Are You Ready For Digital Registry in 2014? A Simple Thank You Helps You Decide.

We’re on the verge of 2014 and there is no denying that it is a technological world out there. A Simple Thank You is leading the way in funeral industry technology. Their digital registry system and FREE application is revolutionizing the traditional guest book, enhancing funeral service offerings and making pre-need marketing seemingly effortless. That is only the beginning of what A Simple Thank You offers. All of these benefits aside, A Simple Thank You’s greatest impact is felt by the family.

A Simple Thank You’s Easy To Use Digital Guest Book Interface

What is Digital Registry?

Digital registries offer funeral homes and their clients an opportunity to digitally capture, store, and organize guest contact information. In addition, this innovative technology helps simplify and automate the generation of print materials including:  custom guest books, address labels, envelopes, and memorial pages.

As a funeral director, one of your primary goals is to exceed family expectations. A digital registry offering streamlines the collection of guest information and simplifies the acknowledgement card process for your families helping to minimize the stress associated and ease their burden. The addition of this service enables you to continue to help families through the grieving process even after they have said their final goodbyes.

Am I Ready For Digital Registry?

A Simple Thank You’s Digital Registry is used in funeral homes in 20 states and several countries

YES, but first let’s focus on the family. When returning home from the cemetery or a memorial service, not only has their world been turned upside down by losing a loved one, but now the family has to begin the first steps in moving forward without them. As a funeral home, you help the family prepare and manage the services.  Offering A Simple Thank You digital registry is a way your funeral home can help grieving families days, weeks, or even months after the service.  A Simple Thank You’s free iPad application allows guests to sign in, eliminating the frustrating illegible handwriting and incomplete guest information.

At the completion of the service, a memorial guest book, customized acknowledgement cards and addressed envelopes are prepared.  In many communities it is customary to send acknowledgement cards to all persons that have attended a service. While in other communities acknowledgement cards are only sent to those who provided food, flowers, donations, and childcare among many other acts of kindness to support the families in their time of need. A Simple Thank You empowers the family to contact all guests, family members and friends without having to search for addresses.

“Our families are able to personalize the funeral more than ever before.”
~Jacob Vandenberg, Director of Vandenberg Funeral Homes (IL)

 

 

 

How Digital Registry Enables Funeral Homes To Simplify Their Business Model and Increase Revenue

Let’s not forget about the amazing advantages that digital registry offers funeral homes. If you take advantage of A Simple Thank You’s full service you will never have to stock memorial books or acknowledgement cards again!  A Simple Thank You offers a complete package that allows your families to choose from 15 different memorial books with matching acknowledgment cards (including some great options that have been offered due to the partnership with A Simple Thank You and Bass-Mollett Publishers).  You will free-up space in your funeral home, save valuable staff time not having to print memorial books, and instead be there to support your families or greet guests as they enter and exit your funeral home.  With A Simple Thank You’s quick turn-around on the printing and shipping, it may make sense to save your funeral home the time and money.  Your completed packages can be shipped directly to the family or if you prefer that additional personal contact, the package can be shipped straight to the funeral home.

You’re Intrigued By The Idea of Digital Registry But Would Rather Keep the Printing In House? 

A Simple Thank You offers an in-house print option as well. Your funeral home can print the memorial pages, acknowledgement cards and address labels with an affordable monthly or annual fee.

“…gain an advantage by offering a service that the other funeral homes in town may not.”

Digital registry is a great way to help families, increase your revenue and gain a local advantage by offering a service that the other funeral homes in town may not.  The funeral home also has the ability to collect leads for their marketing needs.  A Simple Thank You’s digital registry offers an optional and customizable opt-in.   The leads obtained through the opt-in may be used for marketing needs including your funeral home newsletter, pre-need or advertising events.  (Please note that it is important that the funeral home check into their state laws regarding opt-in verbiage and email marketing.)

A Simple Thank You Offers The Market’s Most Simplistic Pricing

Most digital registry pricing can cause a major headache for set up, equipment, additional devices, live training for funeral homes, video tutorials and device data plans. A Simple Thank You has structured an all inclusive, non-complex pricing scale for their customers. Funeral homes have the option of purchasing the equipment on their own or they can select equipment through A Simple Thank You’s turnkey solution. There is no taxing investment required, startup or application fees. The only self startup cost required would be the purchase of an iPad and a $99 bracket for its security and protection.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Here is why digital registry is a logical step forward for the funeral industry: Most simply put, it is only an option. While some funeral homes use A Simple Thank You exclusively, most use the digital registry as a compliment to the traditional guest book. Some feel more comfortable using the traditional guest book but may not anticipate what monumental task they are about to endure after they have said goodbye.

