Prasser-Kleczka Funeral Homes

Milwaukee, WI

Call Volume: 500 Calls/Year

Prasser-Kleczka Funeral Homes wanted to change the funeral experience for their families. They decided that Passare was the software to bring them up to date with the needs of today’s changing consumer.  Jeff Kleczka and Joe Laedtke, funeral directors, share just how much Passare has benefited their families and brought a whole new user experience to their funeral homes!

What was it that made you decide you needed a new way of doing things?

Jeff: We knew we needed to change the experience for the consumer. People are purchasing products and services online now. They are used to interactive and visual displays and have come to expect it. So, we wanted to listen to those needs and do that here at our funeral home for the families.

How have you seen Passare benefiting your families?

Joe: Passare allows families to be an engaged participant in the arrangement conference. In our arrangement conference room, we have a computer and a TV screen. With this set-up, the funeral director can make eye contact with the family while using the TV screen to guide them through the process. They can ask questions and see what you’re doing. They feel more in control and have a greater sense of ownership of the process. Plus, by doing it this way, we are taking away the curtain from what we’re doing. The family can see what we’re doing and isn’t left to wonder what we are writing down.

Jeff: It also allows families to participate when we’re writing death notices or obituaries. That has just been a fabulous process. We’re not having to leave the conference to type everything out, print up copies, let people proofread them, notate mistakes, go back, make the corrections, reprint, have the family look again, and so forth. We can do the editing live, and as Joe said, this allows the families to participate more in the process. When the family sees their requests going right into the system, they have confidence that their wishes are going to be fulfilled.

Has Passare helped you connect with more families?

Joe: Absolutely. Because of Passare, we are more efficient in a lot of areas, which has made it possible to spend more time just talking with families and less time dealing with the housekeeping details. We have more time to build a relationship and rapport with the family, finding out about their loved one. And I really appreciate that Passare takes a huge burden of paperwork off of us and allows us to do what we really want to be doing anyways – connecting with the family.

How have your employees responded to Passare?

Jeff: Far better and sooner than I ever could have imagined. There has been zero resistance in this.

Joe: It was most important to help everyone see the value. That this change is not meant to be more of a complication or to add layers to the work we’re doing, but it’s actually going to make us more efficient and more accurate and provide a better service to the families and a better work environment for us. We went into the process with the attitude, “It’s going to be great. Wait until you see what this can do.” Everybody has adopted that attitude and run with it. It’s been very refreshing.

How has your customer service experience with Passare been?

Joe: This process has been a revelation. I have been very impressed, and very thankful, and humbled, by the level of customer service that I’ve gotten. I know that we like things a certain way, and I sometimes approach a call to a vendor with a little bit of trepidation. With Passare, everybody is very receptive and incredibly helpful. They don’t moan or sigh when things get weird or we run into a bug. Instead, everybody is on board to attack the issue and get the problem solved. And I appreciate that because it never feels like I have to apologize for calling for help. It’s just two friends having a nice conversation.

If you were to talk to another funeral professional about Passare, what would you tell them?

Jeff: Embrace it. It’s going to change your business. It’s going to change how you meet with families. It’s a blessing.
Joe: I would tell them that the first time they see the case populated with every piece of information, and you didn’t have to do every single bit of it yourself, you’ll understand why it was worth the time and the effort to learn and to get over the fear of change.

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