David Ormerod Hearing Centre: I'm not impressed!
I was doing some shopping in my local Boots last week and, because I had 15 minutes to spare, I decided to pop into the in-store David Ormerod Hearing Centre that to check out there service and prices.
No-one else was waiting or being seen by the assistant so I was shown straight in. I briefly explained my situation to her: Currently have analogue ITEs that aren’t powerful anymore and am looking to go digital. I asked her what brands they were offering and how much they were selling them for – she seemed happy to talk through the makes and models but sidestepped any questions on price. That made me immediately assume that their prices weren’t too good. She was also dead keen on getting my name and address and booking me an appointment with the Audiologist – a bit pushy for my liking!
Next, and this was the question I was really interested in asking, I asked her what would happen if I purchased hearing aids from them and I didn’t like them – what would happen if I just couldn’t get on with them? Basically, was there a trial period? “You can try them for a month and if you don’t like them you can have your money back or try something else. But, the Audiologist will know what you need”. Fair enough, the return policy is fine. But then, and this is where she lost herself a potential customer, she said ,”You know that there is times in life when you just have to get on with things and do the best with what you’ve got. The aid may not be perfect for you but you just need to do the best with what you’ve got”. Are you joking, lady? You want me to pay you somewhere between £1500 and £3000 for a hearing aid that I would just have to put up with? If I’m spending that sort of money I expect something that’s perfect for me – not something I have to try and do the best with.
I headed for the door pretty soon after that.
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As the Customer Care Manager for David Ormerod Hearing Centres and having read your recent review, I would like to respond to the comments made regarding your experience at our centre in Oxford
I’m pleased to hear that our Customer Service Advisor offered the information requested on the types of aids and manufacturers we use. Although indicative prices are available, it is however difficult to offer a specific price at this stage of an enquiry as before a consultation we are unaware of your actual levels of hearing loss, what you would like a hearing aid to do for you, what your lifestyle requirements are, the cosmetics you’re looking for and of course how much you’d like to pay.
The details of the above are all discussed as part of the free of charge consultation with our Hearing Aid Audiologist, and as a Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser, they are qualified to assess your hearing and dispense a suitable solution should a customer wish to proceed with purchasing a hearing aid from us.
Our hearing aids come with a two year manufacturers warranty and we actually offer a 60 day money back guarantee. This gives our customers two months to trial the hearing aid and if not totally satisfied then all monies are returned. Our after care is also included in the price of the hearing aid. We like to see our customers for regular hearing check ups twice yearly to check on your hearing health and to service the aid to make sure it’s working to its optimum levels.
Unfortunately hearing aids do not restore peoples hearing, they work with the residual hearing a person still has and we will always work with both the customer and the instrument to ensure we get the best solution possible for their lifestyle.
We take your comments very seriously and assure you that our customer’s satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us.
David Ormerod doesn’t care about its customers. They are just in it for the money. They try and push the most expensive aid on you. Their customer care call centre is awful with unqualified staff running it. i never speak to the same person twice. The turnover of staff must be huge. Stay clear.
Hi Julie,
Thanks for the feedback.
First of all, I don’t agree with your comment about pricing. The lack of price information up front immediately put me on the back foot – why won’t she tell me, are their prices high? I understand that at that early stage in the conversation she would have no idea of what type of aid I would need – that doesn’t mean that she should try and push me toward the Audiologist instead of talking about prices. I was a potential customer who knew what type of hearing aid would be suitable, I had been for recent hearing tests and I was there specifically to see if you were offering competitive prices. I wasn’t given that information so I left.
On the point about the, “do the best with what you’ve got” comment. I agree with you that hearing aids do not necessarily completely restore someone’s hearing. On reflection, I would assume that this is what the assistant was talking about but it certainly didn’t come across like that at the time – she seemed to be suggesting that I should struggle on with a less than perfect aid rather than return it and look for a more suitable model.
Steve
Firstly, you cannot download an information pack from the Ormerod at Boots site unless you give your name addess, email and telephone number. Whether you yourself are the deaf person or not.
When you do, you will find no information about prices. There is also no technical specification provided about their ranges.
Secondly, if you want to find out how much Ormerod systems cost, I suggest you look at the Specsavers site, where they publish the following table:
http://tinyurl.com/2q3hm4
The Ormerod range is roughly twice the price for comparable models, according to figures given to the Keydata market research group.