ASTY MOBILE: Sign our digital registry for a selected service from anywhere in the world. Search by “Name of the Deceased” or “Name of Funeral Home” then choose service. It’s that Simple!

Fast Mobile Sign-in Option

Funeral directors have expressed concern that digital registry may create longer lines. A Simple Thank You has addressed this by developing an application that will allow the guests to sign-in with their smartphone. So while guests wait to pay their respects, they can sign-in to the service from the mobile app available for download at your smartphone app store

How Will Elderly Guests React To Digital Registry?

This is a frequent concern among funeral directors. The funeral homes that are currently using digital registry have come up with some great ideas to overcome this “issue”. The first solution is to provide an attendant to help those in need of assistance. Not only are you helping the family but you are also offering customer service to those that could potentially be future clients. A second but most commonly used solution is informing the family that some may not be completely comfortable providing their information into the guest book.  A great approach might be utilizing tech-savvy grandchildren, nieces or nephews that might be interested in helping during the services.  There is no additional cost to the family or funeral home and it presents the tweens and teens with a fulfilling job to perform during the services.

How Do I Get Started?

The benefits that offering A Simple Thank You provides your families, funeral home and bottom line are increasingly evident in today’s marketplace.  Once you decide to offer A Simple Thank You digital registry call them at (800) 483-0671.  A Simple Thank You can offer bracket suggestions to secure your iPads through http://www.usaenclosures.com, offer FREE webinar training for your staff members and industry leading 24-hour customer service.  If you would like to schedule a live webinar, please email us at info@asimplethankyou.com. Fill out the form below, go digital today and gain the advantage over your competition.

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Sign The Nelson Mandela Funeral Guest Book From Your Mobile Device

The South African Consulate along with A Simple Thank You would like to invite people who are unable to attend the services for the Beloved Nelson Mandela to sign his guestbook from anywhere in the world by using their smart phone. They are encouraging people to pay their respects to the Nelson Mandela family for his inspiration and for being the great leader that he was. This would be a great way to show how important leaders like this are to the world and that his accomplishments have not gone unnoticed.  To sign the guestbook for Nelson Mandela you can go to ASTYmobile.com or visit their website at ASimpleThankYouFuneral.com. SIGN THE GUEST BOOK.

A Simple Thank You Now Offers Printing In-House Option

Posted by CDFuneralNews on Wednesday, October 16, 2013

A Simple Thank You would like to announce their new Printing In-House option. In addition to having A Simple Thank You print the entire package, Funeral Directors can now use their own stationery to print out acknowledgement cards, address labels for the envelopes as well as any and all memorial pages for the guest book while using A Simple Thank You’s FREE application that allows guests to digitally sign-in on the iPad.  All guests that have signed-in will be printed in the guest book adding even more value to the offering.

About A Simple Thank You

A Simple Thank You is a Chicago based company founded in 2010 by President & CEO Chris Gordon. The loss of his wife at a very young age made him realize there was a need in the funeral industry that had to be filled. A Simple Thank You is proudly serving funeral homes in 15 states, plus Canada & Australia and has also done over 1,300 services to date. If you would like to learn more about this valued service, please call 800-483-0671 or email info@asimplethankyou.com.

 

Being A Slow Adopter Can Undermine Your Funeral Home’s Success

Being a Slow Adopter Can Undermine Funeral Home Success

Posted by CDFuneralNews
Provided by Kim Stacey, Frontrunner Professional
Wednesday, August 28, 2013

In a blog post from February of this year, 3 Enemies You Must Conquer to Increase Cash Flow, Brian Tracy shared his views on the three most common, most damaging beliefs and behaviors affecting small business owners today. According to him, the biggest issues compromising our success are withinourselves, not within the community in which we live or Business decisions drive or limit successdo business. These are:

1. The overriding desire to stay in our comfort zone.
2. The willingness to remain a hapless, hopeless victim, caught up in our own helplessness.
3. The habit of always choosing the path of least resistance.

