I’m a 6 month now user of hearing aids, and based on a recent experience with customer service & assistance, was looking for an opportunity to document here, and hope this thread will provide that opportunity.
I think Costco is swell, and I’m a fan. Not unquallified, though. I do think you need to shop some, compare maybe with audiologists outside of the Costco environment, and determine that there is a HIS or audi at Costco that “gets you,” that you can have an affirmative and positive relationship with. Finding a hearing aid technician, audi or not, that you trust and have confidence in, IS important, and might even be worth paying more for, if you can’t find such a one at Costo.
But, if you can find a person to work with at Costco, that resource is just so beneficial. Lots of reasons. Start with selection. Rasmus here touts the Kirkland sometmies, and it’s probably relatively a best value. The audi I worked with favored the Bernafon, and as you’ll read here, it’s not uncommon for an audi, base on whatever set of personal experiences, to favor a hearing aid, so I don’t think that’s a problem. As I understand it, the selection at Costco (maybe unless you have tinitus) is very strong. And the pricing uniquely attractive, by a long shot. Their returns policy is better than anyone, allowing you to trial them for 90 days (others will typically be between 30 - 60 days max), and…then there is follow up service, which I had to very recently take advantage of. But wait.
Guys like me, of whom there are many, whose hearing degrades when you’re older (I’m 58), haven’t lived with a hearing problem…it’s newer. So, we want to deal with it sort of at our convenience, if possibe, and not take medical leave maybe if we can avoid it. So, if you’re in an area like I am, a large metropolitan environment, and there are hours in the evening and weekend…that’s a big advantage. Two days ago, I discovered my left hearing aid stopped working. My original audi with Costco, who I especially trusted, and did like, has gotten herself into a bad way with access. Her hours have reduced to just weekdays, and her appointment list was a month long before she could be seen. But…Costco is a legitamate franchise. I asked her if it would be ok to go to another Costco, after they first owned the problem, and began to try to problem solve and try to get me in earlier. They said sure, I called then another local Costco, and I was seen the same night. After a first technician looked, and went with my first recommendation/suggestion made to me, that the battery was not making contact, and she was readying it to be sent back with a week turnaround, a second technician said let me look at it first, and a few minutes later came back, having problem solved, and determined there was a problem with a failed speaker, which she replaced, and I went home with a fixed hearing aid. She even took care of two other minor requests, being to replace one of the 4 programs I no longer found useful, and give me advice on how I could use my i-phone with my aids. I thought they got “unparied,” but instead, my i-phone just got un-attuned to blue tooth.
A last thing I’ll share I learned in this recent experience. Hearing Aid technicians and audis…seeming more than most in the medical professions, must also be like car mechanics…learning how to mess with the gadgetry, and problem solve with the parts. At least, if they acquire this skill, unless most aids are more foolproof than mine…they can help when ocassional failures happen, as I experienced.
And, with Costco, especially if you live in a more metropolitan area, where there may be a number of Costcos, you can access the resources of all of them. You can get to know them. For me, I have really only had cause to visit two stores. One doesn’t seem to mind as not being listed as the place I made the original purchase, and they are ready and willing to help.
A maybe last thing. The culture of Costco’s hearing aid folks…is one of helpfulness. They see it as their job as being to provide service to their customers. There is not the question about warrantee running out in a year, at which point, they can begin to assess new service fees. It is a very customer service oriented feel, and I can only think this is a good thing.
Ok, so hopefully this will be responsive here. Maybe I should replicate it in a separate thread, too…but I"ll leave it here for now. I wish you luck finding that person you can work with, and hope, frankly, you’ll be lucky enough to find them at Costco.
Regards,
Ira Z.