Ormerod were happy to assure my father that Siemens hearing aids (as supplied by Specsaver to my mother) would be much more expensive. In fact Ormerod sold him a hearing aid at the bottom of the range, for one ear, for the price charged at Specsavers for a pair of their second most expensive model.
“what your lifestyle requirements are, the cosmetics you’re looking for and of course how much you’d like to pay.”
This is an approach used by car dealers, who have the worst reputation among salesmen. Like you, I would have left immediately.
I think Julie Evans has a very good point about working with residual hearing and hearing aids being limited in what they can do, perhaps the shop assistant didn’t put it across very well. As for pricing, many independent dispensers can match and sometimes beat Specsavers, so a table comparing them to the big names isn’t much good. I think the personal service from your local independent dispenser may win out in the end. They don’t have vast numbers to cater for and rely on a good name for their business. Word travels fast.
My pricing page is http://www.peterbyrom.co.uk/price.php
the difficulty for many potential hearing aid customers is that we have very little idea what hearing aids cost.From todays newspaper i can order a free mini amplifier or pay anything between £495.00 to £4629.00 for a pair of hearing aids.At least Specsavers are willing to inform us what we get at what price with which features included with NO extra charge for the very small aids.Why do so many other hearing aid salesmen not advertise price lists?
I have just been fitted with a ReSound Azure hearing aid by a David Ormerod audiologist at Boots and have to say that so far I am 100% dissatisfied. Despite my repeated requests for the smallest in-ear aid of discreet appearance, I was persuaded/advised that the one supplied was the only one suitable for my hearing loss. It was immediately apparent on fitting that the aid was too big, difficult to put in place, uncomfortable, ugly and bulky. In addition, there was massive feedback squealing and rushing sounds, without definite improved clarity in hearing. The audiologist refused to “hear what I was saying”, replying simply that “the computer in the room had a noisy fan” and that “the brain needed to get used to sounds it was not accustomed to hearing”. Being a complete mug, I meekly handed over my Visa card to pay the balance of £2,100 for the aid and agreed to persevere with it until next appointment. I expressed disappointment with the device and was also puzzled by being shown a graph indicating that at first customers show only 20% satisfaction with their aid (which apparently improves over 60 days)! At no time was I informed of any money back guarantee, but was told that after 60 days it might be possible to exchange it for an aid from a different manufacturer. I am feeling so panicky about this hearing aid (wearing it as I type now,to endless feedback squeaks and muffled sounds – and still unable to converse without saying “Sorry??”) that I am even wondering if I should seek legal advice. Due to the audiologist’s implacably bovine response, I am already expecting to be met with lack of co-operation where refund might be concerned.
Hi Virginia,
A few people have reported bad experiences with Ormerod on here but the way you are being treated is truly shocking.
David Ormerod advertise a 60 day money back guarantee – if you are not happy with the service and the aid they have fitted you with then demand your money back. They are obliged to give it and if they don’t I would let them know you will be visiting the Citizens Advice ASAP – it would be illegal for them to not refund you within the 60 day period.
Whatever you do, don’t struggle on with sub-standard aids, there’s no need. There are plenty of great hearing aids on the market and plenty of genuine sellers out there.
It is true, though, that people will take time to get used to new hearing aids so even if they sounded bad/weird to begin with, things could improve. You shouldn’t be getting any feedback though, that suggests that either the aids are turned up too high or they do not fit you properly.
Possibly you could demand an ultimatum: either they fix the problems you are having RIGHT NOW or you get your money back and are going elsewhere. Seems fair to me.
Best of luck and let us know how you got on.
Steve.
Dear Virginia,
im sure ormerods will do all they can to secure the sale to your satisfaction however i think the price you are paying is well over the top ,id contact your nearest Specsavers Hearcare store for another opinion AND A FAR BETTER PRICE !!!!
Dear Virginia,my wife was told by ormerod that she required a hearing aid and straight away was told that it would be £3000,not knowing if this was right we were a bit aprehensive and made enquiries to other aid wearers and they said they were ripping us off,we rang ormerod and told them and instantly thet said that they would reduce the price,needless to say we are looking elsewhere.
Henry
Hi Henry,
I would be very interested to see what Virginia, or another David Ormerod representative, have to say about your experience with them. Although overcharging you and then offering a reduced price is not great for you, as the customer, it probably is very common. It would be the same if you went to buy a car – you would have to haggle or threaten to go elsewhere to get the price reduced.
Do leave a comment here and let us know how you get on with your search for a new hearing aid.
All the best,
Steve.
