Spotlight: Gednetz-Ruzek & Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Service

Gednetz-Ruzek & Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Service

Location: Sebring and Salem, OH

Call Volume: 167 Calls/Year

Chris Brown is the owner of Gednetz-Ruzek & Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Service. He began looking for a software that would help him work well and efficiently while helping him manage two locations and provide state-of-the-art assistance to his families. Passare’s cloud-based case management system stood out, especially with its Planning Center for families.

How did you make the decision to go with Passare?

We inherited a program when we purchased the funeral home. But the previous owner didn’t keep up with the ongoing updates, so we began looking for another option. We already had a relationship with Funeral Directors Life and our rep told us about Passare. After learning more, we liked how easy Passare is to use and how its cloud-based system allows us to check on a family’s case from anywhere. We have even checked on a case while at a convention – that’s incredible. We couldn’t be happier with our decision.

What is the biggest benefit to using Passare?

For us, the biggest thing is the Planning Center. It allows us to get people’s information ahead of time without the need to schedule an appointment right away. Some of our families really like the fact that they can do basically everything from the convenience of their own home instead of doing it at the funeral home. We actually had a family who never came into the funeral home and used the Planning Center to finalize everything, and it worked out well.

Do you think that the Planning Center has benefitted the families you serve?

While we do still have families come in who aren’t computer savvy, more and more, we are dealing with people who are comfortable with computers. We’ve had them say, “I really appreciate the fact that I can do this from home.” Some families input the bare minimum of biographical information and others fill out every single question in there. I’ve even had some people ask me questions about the videos. So, yes, I would say that it’s a huge benefit to my families.

Has Passare increased the efficiency of your funeral home?

Yes, most definitely. I think the best part is that Passare and the Planning Center allow us more time to actually help the family personalize the service. If the family fills out the information online, we can get to know their loved one before the family comes in, which allows us to offer tailored suggestions and dedicate more time to creating a unique experience for the family.

How have your employees responded to Passare?

As with anything, there’s a learning curve, but overall, everyone is coming on board, especially the younger staff members. Every day, we are learning more about Passare’s capabilities and how it will impact each person’s work in a positive way.

How would you rate your customer service experience with Passare?

We’ve never had an issue with support. Our support person has been great. If we ever have a question, she either answers right away or gets right back to us. We even requested changes to some forms, and she’s been able to do that for us.

What would you tell other funeral professionals about Passare?

I would definitely recommend Passare to any funeral home owner. The fact that it’s cloud-based is a huge deal because it allows everyone to have access from wherever they are. And for me, the Planning Center is a must because nobody else has it available, and that sets your funeral home apart. So, is Passare worth it when you consider the cost and the transition time? Absolutely, 100 percent, yes.

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