Choosing A Hearing Health Professional
Learn what questions to ask and what answers to expect. Yes, there is a right hearing professional for you.

  
08/25/2008
©John M. Adams, III

You wouldn’t pick a brain surgeon out of the yellow pages so why would you gamble with your hearing by selecting a hearing professional blindly. Instead, do a little research to find a hearing healthcare provider willing to work with you to deliver the best hearing solution available.

Don’t Buy a Hearing Aid By Mail or On the Web
Hearing devices must be tuned to your specific hearing loss. If you buy a couple of units from a web site, those devices will come to you “right out of the box.” That means you’ll still require a visit to a professional for a hearing evaluation and adjustment of the device to your specific hearing loss.

If you purchase the aid from a brick-and-mortar-based business, the fitting and tuning are usually included in the purchase price, along with warranty protection. What are you going to do if one of your web purchases blows a fuse - and the seller is in Timbuktu? Honoring the warranty is not going to be a top priority for a business 12 time zones away - especially when that business owner knows you’re a one-time buyer.

Ask for Referrals
Ask friends who wear hearing devices. The best choice is someone a friend can whole-heartedly recommend. Also, ask your medical doctor for a referral. However, remember that your physician will  recommend the best hearing professional, regardless of price so you may get a better deal elsewhere. However, if credentials and professionalism are top priorities, go with the professional recommended from your MD.

Choose a Professional Close By
Your hearing professional is your partner in improving life’s quality and you can expect to make visits to this professional regularly for everything from adjustments to maintenance to cleaning to a battery swap.

It’s much easier to make these trips when your hearing specialist is right downtown instead of half-way across the state.

Look for Credentials
Ask your hearing professional what credentials s/he’s earned. Is she a certified hearing instrument specialist, licensed by the state? Is he an audiologist? A licensed administrator of hearing exams? It’s always comforting to see a couple of diplomas on the wall along with certificates indicating professional training, and any good professional will proudly display these credentials.

Look for a Business With a Long Local History
Some hearing aid dispensers come to your home selling a single line of devices. You buy, have a problem and that salesperson is 500 miles to the west in another state entirely.

I always recommend that clients do their homework. How long has the dispensary been in business in your community? Are they members of the local Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau? Are they good business citizens within your community?

These are the men and women who not only value your business, they deliver a higher quality of services and ensure that you receive the best hearing device for your needs and lifestyles.

So don’t move forward without some professional advice - local, established, credentialed and a hearing pro willing to listen to you to understand your desires and listening preferences.

Finally, if you ever get the hard sell, you’re working with the wrong hearing aid dispenser.