When Andre Brosseau joined Digitex, a retail supplier of frontline business machines, he realized he was moving into a crowded field, dominated by multinational conglomerates.

It was a gutsy step.

But Brosseau and partner Rob Barden, the company founder, believed they could bring something to the table that the big boys couldn't hope to match - a comprehensive customer-service model that simply blows away anything the competition has to offer.

That's pretty much how things have worked out.

Digitex has a fleet of vehicles ready to respond to any calls from clients seeking help.

Now in its 13th year, Digitex, with locations in four Alberta cities, has worked tirelessly to establish itself as THE largest independent dealership in Western Canada.

In a nutshell, Digitex sells, leases and rents the finest equipment currently on the market. But here's what really puts Digitex in a league of its own: When a copier or fax machine goes on the blink, a Digitex service technician will be in your office the same day. That's the Digitex pledge to all its corporate customers. Down time is simply not an option.

"Certainly, the market was crowded when we first got the business off the ground," recalls Brosseau, a former branch manager for one of those aforementioned multinationals.

"But we saw a real need for a strong, local independent. Prior to founding Digitex, I couldn't help but notice that the big companies were really dropping the ball on customer service."

Clearly, there was room in the market for a cohesive team that was willing to work a little harder on that score.

"Lots of our competitors sell similar products," Brosseau concedes. "But Digitex does more than provide you with the most up-to-date copiers, printers and document-management software available. We see ourselves as primarily a service provider. We're not here just to sell you something and be gone."

That's not merely lip service. Local dispatchers answer your distress calls promptly and set the wheels in motion for a rapid response to trouble.

Typically, a response to your summons will take less than three hours. Nor will your emergency call ever be answered by a recorded message. Nor will it be sloughed off to a call centre located in another part of the country or another part of the world. Digitex is proud of its ability to protect its largest customers on a grand scale, keeping a watchful eye on "fleets" of equipment that run as high as 500 pieces.

Meanwhile, the top-shelf Digitex service model swings into action even before you make your purchase.

"Before we sell or lease any piece of equipment, we perform what we call a DNA, Document-Needs Analysis, on behalf of the customer," adds Hugh Porter, Digitex Vice-President. "We look at their work flow and try our best to assess their needs and to propose an appropriate solution."

The Digitex team includes, from left, Rob Barden, Andre Brosseau and Hugh Porter.

Digitex also conducts quarterly reviews for each customer, to ensure that each piece of equipment continues to perform at optimum levels.

"Traditionally, customers lease our equipment for a duration of three to five years," Porter says. "And when they do, we visit their offices, set up the product and work closely with the customer's IT team, training them in the proper operation of the equipment. Should new IT staffers come on board at a later date, we'll repeat the process to make sure that everyone is up to speed."

As licensed dealers for outstanding product lines such as Canon and Lexmark, Digitex supplies and services office equipment to a large customer base that includes many of our largest oil and gas companies, educational institutions, school boards, and government departments and agencies.

By far the vast majority prefers to lease, rather than purchase equipment outright, for reasons that should be obvious.

Technology is continually changing and improving. By leasing, you make sure that your equipment is current technology, all of the time.

Renting is another service feature that sets Digitex apart.

"Most of our competitors don't do that," Brosseau says, adding that many oil and gas customers rent on a month-to-month basis, via a rental plan that's ideally suited for remote construction jobsites. "Our customers often need to set up temporary offices at far-off locales for short periods of time. We're happy to provide rental service so they don't have to commit to a long-term purchase or lease."

More information (including contact info for all four Digitex locations) is available by at the company website: www.digitex.ca. And feel free call this toll-free telephone number: 1.877.DIGITEX (344-4839).