FrenchCreek Fall Safety, a family-owned manufacturer based in Franklin, PA, has built its reputation on high-quality, American-made fall protection equipment and a commitment to exceptional customer service. With deep roots in the community and a workforce that values tradition, FrenchCreek takes pride in sourcing materials locally whenever possible and fostering a workplace where employees stay for decades.
Paula Clements, Director of HR, is at the heart of FrenchCreek’s employee experience. Managing all aspects of human resources for the company’s 56 employees, she handles payroll, benefits administration, hiring, and employee relations—wearing multiple hats to keep operations running smoothly. “Being a one-person HR department means I have to handle everything, but I love it because I get to make a real impact on our employees and the company culture,” Paula shares.
When Good Service Disappears
FrenchCreek’s commitment to personalized service extends beyond their customers—it’s a core value they expect from their business partners as well. For years, they relied on a payroll provider with whom they had a longstanding relationship. However, as time passed, the level of service declined significantly. The company’s concerns went unaddressed, leaving them feeling undervalued and underserved.
Paula recognized that continuing with the current payroll provider would mean compromising on the values that define FrenchCreek’s business. It became clear that a new partner who valued customer service as much as they did was necessary.
A Seamless Transition and Superior Support Tools
The prospect of a complex payroll conversion concerned Paula. “I really wasn’t up for a payroll conversion,” she admits. “They’re nerve-racking, with something always going wrong.” But to her surprise, the transition to the PrimePay HCM platform at the end of 2024 exceeded expectations.
“The payroll conversion was beautiful. It was seamless, and that shocked me! PrimePay’s implementation team was great.”
Another standout feature has been PrimePay’s intuitive training materials. “The PrimePay training materials are the best I’ve ever seen. Whoever put these together—they’re wonderful,” Paula adds. “I really don’t like calling customer service. I prefer to look and see how to do it myself, and I can do that on PrimePay.”
But on the rare occasion Paula needed help, she explains that PrimePay delivered: “I’ve only had to call PrimePay customer service once since we made the transition, and I was speaking to a representative within minutes. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and resolved my issue right away.” The combination of reliable self-service tools and responsive support has made system navigation effortless, with training videos now a key part of FrenchCreek’s onboarding.
Transforming Timekeeping at FrenchCreek
With just over a month on PrimePay’s HCM platform, FrenchCreek is already seeing a major impact from the Time & Attendance application. Previously, time-off requests were handled with paper slips—submitted by employees, approved by supervisors, and manually recorded by Paula. Employees often lacked visibility into their requests, unsure if they had been approved.
“PrimePay’s Time & Attendance has been a game-changer for us. It’s so simple and easy for our employees to use. They love it.”
Now, requests are submitted digitally, approved in real time, and employees receive immediate email confirmations. “I love it because I don’t have 100 pieces of paper laying around to track,” she adds.
Supervisors also benefit from having instant access to team schedules, which simplifies the management of requests. “Best of all, both employees and supervisors can approve timesheets before payroll is processed. This saves me the trouble of running around to ask about entries that don’t seem correct and helps prevent errors that would need to be fixed in the next payroll cycle.” Additionally, employees have taken the initiative to check calendars and adjust their requests based on team availability, streamlining workflow and improving overall efficiency.
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
What began as a reluctant transition ultimately reinforced FrenchCreek’s commitment to working with a partner who prioritizes exceptional service. Reflecting on the switch to PrimePay, Paula is clear: “I’m 100% satisfied. I have every reason to believe that FrenchCreek is very important to PrimePay.”
And that trust is critical when dealing with payroll, where accuracy is non-negotiable. “If I get nothing else right, the first thing I want is to pay people correctly,” she emphasizes.
Beyond reliability, Paula appreciates PrimePay’s dedication to continuous improvement.
“Just the fact that PrimePay is continuously improving their services and talking to their customers about what we need is awesome.”
This commitment to innovation and client feedback has further validated FrenchCreek’s decision to partner with PrimePay.
As Paula concluded, “I’m so glad we made the change.”