When it comes to hearing care, local providers can offer more personalized service and a wider range of products than what customers may find at big-box stores.
“As local hearing instrument specialists, we care deeply about making sure each individual is getting the hearing care that best meets their lifestyle and financial needs,” said Shelby LaGaly, a licensed hearing care provider at My Hearing Centers’ Billings office.
When a client builds a relationship with the same provider over time, it helps to establish a sense of comfort, continuity and trust.
“Seeing the same provider on each visit is important because it sometimes takes multiple follow-ups to get your hearing aids adjusted correctly,” My Hearing Center’s Missoula provider Gavin Horne said. “If you’re seeing somebody new every time who doesn’t really know your history, it can get frustrating.”
Although Montana State Law binds all hearing care providers to the same professional standards and guidelines, the goals of the outlets they work in may differ greatly from those of local, specialized providers.
“At My Hearing Centers, we take the long view and want people to have a good overall experience,” Horne said. “For us, ongoing service and follow-up care is usually included as part of the purchase. We don’t charge per visit. You’re not going to be spending another hundred dollars every time you come in.”
“We offer multiple levels of technology and service plans intended to help patients within nearly any budget,” LaGaly added. “We allow our patients the ease and convenience of submitting all their insurance claims since we are in network with most major commercial insurance plans.”
While some hearing aid prices may be lower upfront at big-box stores, Horne pointed out that hearing aids are only part of the solution. Consistent, reliable, proficient and personal service is the other part. Adapting a line from Ben Franklin, Horne cautioned, “The bitterness of poor quality and service lingers long after the sweetness of low price has been forgotten.”
“Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. There are so many nuances between different products,” Horne said. “Cheaper hearing aids may not work as well as medical-grade devices in the circumstances you need them to. Your goal is not to just get hearing aids. Your goal is to hear and understand better. If you do not purchase the right hearing aids and if the hearing aids are not programmed correctly for your hearing loss, your experience will be disappointing.”
My Hearing Centers’ network of locations across the western United States creates an opportunity to build strong buying relationships with product manufacturers. The end result? Price savings they can pass along to their customers.
In the end, though, service is what makes the biggest difference for many clients.
“You know what hearing is?” LaGaly asked. “Hearing is a night out. Hearing is family. Hearing is connection. Hearing is love. Hearing is a rebirth, a new life. Grown men have shed tears of joy in my office because they can hear and understand again. It’s an amazing thing. Many people put off their hearing care to the detriment of their relationships, their social life and even their own health. But when they come in, when they hear the difference, the common refrain is, ‘I should have come in years ago.’”
My Hearing Centers welcomes anyone experiencing hearing difficulties or in need of a hearing evaluation to schedule a free hearing exam. If testing indicates that hearing care is needed, the staff is happy to verify insurance coverage so patients can receive the full value of their benefits.
For more information about My Hearing Centers, go to myhearingcenters.com.