I came across this site by accident but what interesting reading. Firstly Specsavers cannot compare prices directly as their ‘advance’ system is manufactured for their use. Other systems quoted may seem similar but this is not a direct cost comparison. It is worth noting that you still need to spend £1595 at Specsavers to match current NHS technology. Now I know all the problems, I am an NHS Audiologist and am also qualified as a Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser so try to see things from both sides; Specsavers do sell cheaper hearing aids but they are more basic; Ormerods should not treat people as they have done in the correspondance above. My advice, if you cannot get an NHS aid easily or wish for a more cosmetic solution always go to an Independent supplier, not a big company. Hearing aids are not perfect even if they cost a lot of money! But always remember you are buying a complete service, not a toaster. The costs will always reflect that a good, correctly fitted aid should last at least 5 years with no further charge except breakdown out of warranty, when you cost that out the price may seem more realistic but do shop around!!
i am also nhs and privately qualified, specsavers are changing the private hearing aid industry for the benefit of the consumer providing affordable hearcare for all,ormerods at least provide price information for the customer.
Both ormerods and specsavers provide hearing aids manufactured by top suppliers ie resound .siemens.. phonak and starkey.. the specification of which are well beyond anything available on the nhs.
id suggest more independent hearing aid dispensers provided comprehensive price and product information as both specsavers and ormerods do
Eddie
I hope you don’t think the cheaper end of the private market is above NHS specification otherwise you are not up to date with what the NHS have to offer.
karen
its unfortunate but so many people dont like our nhs bte hearing aids and go private initially for cosmetics,,,some of the people are happy to pay for similar technology as the nhs aid with a much more cosmetic option…its a pity the modular ite aid which the nhs trialed was scrapped..still the spirit and prisma product are a long way off the private hearing aid dispenser offer
I am thoroughly dissatisfied with my Ormerod hearing aid (in the ear type). With telephone calls I hear whistles, when I go to concerts the sounds are “cracked” and distorted, in fact I am better without an aid, as a singer I still cannot distinguish what the conductor says. When these aids were prescribed I told the audiologist my specific problems and the aids have been adjusted several times over 2 years. The audiologist agrees thatI only have a moderate hearing loss, so it should be correctable.
dear doreen if your low freq hearing is good it may be that you need an aid which is more open in style to allow natural sound into your ears …are your aids the completely in the canal style? as these are notorious for causing occlusion problems even with venting… a behind the ear aid with a life tip on is the most effective open fitting siemens phonak and resound produce the best of these ….hope this is of some help
I bought my hearing aids from Ambicare in Swindon, who were subsequently bought out by David Ormerod. On needing to have them repaired – AGAIN, I sent one to David Ormerod to find, a year later, that the price of repair has risen by £30! The assistant assured me it was because they ofered a full service – which I got from Ambicare for £30 less!
I suggested she read the comments on this website to see that I’m not the only one who feels ripped off. I guess she won’t. I wish I’d never bought them – they cost nearly £4000, with a yearly upkeep of £200! It’s not my fault I became very deaf at the age of 7 and I resent the money-making scam in the private sector and lack of funding in the NHS that I’ve experienced since then.
Hi Kim,
I think there are a lot of people out there sharing your view about the price of hearing aids. I’d be really interested to find out how much vendors pay the manufacturers for each aid – I can’t believe that hearing aid technology is that expensive.
Are Karen mentioned, when you buy a hearing aid you are also paying for the after sales service – but even so, I still think they could be considerably cheaper. It would be interesting to see what would happen if a vendor sold aids at the smallest possible margin – would they get many more sales due to the lower cost, I bet they would? Also, thinking about the service: I bet the majority of people go for the fitting and then never return – I bet in most cases, the service amounts to maybe 2-4 hours consultation at the most.
kim
all hearing aids purchased privately have a 2 year warranty… average repair costs out of warranty cost about £75,00 from specsavers..about £125,00 from ormerods and other big chains these then should have a futher 6 month warranty on them.
there is a repair shop which deal directly with the public its partially owned by starkey call 0500 262131 for contact details this will be cheaper still .i will find there number and put it on this site asap.
steve the margin on hearing aid sales is considerable have you noticed that no manufacturer produces a recc retail price for there products?
big chains such as ormerods and hidden hearing.. amplifon scrivens simply take the cost price and multiply by 5 or 6 hence an aid sold at £2000 cost the retailer about £400,00..only specsavers and many independents work on much smaller margins it pays to shop around for new aids and even aftercare…..
the overheads for the big chains are huge,, rent commision advertising etc there businesses have been built on the bedrock of big mark ups and to try to change it is difficult since something or some people would have to go to reduce costs,
specsavers have gone for and are achieving volume in terms of customer numbers there model is built on best value at lowest cost providing affordable hearing care for all ,,hence there rivals are really cheesed off and slag them off with no basis of truth simply to confuse the customers.
