Audiologists are they salesmen or professionals?

Sales hype from the big audiologists is not what many need

Hearing Connect crop Audiologists are they salesmen or professionals? photo

Connect Hearing - the deal is not there

The second audiologist I saw claims to be the largest one in Canada, Connect Hearing.

Connect Hearing promised $1,000 discounts, free trials and even a Veterans discount. In the end they delivered nothing.

When I tried to connect the dots on their audiology delivery, it didn’t make sense. They could not meet their advertised statements.

Instant Savings with No Mail-In Rebates!

Connect Hearing is owned by Sonova, a Swiss holding company that owns several hearing aid manufacturers like Canadian Unitron and Phonak from Switzerland, plus distributors and retail operations such as Connect Hearing.  Connect Hearing represents all brands, although they recommended both Unitron and Phonak to me.

This company bought the audiologist I used 8 years ago and all new staff were in the office.

Unlike the previous sole practitioner, the audiologist at Connect Hearing seemed professional, caring and attentive to my needs and questions. I discussed my need to listen to and perform music with the hearing aids. The audiologist was all ears, as it were.

She understood the funding and facilitated the process with the government.

In took three meetings for the hearing test, discussion of models, and taking of molds for my ears.

When I went for the fitting of the actual hearing aids, things fell off the rails because the reality was nothing close to the advertisement.

Hearing Connect Audiologists are they salesmen or professionals? photo

Connect Hearing advertising

The Canadian Legion 10% discount disappeared and was reduced to 2%. Free batteries for 5 years became 3 years. Supposedly the free batteries were worth $300. In actuality, batteries are about $60 per year.

So there was no $1,000 saving and oops there is no free trial either.

When I arrived for the fitting appointment, the office manager put on her officious best attitude and demanded the money there and then. DSP was paying for most of the aids and apparently hadn’t sent the purchase order, although there was an email confirmation from the government.

Since I had talked to her the day before and confirmed the appointment, I was perplexed how the “free trial” got lost. Without notice, Connect Hearing wanted the money now or go home.

After a small discussion, I left. I felt like it was a rip off. I had swallowed the disappearing discount but the money upfront was a danger sign, especially when the DSP was paying all but $500.

I must have asked too many questions or struck a raw nerve because I got a nasty email from a vice president after that cancelled appointment.

Connect Hearing must be used to having people react like sheep to whatever service they decide to dish out.

Next – finally an audiologist with customer service

Previous article  Can You Hear Me Know

Finally a Hearing Aid That Works For Musicians

Resources

Hearing Review – articles about hearing loss for musicians

Hearing Aid Forums – user comments and reviews

Digital Recordings – computer based hearing test that you can do on your own

Musicians’ Clinics of Canada -  special clinic for musicians

  • Island parent

    What HA were recommended to you and why was the trial period suddenly invalid? Like I said in my earlier post, the thought of having to buy outside the APSEA (Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority) system–where we buy at cost from audiologists who do not make a profit from the sale of aids–is a scary concept.
    Is there a website that makes suggestions based upon your audiogram?

  • Stephen Pate

    Connect Hearing recommended Unitron Moxi 12 ITCs. I have no idea why they refused to fit the hearing aids, despite several attempts to mediate the issue.

    Can you give me more details (stepate@gmail.com) on the APSEA process. The Province of PEI does not provide purchasing assistance under the adult DSP, other than funding. Leaving the hearing impaired person to negotiate with audiologists is a mistake, in my opinion. It creates tension between the audiologist and the hearing impaired person and costs more money. For wheelchairs and other assistive devices, the DSP staff source and negotiate prices. For HA you’re on your own.

    I didn’t find a website that narrowed down the suggestions. What the forum website http://hearingaidforums.com/index.php did provide were user experiences with HAs and most of the posters put their audiogram in the signature. It doesn’t take much effort to connect the dots on people with mild, moderate or severe loss (at different parts of the spectrum) with recommendations or problems reported by users. It takes a little research but that helped to educate me.

  • Island parent

    In the province of PEI, HAs are prescribed by the Provincial Audiologist for all individuals under the age of twenty one as opposed to a private, for profit audiologist. The provincial audiologist orders them thru the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority. This is a is cooperative program between the four Atlantic provinces that provides services to Deaf/HOH/blind/visually impaired individuals under twenty one. It is an off shoot of the provincial education department and the services it provides have been a God send for our daughter.