Best of Topeka: Technology another way to serve

Anyone with Internet access soon will be able to experience a funeral service live as it is happening at Penwell-Gabel's new southwest Topeka chapel.
The embracing of video-streaming technology as a tool to better serve Topeka families is one thing owners Ren and Theresa Newcomer said contributed to their success as being voted top funeral home in the Best of Topeka and Sixty Miles contest.
Ren Newcomer says the funeral home also offers a free memorial DVD to families of photographs set to music.
"We do these things not just for the sake of having technology," he said, "but for better serving our families."
What is the funeral home's secret to success?
Our sole purpose is to provide the highest quality funeral service to Topeka families. All aspects of our business flow from this philosophy. When we serve families correctly, the business aspects take care of themselves.
What is the strength of the company?
Funeral service is a business based on people serving people. We hire people who want to make their life's work serving families. We provide the facilities and training to do that to the best of their ability. Most people describe me as a perfectionist. And I think that attitude is important in funeral service. A funeral is a very difficult time for everyone, and it's our responsibility that every detail of the funeral service is perfect.
What changes have you made in the past year?
This year we opened our new southwest chapel at S.W. 37th and Wanamaker to provide a more convenient location for families in the fast-growing southwest area of Topeka. We also completed a major remodeling of our Mid-Town Chapel on 10th Street. And, we finished a major renovation of our cemetery and mausoleum at S.W. 6th and Gage streets, in conjunction with the street work on 6th Street. This included completely rebuilding our duck pond, and building a new cemetery entrance east of the pond so families and children would enjoy a quieter experience at that pond.
Who do you credit as being a positive influence on your business?
My wife, Theresa, is No. 1. And, I'm a fourth-generation funeral director. My great-great-grandfather started in the funeral business in 1893 with the philosophy we follow today. It is to provide the highest quality service to our families at a fair price.
What do you consider your specialty?
Following every service, we send a questionnaire to the family. We asked them what they liked about our service, if they had any questions or complaints, and if there's anything we could have done to serve them better. Then we ask if they'd recommend us to family and friends. Over 98.9 percent of the families we serve would recommend us to family and friends. It makes my wife, Theresa, and I extremely proud of the people we have providing this level of service to our families.