Hi, my dear mother was conned into buying a pair of ormerod hearing aids, the behind the ear type, she was 87 when she bought them and only wore them for a couple of weeks, then was taken seriously ill and unfortunately passed away. After sorting out the funeral and banking etc. ect. I contacted the ormerod centre in Hanley where she purchased the aids from for a cost of £1700 and was told that I was eight days late to claim anything back, even though the aids are brand new and one was never worn as it buzzed. To say the least I feel bereaved and robbed at the same time. My advice to anybody wanting a hearing aid would be to look elsewhere.
Hi Joyce,
I urge you to speak to Ormerod’s management about your situation. You would hope that they would see sense and refund your money.
Maybe someone from David Ormerod’s would like to leave a comment here and leave details so that Joyce can contact you and hopefully claim her refund?
Surely this could be considered an exceptional circumstance in which the refund could be given?
Hi
As the Customer Care Manager I would be more than happy to hear from Joyce and would ask her to contact me on 01492 877989
all retailers have at least a 90 if not 120 day return agreement with suppliers joyce should get all her money back minus perhaps 20 pounds for earmoulds at the most these behind the ear aids can be refurbished easily and sold onto another customer. Hanley office should be thoroughly ashamed
Karen,
I am a private dispenser who also spent two years working on behalf of the NHS as part of the Public Private Partnership. The facts in your post are untrue.
I quote ‘ specsavers are cheaper but they are more basic’ and ‘It is worth noting that you still need to spend £1595 at Specsavers to match current NHS technology’ Absolute rubbish, the NHS standard is the prisma 2 pro, which is comparable with the BOTTOM of the specsavers range i.e. £595 for a pair.
Its unfortunate that NHS audiologists seem to despise the private sector, and spread misinformation.
In my experience I can honestly say that most people who have NHS hearing aids don’t use them, and its not all down to the lack of choice of the type of aid. Sometimes the type of patient we see need a little bit more TLC , rather than the ‘ get em in , fit em and then get em out ‘ experience which is certainly the norm in nhs audiology departments I have seen.
NHS provision of hearing aids is at best poor, and at worse a drastic waste of taxpayers money. The sooner NHS hearing aids are available on the high street (i.e. a voucher system) the better… patients need a choice of model, and the choice of where to have them fitted. Hearing loss is not an illness, so why should patients have to go to hospital??? Specs wearers dont.
I have just received an invitation from David Ormerod based at Boots Leeds, to attend a Your Hearing Care Advice Day. To quote from the letter ” Your Hearing Care Advice Day appointment is reserved for , date and time stipulated. Please note appointments are strictly limited – you must confirm if you wish to attend”
I received this letter last Saturday and rang to confirm my appointment late afternoon Monday, only to be told that the stated time of my appointment was already booked by someone else. I was understandably quite annoyed having scheduled the appointed day around the time stated in my letter.
Whilst the lady I was speaking to was very polite I am left wondering why letters are sent out stating appointment times. I can fully appreciate that any visiting hearing aid expert needs to be fully booked for economic reasons but not at the expense of customer care.
May I suggest that if David Ormerod continues to send out these appointment letters that certain strategies are put into place:
a) the letter states very clearly that stated appointment times will be held open until a set date.
or
Open letters of invitation are sent out asking people to ring for appointment.
I understand that if the latter was in effect there could be a tendency for people not to book whilst the current strategy does get people through the door.
I have always been relatively happy with the treatment I have received from my Leeds centre until today. I might add that I am one very disgruntled client.
lets be honest the whole intention of a hearing care advice day is to sell you something else ie an upgrade to a newer model .most companies try this within 2 years of the initial purchase which considering the fact you spent a significant amount is dissapointing .you should always get at least 5 years from any system before looking at an upgrade and hearing aids can always be repaired at any age ie starkey all make repair 0500 262131..
Referring to Hazel Brindle’s memo I too received an invitation to the open day at the Leeds Branch of David Ormerod and phoned their Head Office first thing Monday morning and received the appointment I had been offered in the correspondence. I feel you may have been very unlucky in not getting the appointment you required.
