"...thank you for bringing my husband, Rudy, back from a hearing loss and being left out of a conversation to being the center of attention and a part of corporate conversations. He is so pleased..."
— Linda Wahlsten
Port Angeles Read More

QUESTIONS FOR HEARING AID PROVIDERS

1) Are you an Audiologist or a Hearing Instrument Dispenser?

2) How many manufacturer’s product lines do you carry?

3) What is included in the price of the hearing aids?

4) What is the warranty on the hearing aids?

5) How long is my trial period and can it be extended?

6) What testing do you do to assure that the hearing aid is working appropriately for my hearing loss?

7) How much money do you keep if the hearing aid is not right for me?

8) Do you repair hearing aids on site?

9) What is your follow up routine with the hearing aids?

10) Will the hearing aids work with telephones and cell phones?

11) What happens if I lose a hearing aid?

12) How long do you expect these hearing aids to work for me?

13) What Assistive Listening Devices do you carry or have available?

14) What happens at the end of my warranty period?

15) What happens if my hearing aids have numerous repairs?

OUR ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR PROVIDERS:

1) Olympic Hearing Center employs only audiologists. Audiologists have made a commitment to the hearing field with a minimum of a Master's degree for their education.

2) If the dispenser carries only one manufacturer, it limits the choices they have to fit your hearing loss and lifestyle. A limited choice often occurs with franchises that have very high overhead (marketing) costs, for which you end up paying.

3) Olympic Hearing Center’s price is all inclusive, everything needed for care of the units and our scheduled service for at least two years.

4) Our basic warranty period is for two years.

5) Federal and state law requires a thirty-day trial period. Olympic Hearing Center routinely gives a sixty-day trial period and we will extend that time if you have any difficulties or concerns.

6) Real Ear Insertion Gain (REIG) is the industry standard for testing the actual performance in YOUR ears as opposed to the manufacturer projections. REIG is a wonderful tool when used properly. As a new user, you will most likely not want optimal performance but you can make that your long term goal. We use REIG with the voices of your spouse and family members to help them understand what you can and cannot hear even with your optimal hearing aid fitting. This tool helps the family to understand and work with you and your hearing loss.

7) Federal law allows a dispenser to keep the lesser of $150.00 or ten percent of the charge for each hearing aid. Olympic Hearing Center does not charge for the trial period with the hearing aids that we recommend. We do charge $400.00 for “Completely in the Canal” fittings that we consider inappropriate for your hearing loss.

8) We do routine hearing aid maintenance with parts for five companies, ear mold repair and upkeep, and even hearing aid shell repair on site.

9) We individually design a program built around your needs. This is usually a 5 to 15 minute visit every 3 months for in-the-ear aids.

10) All our hearing aids will work with any phone (cell, cordless or land line) made to work with hearing aids.

11) All of the major manufacturers have a program to help with the replacement of lost hearing aids for at least a limited time. Our favorite manufacturer charges $250.00 to replace a lost hearing aid for the life of the warranty, which is up to four years.

12) We prefer to design hearing aids to provide for your needs for a minimum of five years and they often last longer.

13) Phonak has a full array of Assistive Listening Devices from the trusty old FM system to the radically advanced Bluetooth connectivity system. Whether for a child in the classroom or a multitasking executive on the road, there is a system to be designed for you.

14) At the end of the two-year warranty period, we retest your hearing and send the hearing aids back for reconditioning at the manufacturer. The manufacturer will replace the microphones and receivers that are eighty percent of the cause of repairs. When the hearing aids return, we reprogram them with the latest audiological information and any changes you might want before the warranty and service period expire.

15) Our favorite manufacturer (not our only manufacturer!) is Phonak. They have a “no lemon” guarantee. If you have multiple repairs that are not your fault, they will replace the hearing aids for the length of the warranty.

Do you believe in miracles? The questions you must ask before buying. Download.