Bemes, Inc. of Fenton, MO, specializes in the sales and service of new and preowned ventilators and respiratory equipment. Salesperson Jeff Hof was recently DOTmed Certified.

Hof combines his dedication to customer service with the superb knowledge and expertise of the Bemes biotechs who handle the service end. The company was started in mid-1970s for service, and in the 1990s included sales of equipment, and later preowned equipment, such as ventilators from Siemens and Bird. The company has two warehouses in Missouri and another office in New York. Hof says the company works on maximizing everyone's potential in each division.

Bemes offers repair service to hospitals in the Midwest, Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee, and sales domestically and overseas. The company often takes in the preowned equipment from hospitals as trade-ins for new, and then the biotechs test the equipment for resale. Hof says one aspect that helps the company stand apart is biotech experience--some have 20 years of biomed training. They have the depth of knowledge about the machines that make it easy to sell the equipment. All preowned equipment and parts for sale are checked thoroughly. The equipment has 120-day warranties and sometimes longer. Nothing is as-is. The customers receive a worksheet on what the tech has done for the particular machine, what parts were changed, the number of hours put into the work, and also any upcoming maintenance that may be needed.

Hof's specialty is international preowned equipment sales. His overseas customers include facilities in South America, India, Taiwan, the Philippines, and some in Europe. Due to the purchasing strength against the dollar, sales are very strong. International clients often can't afford new technologies; they appreciate Bemes because the equipment they need is reliable and is sold patient-ready.

Hof works diligently on customer service, helping the customer facility determine its needs, and backing up the product. He spends many late nights on the computer with clients in places like India, 13 hours ahead of the U.S., responding to emails. That extra after-hours work makes a huge difference, as the customers deeply appreciate the quick response. Hof builds off of his experiences, learning more about what customers need every day.

Hof finds being DOTmed Certified a real confidence-booster for the customers. "I can tell new customers to check me out, how I'm rated, and they see the business as a whole as being DOTmed Certified," he says. Hof also appreciates that services such as the DOTmed blacklist serve the community to weed out unscrupulous practitioners. Many international customers purchase up front, and sometimes get burned. Therefore, a company has to build up trust. Hof says he and the other staff at Bemes go the extra mile to ensure that trust and the DOTmed Certification is the proof. Customers like being able to make use of the rating system, and to see who has recommended sales representatives like Hof.

More Voices