Like Hazel I have been very satisfied with the service I have received from the Leeds Office and Mr Duffy has always been available to help when my existing aids have developed any slight fault. Shirley has also been very helpful and pleasant.
Went to see David Omerod Centre in Jan afer ad in paper. Saw gentleman who was very keen to help me. He wanted to see if he could use me to advertise aids as I was in my 30′s and had a hig frequency loss that no one could really explain how I got. He was very lovely and wanted to look in to options available for me. He said he could work out a payment plan so I could pay back the amount over finance or if I was able to advertise them I would get money back that way. Anyway after feeling like someone was really going to help me I never heard back and had to contact the centre who finally got the man to call me. Basically nothing had been done and he told me to contact the nhs and see if they could provide me with something better (currently have open fitted oticon spirit 3′s). I explained this was the best the nhs had (like I had told him at appt) and he told me to wait another 6 months and see if the NHS get anything else or keep an eye open for any offers they may have coming up!!! I felt so stupid after thinking they were actually going to help me and had made me feel alot better then basically forgot about me and then could not be bothered to do anything for me!
I have completed the comments form from there centre but not heard back! No surprise there then!!
ormerods like some other companies are trying to present a much more “young and sexy”image for hearing aids ,this is largely due to the fact that 49% of the company is owned by Phonak a hearing aid manufaturer who also promote the “sexy” image much to the dismay of the royal national institue of the deaf.
Hence these companies are anxious to find people like yourself to “advertise” their product, 90% of which will be phonak because of the business relationship between them.
The nhs can give you just a good a product in an on the ear style with thin tube and open dome ideal for moderate high freq losses.
sorry to hear that your yet another dissapointed ormerod customer, i have heard similar experiences from far too many of my nhs patients !!!!
I have been to numerous shops they all tell porkies get your money i paid for a cic like one advertised in shop when mine arrived it kept falling out i said the one in the shop is smaller they said no i checked it was i took the aid home 1,900 kept falling out lost it and 1,900 never again will make do with nhs ones which i find sound better but not cosmetic but there you go .
vivienne thats terrible sounds like it never fitted properly inthe first place ,,,could you claim on house insurance for lost aid?
you paid an over the top cost also for a cic!!!
id go back to who you bought it from and ask them to replace free of charge im sure the suppliers would be happy to oblige …which make was it and where did you get it from??
I may be able to offer some advice to anyone asking. I have worked for a hearing aid manufacturer as well as a hearing aid retailer for many years. I have been involved in the sales, training and product design at all stages. I have trained both NHS and private hearing aid audiologists and worked closely with all national and most independent dispensers.
it is interesting to see some of the comments – some of which are simply untrue. Regarding the private versus NHS hearing aids. The current digital aids available on the NHS would typically retail around £1500 each – I can back this up if anyone wishes to challenge me. These aids are therefore pretty good. The reason manufacturers don’t state a recommended retail price is that it varies too much between dispensers and is therefore meaningless. A hearing aid that is sold at say £1000 would have typically cost the dispenser around £200 (cost X 5 as a general rule). One of the reasons for this huge mark up is that the marketing costs to actually make a sale are around £400 per client! The UK market is perhaps the most expensive for the private purchaser because the NHS provide the vast majority of aids free. Whilst the NHS aids are pretty good, it is impossible for them to keep pace with the rate of new technological breakthroughs due to their long winded tender process. When the NHS started doing digital aids they were the best but are now mid ranged. It is important to understand that what you are really paying for with a private hearing aid is the 5 years aftercare consisting of re-testing and fine tuning of the aids. This is something the NHS cannot offer. If you value your hearing and you want to hear the best you’ll have to pay for it. Regarding where to go to get an aid. As mentioned, I have knowledge of the whole of the private market. In my experience, there is good and bad in any of the national companies as well as the independents. I have heard several criticisms levelled at Ormerods (DOHC, David Ormerods or Boots). I have worked with them for many years and find them to be a reputable company – as are indeed all the national companies. Some independents are good but likewise some are very bad. You will get more consistency with a National but at a higher price. Whilst Specsavers appear to be offering lower prices, you will find that their average selling price is actually the same as any other National company – this is known as upselling and proves their marketing is working. Any questions????
Luke,
Thanks for taking the time to write all of your comments. All big companies have disgruntled customers – you can’t please everyone all of the time. I had a bad experience with them and it looks like quite a few other people did too. If I wrote an article about Specsavers or Scrivens sucking then people wold probably comment on them too.
