Just like car trouble, nobody likes it when a hearing instrument malfunctions, but eventually, it may happen. This writer has observed hearing aid mechanical durability for over 35 years and can say that in general, today’s hearing instruments are way, way more dependable than in previous decades. We have noticed far less repair traffic in the office than was seen even ten years ago.
Sooner or later, however, your hearing instrument may need service because it has to endure getting knocked around and taking daily baths in sweat and debris and earwax. If the instrument has to go to the manufacturer’s lab, during the first two or three years the service is at no charge and the unit is repaired or replaced in a matter of days. This is a very generous and “user-friendly” policy by comparison to other hi-tech items. And our policy at the Hearing Improvement Centers has always been that if you got the instrument from us and we can revive it without sending it to the lab, the service is at no charge, no matter how old the instrument.
When the instrument eventually does have to go to the manufacturer’s lab for an out-of-warranty overhaul, it comes back looking and working like new. The service fee covers any subsequent service needed on the instrument for six to twelve months, depending on whether the aid is over or under five years old. Generally, once the instrument has been overhauled at the lab, it holds up again for a long time.
Always call ahead for an appointment if you are having a problem with your aid. This will allow us to be best prepared to analyze the issue and correct the problem with the least inconvenience to you.
Hearing instrument longevity
Our orientation at the Hearing Improvement Centers is that the cost of a pair of hearing instruments represents a significant financial investment by our valued clients. Understandably, they want the instruments to last. On average, our clients replace their instruments within five-to-seven years. Some replace them sooner, and some make them last even longer.
When we make the initial recommendation for a specific hearing instrument model, we try to allow for the reality that the user’s hearing levels may decrease over time. We want the user to have an instrument that has enough power in reserve so that it later can be reprogrammed to have adequate strength if the user’s hearing levels eventually weaken. (Unfortunately, none of us is getting any younger.)
We tend to spend a lot of time counseling new users about this issue, because people on first impulse tend to be interested in the teeny-weeniest hearing instruments without regard for the reality that such items might not be strong enough on a long-term basis. We make our best effort to keep our folks sensible about the instruments they choose, so they can have lasting value.