I suspect that if you’re anything like me, all-too-often you’re guilty of at least one of the three–maybe more. And these bad “habits of thought and action” can do more to undermine the overall success of your funeral home in one particular way: they turn you into what is called a slow–or late–adopter: someone who is slow to purchase and use a new product, technology, or idea. Because it’s too much trouble to learn new technologies; too much trouble to step outside our comfort zone–and hey, our current technology tools work “okay”–so what’s the problem? http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6348675/early-adapters-through-history The problem is this: slow adopters question the value of change; of doing things differently. Here’s a rather humorous video contrasting early and late adopters throughout history. Check it out:http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6348675/early-adapters-through-history. It might make you chuckle, and maybe even give you some “food for thought”.

So Much for Laughter
In all honesty, there’s not really much that’s funny about being unwilling to make changes in the way we do things. Especially when you consider the amount of damage you can do to your funeral firm’s overall success.

An early adopter is a person who embraces new technology before most other people do. According to a theory called Diffusion of Innovations, or DOL, formulated by Everett Rogers, early adopters make up 13.5 percent of the population. Those who are most daring, a small minority of people–only 1 in 40–are called innovators. And of course, at the opposite end of the human spectrum, are the laggards or slow adopters, who are reluctant to embrace new technology because of disinterest or financial constraints. There are also those poor folks known as Luddites, who actively fear or loathe new technology. Sound like anyone you know? (You may remember a post from February of this year: Why the Resistance to New Technology? Guess who may be calling herself a “Luddite”?!)

It Only Takes a Moment
Making the decision to override our natural inclinations to remain in our “comfort zone” and take “the path of least resistance”; to forego the pattern of thought that limits our options instead of expanding them takes only a moment. And in that moment, the spectrum of possibilities becomes oh so much larger.

Because you’re now willing to pull your feet out of the mud (who wants to be a stick in the mud anyway?), to embrace innovation; you’re now empowered, and no longer a victim of your limiting thoughts.

Innovations in Funeral Service Technology
New technology tools, and improvements to existing ones, abound in funeral service. All you have to do is pick up the latest copy of Funeral Business Advisor, American Funeral Director, or any of the other professional trade journals, to realize that. Can you really afford to ignore them, and do things the ‘same old way’? No. Source: http://lifehacker.com/the-science-of-breaking-out-of-your-comfort-zone-and-w-656426705According to Brian Tracy, successful people take “continuous action in the direction of their goals. They are always trying different things, and if they don’t work, they try something else. They are never satisfied, and they are never complacent. They are continually moving forward to generate sales, revenues and cash flow.” “What,” he asks, “is the key measure of business success? It is customer satisfaction. Your job in business is to create customers, and then to satisfy them completely so that they are happy that they decided to do business with you.” And he business men racing to the finish line goes on to ask, “What could you do, starting today, to take such good care of your customers that they eagerly buy from you again, and recommend you to others? Your answer to this question can change the entire direction of your business, especially in a tough economy where there are fewer customers and tougher competition.” I would also add that those funeral home owners and managers who openly embrace new technologies (and take the time to fully learn the processes involved in using them) to become more efficient and effective in the day-to-day operations of the funeral home will do more to increase client family satisfaction, enhance their brand, and drive revenues than the laggard and Luddite competitors. What innovations in funeral service technology are you planning to bring into your funeral firm? Please leave your comments below! FrontRunner Professional announced its strategic partnership with DISRUPT Media, the funeral profession’s dedicated social media provider, founded by Ryan Thogmartin of Connecting Directors. This new partnership will forge the development of the new “Socially Acceptable™” social media program designed to set a new and higher online standard for the funeral profession. The program will be available exclusively through FrontRunner Professional to their clients. DISRUPT Media is a full service social media agency for social strategy and complete social media management for businesses. They help funeral professionals, worldwide; interact with today’s consumers by truly embracing the Internet and engaging in conversations about their funeral business online. For more information on FrontRunner Professional and DISRUPT Media contact FrontRunner at 1-866-748-3625 or online at www.FrontRunnerPro.com/SociallyAcceptable or email Ryan Thogmartin at ryan@disruptmedia.co About the author CDFuneralNews ConnectingDirectors.com is the premier progressive online publication for funeral professionals. ConnectingDirectors.com is now a thriving global publication with a reader base of over 15,000 of the most elite and forward-thinking professionals in the industry. Founder and CEO Ryan Thogmartin has a vision for where the funeral profession is headed, and has used that vision to successfully position the site as the leading online resource for funeral professionals. Over 15,000 Funeral Professional Know, ConnectingDirectors.com is Leading the Revolution!