Your comment about the price of private purchases is very interesting. I’ve written before about the difference between the product and the service and I really do wonder how many people actually use the aftercare and other support they are paying for. Not a lot is my guess. A x5 markup is pretty scandalous in my view.
I’d be very interested to hear more about your experiences of working with the NHS and the private sector.
Cheers,
Steve.
Luke
please enlighten us as to how the nhs technology would cost £3000 a pair on the private market…id be interested to know…thanks
Also i think a 5x mark up is on the low side for most retailers many use at least a 6x mark up …specsavers operate on a 3x mark up as their model is built on volume of customers rather than high profit on small numbers of punters…
Many people are put off the nhs product purely by cosmetics ( even the ote style and i think that looks great !! ) so they go and spend huge amounts of money …sometimes over £3000 on a pair of nice neat in the canal aids,Specsavers still offer the best value ,other players in the market have copied their pricing and then simply switch sell to a higher priced product.
Hearing aid salesmen are like any other group of sales people some good some bad some terrible…shop around at all times ,at my nhs clinic we refer to a local one man band who is very good and fair to his clients,weve heard complaints about Ormerods scrivens hidden etc etc but im also sure some of our own patients complain about us too ……thats life !!!!!!!!
Hi,
I came across this site by accident but glad I did!!!
I currently have 2 hearing aids from the NHS (behind the ear digital). These were fitted by David Ormerod on an NHS basis (the NHS started to use the private sector to get some of the waiting lists down!). My hearing aids since having them have been awful – they cause me so much pain – for the first 2 months, my right one cause me to have a blister in my ear! I’ve been back and they’ve shaved it down a bit, but it’s still pretty bad – sometimes I just have to take it out cause it hurts. My grandmother in law is also the same with hers – she got the same ones as me from the NHS but she doesn’t wear them cause they hurt!! What a waste of money and resources!!
Also, I am concerned that my 5 year old daughter has hearing loss, but none of the high street companies will do a test on anyone under 18!! So I’ve requested that she be referred on the NHS and her appointment is over 6 months away!!
Anyway, the reason for my post is I am looking on the market for new aids (inner ear ones) but I can’t seem to get an appointment at a specsavers – it seems the audiologists only work 2 days a week at each centre! My job entails driving all over the country on appointments so my diary changes from day to day! Does anyone know of an independant company in Leeds or Bradford that they can recommend??
Finally – some useful info for you – my Dad needed 2 hearing aids (like me!), so he wrote to his local NHS (Bolton) and told them that he wouldn’t use their services as he wanted inner ear aids, and could they contribute the cost of what they would allow to his private aids – which they did – (about £1,000)!!!!! So write to your NHS – you may be able to obtain the funding – this should take some of the sting out of buying private!
sarah once the nhs moulds dont fit correctly its pretty pointless filing bits off,it would be better if they took new imps and had them redone, skeleton style or even a half shell style would prove much more comfortable im sure perhaps even a soft silicone material would help if youve not had these before.
eddie binns have hearing aid centres in yorkshire not sure if they are now called national hearing aids or something like that now ,the audiologist is Kevan Bayley a very nice fella.Specsavers do have centres at Girlington in Bradford audiologist Sarah Abbott who im sure is there 3 or 4 days a week and will certainly be within the area on other days
I have found this site following a search, key “ormerod reputation”, which was quite fruitful really. I note that Ormerod representatives are here to deny the claims of people who feel they have been wronged. They will do so in this case, I am sure.
One of my parents bought a ‘digital’ hearing aid from them, it was within weeks returned for work because parts of it were falling apart. This happened again. Subsequently it failed. Pfft. Not working. We were was assured that a replacement had been given to them, but I am beginning to have my doubts about this.
Why doubts? The aid failed again completely in the past few weeks.
It has again been returned, but the member of staff dealing with the matter exhibited the same pushiness in consumer relations with my parent that has been reported here. She decided to change the appointment details, but her intended change was not compatible with then events in my parent’s life. Even so the assistant continued to behave in a pushy manner. I don’t know if it has been resolved, but I do know that the responses in mail of Ormerod have been indifferent, both as far as their reputation is concerned – IMNSVHO (Ihope they understand the caveat and suggest they read an internet acronym dictionary, to be interpreted within the legal meaning of the term “opinion”) they don’t care about their consumers, nor their reputation – and IMNSVHO as far as caring for the quality of life of their customers is concerned. I’m not going into detail because there may be ‘consequences’.
