Private Audiologist/Costco

Bradw, you are absolutely right about the fine tuning work that needs to be done in a good fitting. The thing with REM is that it gets you in the ballpark right away to start the fine tuning. I think back to when I got my first REM back in 1984. I fit a full shell ITE on a patient, I had checked the target (NAL) in my test box with a 2cc coupler and it was spot on. The patient came back a week later and said he heard better without the aid than with it. I rechecked the 2cc coupler NAL prescription and still spot on. I had just gotten a Real Ear system and he was actually my first patient to get to use it. When I measured the output at his ear drum, he had 12 dB insertion loss at 1500-2000 hz with the ITE in and turned on to MCL. Instead of thinking the man was crazy or just difficult to work with, the RE proved he actually heard better without the aid. I switched to a BTE with an open mold and remeasured and suddenly he was gaining benefit from the hearing aid. Without the RE, I may never have gotten him hearing correctly. Either he or myself may have just given up because the ITE should have worked. I still maintain that “professionals” who don’t use RE are either too cheap to buy a system, too lazy to spend the time doing it or don’t really know how to use properly.

@gorgeguy said:

They are a simple retailer and all they care about is their retail.

Why do you continually bad mouth costco? No, they don’t work on products they don’t sell as they are not setup to do that, but that is a corporate decision and the employees in the store cannot change that. However that has nothing to do with whether they care about their patients. I, and many people I read from on here, talk extensively about how far they go for their patients. Instead of just making blanket negative statements about costco how about just referring to specific incidents you may have had with them and skip the generalizations, which are unhelpful.

@janofh said:

skip the generalizations, which are unhelpful.

@janofh: FWIW, I agree with you, Howard. Without Costco, many would have to forego treatment for their hearing loss.

I’m fortunately looked after by Veterans Affairs Canada for my service-incurred hearing loss. I wouldn’t be able to afford Oticon More1s without them, so I’d be heading to Costco, myself.

Sure, they’re a retailer, but so are audiology clinics - which are of the “boutique” variety!

@janofh said:

Why do you continually bad mouth costco?

janofh, I don’t continually bad mouth Costco. I have said many times that some of them do a great job, I personally know Costco HIS that even I would go to. But on the other side of the coin I have seen many terrible fittings from Costco. Many talk about Costco as if it the Holy Grail of hearing aids, it is not. It is an option and price wise it is a very good option. But is by no means a guarantee of success and a good fitting, the old adage “Let the buyer beware” is appropriate. I have seen the Good, the Bad and the Ugly and unfortunately the bad and ugly stick in my mind the most. But I think Costco is a viable option for many.
Another thought, the happy ones are usually not seen in other clinics. Usually only the unhappy ones go to other clinics. Hence, a lot more of the bad fittings are observed.