Death calls are made by people who want to arrange funeral arrangements. Such calls are made right after the caller is notified about his or her loved one's death. Answering death calls are difficult as the person you will be talking to is still very emotional. You should sympathize but still acquire the information you need to push through with the funeral arrangements.
If you decided to outsource answering services be sure that the agents know how to handle death calls properly. Death calls are very different from regular calls. Agents should know how to talk to grieving callers who might want someone to talk to or grieving callers who do not want to spend much time on the phone. Agents should get as much accurate information as they can in a short amount of time. So, what is the right way of handling death calls?
Quick Introduction- In the funeral home business, there is the term first call. First call refers to the call made right after the passing of a loved one. The caller makes the first call to make funeral arrangements for the deceased like transportation to the funeral home. Taking the first call is difficult. Agents should answer such calls through quickly introducing themselves. After that, the agents should assure the caller that the arrangements will be underway as soon as all the information is gathered.
Acquire Information- The agent should be efficient in getting information. The death call should only last two minutes, more or less. What important information should the agent get for you? o She should ask about the caller's name, location. If it's a hospital, she should ask the contact number of the hospital. o She should ask the deceased's name and location (room number). o She should ask if the deceased is ready for transport as well as the time of death. o She should ask about the deceased's social security number. o She should ask the doctor who signed the death certificate. o She should ask the next of kin, the contact number and address. o She should know if any family member will be waiting for the transport in the said location
Verification- When answering death calls, all answers should be verified. Do not ask the caller to repeat the answers for verification. Rather, the agent should be the one double-checking the spelling and numbers to ensure accurate information.
Assurance- When the agent has all the information needed, she should end the call by giving an assurance that transportation will be on their way. This will give the caller peace of mind that things will be prepared already.
After putting down the phone, all information will be transferred to the on-call personal of the funeral home. Answering service companies can transfer the information through SMS, email or through the funeral home's website account. All information will be stored there.
Handling death calls the right way is important to the funeral home business. Bear in mind that callers are under distress and they'd rather spend time with their relatives rather than talking on the phone with an agent.
If you decided to outsource answering services be sure that the agents know how to handle death calls properly. Death calls are very different from regular calls. Agents should know how to talk to grieving callers who might want someone to talk to or grieving callers who do not want to spend much time on the phone. Agents should get as much accurate information as they can in a short amount of time. So, what is the right way of handling death calls?
Quick Introduction- In the funeral home business, there is the term first call. First call refers to the call made right after the passing of a loved one. The caller makes the first call to make funeral arrangements for the deceased like transportation to the funeral home. Taking the first call is difficult. Agents should answer such calls through quickly introducing themselves. After that, the agents should assure the caller that the arrangements will be underway as soon as all the information is gathered.
Acquire Information- The agent should be efficient in getting information. The death call should only last two minutes, more or less. What important information should the agent get for you? o She should ask about the caller's name, location. If it's a hospital, she should ask the contact number of the hospital. o She should ask the deceased's name and location (room number). o She should ask if the deceased is ready for transport as well as the time of death. o She should ask about the deceased's social security number. o She should ask the doctor who signed the death certificate. o She should ask the next of kin, the contact number and address. o She should know if any family member will be waiting for the transport in the said location
Verification- When answering death calls, all answers should be verified. Do not ask the caller to repeat the answers for verification. Rather, the agent should be the one double-checking the spelling and numbers to ensure accurate information.
Assurance- When the agent has all the information needed, she should end the call by giving an assurance that transportation will be on their way. This will give the caller peace of mind that things will be prepared already.
After putting down the phone, all information will be transferred to the on-call personal of the funeral home. Answering service companies can transfer the information through SMS, email or through the funeral home's website account. All information will be stored there.
Handling death calls the right way is important to the funeral home business. Bear in mind that callers are under distress and they'd rather spend time with their relatives rather than talking on the phone with an agent.
About the Author:
Azalea M. Lynn works in the funeral industry as a consultant. She recommends a funeral answering service for funeral directors looking to improve their bottom line. A funeral answering service can help to reduce cost while improving customer experience.
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