People are different, and that’s what makes this world so special. It’s also what makes the funeral service industry so fun. Andy Zieren and his team at Zieren Funeral Home truly take the time to understand and cater to the unique needs of every family. Learn about his story, and how he’s leveraged Gather to make funeral service work fun again.
Married with two kids who love to play sports, Andy Zieren is a simple man, with simple values. He takes pride in his work. He takes the time to understand the unique needs of every family he serves.
Growing up, he didn’t originally plan to inherit his family’s funeral home business. But after discovering that healthcare administration was not a path he wanted to take, he helped his father with a few services at Zieren Funeral Home, which has been serving the community of Carlyle, Illinois since 1913.
Over 21 years later, and Andy now operates the funeral home as a 4th generation funeral director in his family.
No day is ever the same either, and that’s what he truly loves about the profession.
“What gets me through those tough days is the satisfaction at the end of the day that I helped someone and they appreciated it.”
It’s no secret – helping families is what drives Andy and his team at Zieren Funeral Home.
But it goes beyond that for him. In an industry caught in a vortex between older generations and younger generations of funeral directors, Zieren challenges people to embrace change, new ideas, and new technology.
”Technology seems like it’s always geared towards making things easier, especially in the funeral industry.”
Furthermore, Zieren acknowledges that there (as with any industry) will continue to be more challenges in the industry.
Nowadays with increases in cremation rates, it’s more difficult for people to see the traditional value of funerals. But Andy also recognizes that:
“As funeral directors, we need to stop trying to fight it. That’s something that’s changing in our industry – not everyone is traditional, go to church, have the service. People are different these days, and we just need to accept that and embrace it. The younger generation is open to change and new ideas. Just because a family has bought wood caskets for the last 4 funerals in the family, it doesn’t mean it always has to be.”
More than anything, people want to work with others who treat them like a human being and listen to their unique feelings.
Zieren strives to be his authentic self, regardless of whether he’s in the funeral home or his local Walmart. Families appreciate the fact that when they see him in public, he’s a person just like they are.
By embracing change and differences in consumer preferences within the funeral service industry, Andy has been able to lead Zieren Funeral Home to continued success.
After using the same system for several years, Andy was searching for a new funeral home management solution that:
Luckily, in a Google Search from 2019, he stumbled upon Gather. From there, the rest is history.
Take a look at what Andy has to say about Gather and how it’s helped take Zieren Funeral Home to the next level.
Since switching to Gather’s case management platform, Andy noted a few particular benefits particularly when it comes to data management and time savings:
Zieren mentioned that there would be times at 10 PM when he used to run to the funeral home because he couldn’t remember if he called the gravedigger (which, every time he did call).
But with Gather, he could look at his checklists from his phone at home and prevent multiple late-night trips to the funeral home. Pretty awesome, right?
More importantly, Andy cares about creating an easier experience for families, and he’s successfully achieved that goal with Gather:
Andy Zieren understands that he and Zieren Funeral Home must adapt to changes over time. And as he mentions, it’s not always easy. But with changing preferences in the funeral service industry, you may consider talking to Andy and asking for his expert advice.
At Gather, we’re here to help you embrace change and new technology every step of the way.
Talk with our team today and see how your funeral home can leverage Gather to its fullest potential.