New service protects the bereaved from unsolicited calls
In a bold step to help protect the recently bereaved from unwelcome telemarketing initiatives, the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) has developed a new service which effectively puts a stop to unwanted cold calling via telephone.
Called BereavementGard, the new service is being offered free to the public by funeral directors who are members of the NAFD, the UK’s leading funeral trade association, and is operational from today (21 October).
“Our aim is to support bereaved families and since people are often at their most vulnerable shortly after a death, the last thing they want is to be bombarded with calls about special offers on replacement windows, home security, life assurance or fitted kitchens,” said Alan Slater, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Funeral Directors. “BereavementGard automatically bars unsolicited calls of this nature, bringing distressed family members peace of mind at a very difficult time,” he added.
In setting up the service, the NAFD is working in partnership with UK Data IT, a specialist data protection company which provides call suppression services to around 10,000 direct telemarketing lines throughout the UK – suppressing over 500,000 unwanted calls per month.
“We are delighted to be working with the National Association of Funeral Directors and its members to provide a telemarketing call suppression system which eliminates unwelcome calls from commercial businesses and prevents invasion of privacy at a time when families are mourning the loss of a close relative,” said Richard Melling, Sales and Marketing Director of Worcester-based UK Data IT.
“We have secured approval for BereavementGard from the Registrar of Births and Deaths and the Information Commissionaire and expect the service to be welcomed by the telemarketing industry since it ensures companies do not cause unnecessary distress to the bereaved,“ he added.
New service protects the bereaved from unsolicited calls. BereavementGard is available to all members of the deceased person’s family. Activating the service requires a simple call to the BereavementGard Freephone number 0800 781 0999 to register the telephone number via the keypad. This updates the central do-not-call data file so that unsolicited marketing calls to this number are intercepted within 48 hours and barred.
Unique in its operation – BereavementGard sits at exchange level within the UK’s telecommunications network – the call suppression service enables companies to screen telemarketing calls against do-not-call files without the need for extra equipment or new processes.
In the event of a call being made to a registered number it will be intercepted and the caller informed that the call is being terminated. BereavementGard can be initiated from the day of the death and remains in place for three months, giving telemarketing firms time to update their records and ensure they comply with current legislation and good practice guidelines laid down by the industry.
It also ensures that people who are interested in marketing offers by telephone are not permanently prevented from receiving them.
Neither the NAFD nor UK Data IT hold any information on people who subscribe to the BereavementGard service so, at the end of the three-month period, telephone numbers automatically become accessible once again for telemarketing purposes.
All members of the National Association of Funeral Directors are eligible to offer BereavementGard and will display details on their premises to that effect. Funeral directors will also hand out literature and cards, explaining how to activate the service, to bereaved families.
For further information, please contact: Dominic Maguire, Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Funeral Directors Tel: 0141 423 4400 or Martine Layland at JM Bailey Communications Limited, Tel: 0121 711 4499, Fax: 0121 711 4535, E-Mail: martine@jmbailey.co.uk.