Page B9 September 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on B MEDIA,PA— ASD–Answering Service for Directors recently launched a new feature to help facilitate communication between funeral professionals and at-need families. When handling a new first call from a family member, ASD will now offer to send the caller a text message from the funeral home that includes the next steps families can expect in the funeral planning process. This new solution, known as the NEXT STEP Text™, will allow funeral homes to position themselves as a resource to families from their very first call. Building a connection with families begins at the first moment of contact. Frequently, family members will have many questions and concerns on their mind while they are waiting for a return call. ASD created its NEXT STEP Text™ solution to provide families with a valuable resource they can focus on while waiting to speak to a funeral director. The text can be customized to include a link to any page on the funeral home website. “The time that occurs between ASD handling a death call and the on-call funeral director returning their call may be of a short duration, but a lot can happen in those few minutes. Having the ability to immediately send a text message with valuable information to that family demonstrates a higher level of customer care,” says ASD vice president and family-member owner, Kevin Czachor. “The great thing about our NEXT STEP Text™ is funeral directors don’t have do a thing on their end. It is built into our telephone systems and completely effortless for the funeral home. ASD is the only answering service in operation that has the training and technology in place to be able to offer this service.” In addition to immediately providing families with helpful information, the NEXT STEP Text™ also opens a new channel of communication for the funeral home. By initiating contact via text, this feature reinforces the funeral home’s commitment to customer service by giving families multiple ways to interact with the firm. In addition, ASD’s complementary MobileFH Texting® feature makes it possible for funeral professionals to send and receive text messages on their cell phone using the funeral home’s main phone number. This means that any replies from the family to the NEXT STEP Text™ will be logged within the ASD Mobile app and sent directly to the on-call funeral director. ASD is providing its NEXT STEP Text™ feature at no cost to help funeral professionals better serve families and their communities. The company is also in the process of developing several complementary features to its new NEXT STEP Text™ solution. ASD aims to work closely with funeral homes who are interested in this service to help them to create a text message strategy that works for their firm. There are numerous ways this technology can be utilized such as texting the funeral home’s GPL to callers who need prices or sending a link to the FAQ page when family members have general questions. In the future, ASD also hopes to develop a solution for texting the funeral home’s preneed literature to callers who express an interest in prearrangements. 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 extensive, 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 professionals. 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. New Family Texting Solution Set to Transform Funeral Home Communication Pinsmith Introduces their Newest Pin Design for 2022 the Silver Memorial Dove This jewelry quality lapel pin and recycled bookmark will help funeral professionals convey words of condolence and lasting memories to the families of loved ones passed. The Silver Memorial Dove comes attached to a recycled bookmark that has a touching poem reflecting that while our loved ones may be gone, they are with us every day. The pin will serve as a cherished keepsake that can be shared with all to help keep the memories of loved ones around every day. This newest design is die struck using time honored techniques and handmade craftsmanship. Located in Minnesota, Pinsmith has provided quality and creativity to thousands of funeral homes for over 60 years. An innovator in the Memorial Pin industry, Pinsmith takes great pride in the commitment to value, quality, delivery, and originality. Pinsmith has secure online ordering at www.pinsmith.com or call 800-695-8260 MAPLE GROVE,MN— Pinsmith has introduced its newest design for the 2022 Memorial Pin Collection, the Silver Memorial Dove. PITTSBURGH,PA— Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ GSM: MATW) announced financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2022 and nine months ended June 30, 2022. Year-to-date consolidated sales were 5.9% higher than last year; the Company remains on track for consolidated sales growth. In discussing the results for the Company’s fiscal 2022 third quarter, Joseph C. Bartolacci, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Our Company reported another quarter of solid sales performance, despite increasingly challenged global economic conditions, and, as a result, we remain on track to deliver consolidated sales growth for fiscal 2022. We continue to focus our efforts toward managing through these challenges, including inflation, supply chain disruptions, currency volatility and other geopolitical events, and it is important to acknowledge the hard work and contributions of our employees in achieving these results.” Quarterly Dividend Declared Matthews announced that its Board of Directors declared, at its regularly scheduled meeting, a dividend of $0.22 per share on the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable August 22, 2022 to stockholders of record August 8, 2022. Matthews International Corporation is a global provider of memorialization products, industrial technologies and brand solutions. The Memorialization segment is a leading provider of memorialization products, including memorials, caskets and cremation and incineration equipment, primarily to cemetery and funeral home customers that help families move from grief to remembrance. The Company has approximately 11,000 employees in more than 26 countries on six continents that are committed to delivering the highest quality products and services. For full quarterly results and more information, visit www.matw.com. Matthews International Reports Results for Fiscal 2022 Third Quarter BOISE,ID— Gather, an innovative funeral home software company dedicated to helping funeral directors and families, is excited to be officially announced as a Selected Preferred Partner! Selected Independent Funeral Homes was founded in 1917 with the goal of preserving the future and improving the quality of funeral service. Selected members can join by invitation only. Before being accepted as a preferred partner, funeral homes and preferred partners are required to go through an extensive, detailed review process. Selected is also home to a network of industry-leading preferred partners that provide third-party services and solutions to funeral homes, which is where they can now find Gather. To learn more about how your funeral home can become a Selected member, visit www.selectedfuneralhomes.org/ Membership/Becoming-a-Member. Gather is an innovative, all-in-one funeral home software company that helps hundreds of funeral homes with case management, live streaming, custom websites and body tracking. They love funeral directors and firmly believe that helping families through the loss of a loved one is one of the noblest professions. Their vision is to give funeral directors a seamless solution that helps both the funeral home and the families they serve. To learn more about how Gather or to schedule a free demo, visit www. gather.app or call 866-313-1601. Gather Officially Announced as a Selected Preferred Partner
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