At Visalia Hearing Center, we believe transparency is essential—not just in how we serve patients, but in how we respond to feedback, both positive and not so positive. While many businesses try to bury negative reviews, we recently received one that we feel deserves a spotlight—not to shame or argue, but to educate.
Here is the feedback we received when we inquired why a person chose another facility for hearing care:
“The reason you are not getting sales is because of your big amount of aftercare. Don’t you realize adding $2,000 to the price of the hearing aid is outrageous? Where I bought my hearing aids after seeing you does not charge for aftercare. They will also replace the hearing aid if it gets lost. You are a very good audiologist and you have a nice office and friendly staff. The aftercare price in my opinion is causing your business to fail.
“I would not refer your company to any friend or person I know. I owned and operated a huge business for 26 years. One of the draws was if a customer received any item they were unhappy with, we replaced the item and did not charge additional shipping. They were also allowed to keep the previous order. This was a big draw for our company.” — [Name redacted for privacy]
We truly appreciate this person’s honest feedback and the chance it gives us to open up a conversation that isn’t happening often enough when it comes to hearing care.
Hearing Aids vs. Hearing Care: What’s the Difference?
There’s a common misconception that hearing aids are equal to hearing care. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Hearing aids are simply products/tools/commodities. Hearing care is the expertise, support, fine-tuning, troubleshooting, and medical oversight that ensure those devices actually help you hear better. Just like in any doctor-level professional service, that professional’s time is valuable, and it has a distinct cost—which is separate from the cost of the product/tool/commodity. What that means is that for successful hearing care, patients are paying for both the hearing aid (product) and the professional’s time/expertise/labor. This is not a hearing aid “markup”; it’s paying for your doctor’s time.
Another way to think of this scenario is to compare it to buying a car. You could get a car with no warranty, no roadside assistance, and no maintenance plan, or you could choose one that comes with a team that ensures it’s always safe, clean, and running smoothly. You’re getting the same great car, and one will save you a lot of money up front. That is, until something goes wrong.
At Visalia Hearing Center, we offer patients a choice in how they want their hearing care managed. Patients can purchase hearing aids and then pay as they go for aftercare and service, or they can purchase a continued care and coverage plan and have those services covered for two, three, or four years. And yes, a three-year program of unlimited office visits with the team at Visalia Hearing Center is roughly $2000.
We can see how some people view this as an extra, because technically it is an extra. That $2,000 “add-on” isn’t a markup, though, but rather an investment in ongoing care and services like proactive preventative tune-ups, ear cleanings, updated hearing assessments, cognitive screenings, access to hearing aid loaners, etc.* that keep you hearing your best for years to come. Most big-box or discount hearing aid providers that offer “free aftercare” are really offering nothing beyond “call me if you have a problem.” I can confidently say that yes, the location where the person who provided us with these critical comments bought their hearing aids does not charge for aftercare— because it doesn’t offer any of these services I mentioned. And, in fact, I would argue that place doesn’t really provide aftercare at all. Of course, if that location ever did offer services like I mentioned above, they would charge for them, too.
Bundled vs. Unbundled Pricing: A Summary of How Hearing Care Is Paid For
Exceptional hearing care, not hearing aids, is the key ingredient in solving hearing challenges. Hearing care is the services, expertise, and processes created and provided by a Doctor of Audiology and their team to support long-term hearing success. In order to receive the services and expertise needed for long-term success, your doctor’s time has to be paid for. No one should be expected to work for free. The two pricing models that are offered are:
- Bundled: Pay more up front and have coverage for two, three, or four years.
- Unbundled: Pay less up front and then pay as you go when services are needed.
From the critical comments we received, it seems Visalia Hearing Center did not do a good job in explaining our pricing models, the list of services included with the bundled package, or the value/significance of those services. This is an area where we, as a business, are actively working to improve.
We’re Not for Everyone, and That’s Okay
There’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to hearing care. Some people prefer a low-cost, low-touch model. Others want professional service with ongoing support. We fall into the second category, and we’re proud of it.
This review reminded us why we do what we do. Hearing loss is complex and not solved by a device alone. It requires follow-up, adjustments, education, and care. We will never compromise on that. We’re proud to offer hearing care that prioritizes long-term success over short-term sales. We strongly believe that professional support is the true cost of hearing care; this is where patients should be investing their money. The professionals you’re partnering with are the linchpin that drives success or failure in addressing hearing challenges. And like most things in capitalism, you do get what you pay for.
We’re not in the business of just selling hearing aids—we’re here to help people reconnect with the world around them. And we’re always willing to talk openly about praise and criticism alike, if it helps people make informed decisions.
If you have any questions we may be able to help answer or if you’d like to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (559) 625-8960. And if you have any feedback you’d like to share, feel free to leave us a review here!
PS For those of you who prefer stories with no loose ends, Visalia Hearing Center responded to these critical comments within 24 hours of receiving them.
If you’d like to read our response, click here
A week after responding to the patient, we received the following email:
“After writing such a stern review I’ve had time to think about it and want to apologize for such strong opinions. We did not discuss used hearing aids. As I stated it was the cost of the aftercare that bothered me. I felt that was your job to take care of the hearing aids. It is included in my plan which works out better for me.”
Visalia Hearing Center is glad this patient was receptive to our comments and I believe we’re both better off for it.
*Visalia Hearing Center has an extensive list of services that are incorporated into our “bundled” continued care and coverage plans. It’s our commitment to our follow-up and aftercare services that really sets Visalia Hearing Center apart from other Tulare County locations that only sell hearing aids.