After a long conversation with one of my parents tonight, during which I also conducted a couple of Boolean searches on Ormerod, I am now convinced that these people are in the business only for making money, and that their customers do not receive the benefits that a good after service and consumer relations policy would ensure. These seem to match the pushiness of their sales staff.
If you experience difficulties within an organisation always look further up the chain and find out who hired them, or was responsible for the interviewing and hiring policies. The occupatioal psychologist Peter Warr wrote some interesting material on this, and I am drawing your attention to it, dear readers.
I have the feeling that the increasing presence of internet connected people in their user base will result in a more aggressive and unforgiving attitude in response to their behaviour in the future.
Peter
if the aid your parent had was made by Phonak im sure they would have replaced it completely ,for it to happen a second time would suggest it was never replaced in the first instance.Ormerods to be fair will do all they can to rectify the difficulties experienced with the product they dispensed.
No such attempt to rectify or replace the item, and nothing has happened since they tried to change my mum’s appointment, on the day, to an earlier time. In fact there has been only silence, which is bad business practise and very rude. As my mum has had to pay attention to family life – one of the reasons why the assistant’s attempt to forcibly change her appointment, on the day, failed – this has not been chased up. However, I am with my parents for the next couple of days and we will be in contact with these people.
I’m investigating Specsavers. I know so far of only one black mark against their name: http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_43811.htm and would be grateful if anyone knows of a site with any other substantial negative material. My experience of them as a user of reading glasses has been exemplary. There is an added bonus, inasmuch that they are British and grew out of a small operation, started by a couple who say they intend to retain family control.
Specsavers and Ormerods are certainly at loggerheads,i know of no other negative press about Specsavers hearcare at least they have a price list available to the public stating technical specifications within each price range and have a 2 for 1 offer on their hearing aids just ask any hearcare store to send the information to you,
Ormerods and Amplifon also present a 2 for 1 offer on a very limited range of product,however their dispensers are actively encouraged not to dispense from it as this will affect their commision payments.
Ormerods charge over £2000 for a pair of Phonak Audeo 3 ,the same product is available from Specsavers for £895.00 a pair.The price differential across the industry has become astronomical there will be only one winner ..that company which can provide the customer with the best value and service from their hearing aids, unfortunately Ormerods pursuit of high end sales at all times may well be their downfall
What a great discussion I am have fallen across, I have read with great interest all the comments and claims, some bizarre and some just blatantly wrong.
As a professionally qualified hearing aid audiologist (i hate that title some of you guys give me “salesmen”) I am dismayed at how some of you are treated. Ormeods and all the national companies I know about give basically scandalous service, they offer the earth and deliver nothing but it is so difficult for people to see past the marketing of these companies. They have such huge budgets and small independents cannot compete to get their name out in the market place so the big companies get most of the market share.
As the comments regarding NHS aids costing £1500 each if they were on the private market…come on I dispense the best hearing aids in the world at them prices, the spirit & prisma are not bad aids but cannot be even thought of in the same leaque as Oticons Epoq or Siemens Centra. I see the biggest problem the NHS has is they just do not have the time to understand peoples hearing difficulties or the time to give the after care that is ESSENTIAL for hearing aid users. I do think they do a great job but the value of the hearing aid is worthless if it ends up in the users drawer. The idea to get NHS vouchers in the future to use for private hearing aids will be fantastic for the hearing impaired but many many years away even if it does come in.
Back to the “national” retailers…they all have SALES training, they all up sell from the advertised products, their audiologists will not be paid the same for selling the cheap advertised aids so do not want to. They are very good marketers especiall Specsavers, they have made a difference to the market as far as pricing is concerned with the national retailers but at what cost to the hearing aid user? I have visited patients who have bought very old technology, bought hearing aids they think are int he “premium” range which clearly are not, indeed the advertising standards agencey upheld many complaints re their advertising and found they misled patients by comparing aids like for like that were clearly NOT like for like….if Specsavers aids are the cheapest and the same everyone else sells why put your own name on them. If they are the cheapest why not advertised the brand everywhere and let people compare for themselves, in reality you CANNOT compare a companies own branded product with a branded product on a like for like basis, tell everyone what the aids are and then let them decide…why hide something if you are the CHEAPEST?? W McKee if Specsavers sell Phonak Audeo 3 at £895 per pair why don’t they shout it from the hill tops????
