Impression” cremation phone shopper program to help owners and managers determine the type of impression their staff is making when answering a call for cremation information.
“Many people in our industry think of cremation phone shoppers as being primarily price-oriented,” said ICCFA Director of Cremation Services Julie A. Burn, CCrE, CSE. “But in reality, many of them are concerned more with value than with cost. A cremation call is an opportunity to provide immediate value by providing exceptional customer service and education. It is an opportunity to capture the fastest growing market in your community.”
Through the program, Burn acts as a consumer requesting information on cremation. The results of the telephone conversation are provided along with basic recommendations on how staff can improve their communication skills with the phone shopper. It assists participants in determining:
- What their staff is communicating to today’s cremation consumer
- Whether their staff is fully promoting the value of their company
- Whether they would do business with the person representing their company
- Whether there is a need for a staff phone shopper training program
The cost of the program for ICCFA members is $85 per call for one to five calls and $75 per call for six or more calls. The cost for non-members is $125 per call for one to five calls and $115 per call for six or more calls. For information, contact the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700 or visit http://www.iccfa.com/cremation/resources/phoneshopper.
