Hearing Aid Consumer Guides

The first subject I would like to address is Consumer guides for hearing aids. We have been programmed to rely on consumer reports and articles that compare devices to help us make "educated" decisions about how to wisely spend our money. While it is a good idea to educate ourselves I wanted to touch on the dangers of relying on some of these sources when purchasing a hearing aid.
When we look at a Hearing Aid consumer guide we see that there are several levels of technology that are listed. Usually they will be titled with a level of technology, for example "Premium." Every hearing aid company carries about 4-6 levels of technology. It is important to note that every company has a top of the line hearing aid. The tricky part that no one talks about is that every "premium technology" is NOT created equal, and yet it is listed as "premium" because its the best they have. SO for example company A produces a high end hearing aid that exceeds anyone Else's yet the inferior product may be listed at the same level because its the best they have.(this could be MANY levels lower in actual technology but if its their best...it is catogorized with company A's MUCH better technology)

This is like walking into a Best Buy and the sales associate saying that a Toshiba top of the line computer is equal to a Mac top of the line computer and will do the very same things. This is where people think they can walk into "The wholesale box store" and get the same hearing aid a privately owned company sells, at a discount of a couple thousand dollars.
While we are on the subject, "the wholesale box company" is just that, a wholesaler, they are set up to sell in bulk and they make a quick few hundred and offer very little service. In addition after 5 years then you are no longer able to repair your aid. (and you have to have a $50 yearly membership to keep using their services.) As far as the company gettinga better deal on their cost, this may be, but keep in mind even though it varies place to place, the difference in discounts comes down to a couple hundred dollars....not thousands.No matter how big your company is.
They are unable to sell the highest level of technologies because even with selling huge amounts they would never be able to get the "Real" premium hearing aids for the COST of what they sell aids for.They don't sell the same quality of hearing aids as a privately owned company.
Now don't misunderstand me here, not all their hearing aids are low quality. Just be aware that if someone tried to sell you something that "looks" like a Mac, and they "say" it's just like a Mac, and they are selling it to you for thousands less than the mac store.....well you get the point.If it sounds too good to be true...it probably is. Sometimes people get into the frame of mind that in a box store always can get a better deal...that is not always true.
Today I talked to a rep whose company sells hearing aids through this "box store." He mentioned that their retention rate for customers is less than 20% across the country...which tells me something is missing. I will talk more about that in my next post.....its service. Just as a sneak peak....know that buying a hearing aid is only about 30% about the hearing aid itself and the other 70% is about the service, the programming, the fit and the relationship.