Independent hearing aid audiologists, like myself, the salt of the earth, the ONLY place to get your hearing aids from. Ok not all are the same, some have bad practices, high prices etc etc but on the whole you are dealing with people who pay an awful lot more importance on customer service, we need referrals, we want you to tell everyone about us. I have a much higher interest to satisfy my patient tahn an audiologist worked on a commision for a big company. You only need search the internet and you will find all the big companies advertising, they will advertise prices “from”, advertise “ghost” products, advertise products you cannot compare anywhere. Independents will often on their website advertise prices for actual products, branded hearing aids, you can compare everywhere else. Companies like affordablehearing, crystalhearing, cheaphearingaid, click hearing etc etc they all have price lists on the website of branded products. You do not need to sit through a 2 hour home presentation to get to find a figure of £5000 you know before you even ring them…….
So my advice guys is to get yourself clued up, use the internet to find your local independent, if they do not advertise their prices go to someone who does. If someone has NOTHING to hide they will not hide behind “own brand” products or we tell you after your hearing consultation nonsense. Anybody that says they cannot tell you the price until you have been tested is hiding something, they may not be able to make specific recommendations but they can you tell you the prices of branded products……
Now I would love to answer all your comments if you have any about what I have written.
Happy hearing.
Specsavers branded aids are made by phonak starkey siemens and sonic.they also supply manufacturer branded products at a much lower price than their competitors ,,as a rule of thumb if your paying more than £3000 for a pair of any hearing aids your paying far too much!!!!
Ormerods now supply an instant fit in the ear aid for £149,00 perhaps the market will see more of these type of products become available or is it a sprat to catch a mackeral scenario ie an opportunity to switch sell ???
As an NHS audiologist I can say that the standard of care in NHS departments varies widely, but is improving rapidly in most areas. I would recommend anyone thinking of buying a hearing aid to at least attempt to get an NHS one prior to buying. A good NHS department will use objective verification not widely used in the private sector.
It is true that the very latest digital aids are not available on the NHS, however many of the brands used are simply ‘rebadged’ private aids. In our department we have ‘rebadged’ GN Resound Azure, Metrix and Recently Air RITC aids, all available free with no waiting list. Not sure of exact private cost for these but I would imagine over £1k each. Each patient has an average of 2.5 hours with an audiologist, more if required.
Obviously not all areas are like this, however we are getting some patients coming from >100 miles away to see us, which may not be convenient but is cheaper than paying £2k for the same thing.
As more departments are meeting waiting list targets, the focus of the government is now shifting towards service quality, so we will hopefully see service improvement in all NHS areas over the coming months.
well said captain………the private sector is struggling badly ..lets hope some of the commercial sharks out there sink without a trace…….about time……..
Hi Sarah; don’t know if you still need to know this, but Specsavers have a branch at Morrisons at Idle, Bradfors with cover pretty much every day. Tel. 01274615544. Hope that helps
Hi
Just a bit of info , Bradford / Leeds based audiologist Mrs Lisa Binns-Smith of Binns Hearing Healthcare in Apperley Bridge has just won the coverted title of UK Audiologist of the Year 2008 for exceptional customer service and care . Contact Binns Hearing Healthcare on 01274 622666 or http://www.binnshearinghealthcare.co.uk . Hope this maybe of help to someone .
Re the comment from “sweep” who obviously doesn’t wish his real identity to be revealed. I must stress that we are in no way involved with any national company we are still a small family concern who succeed in giving the very best of service as would be expected from a founder and ex secretary of The Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals see (AIHHP.org) And Mr Bayley has nothing whatever to do with this business. I am proud to say my daughter has just been awarded UK Audiologist of the year and was pipped at the post by a german audiologist for the european title.
I have been an RHAD for 7 years and worked at two different national companies. I would imagine that, although volumes seem high, the percentage of dissatisfied customers at Boots, specsavers etc is no different to the independent sector, however complaining about the local bloggs & co on a national website is of limited appeal and unlikey to stimulate a discussion forum such as this one. I have dealt with NHS patients and patients of other companies and a lot of people are disappointed. Remember a hearing aid can only make use of residual hearing no more it cannot give you normal hearing, anymore than a super duper electric wheel chair can replace your legs. Management of expectations is the key. What I would say about NHS provision is that a complaint is rarely heard or acted on, NHS staff close ranks, no money changes hands and they are not regulated by the fearsome HAC, so if they have a difficult case they can ignore it! Also NHS provision is not free, it is fully paid for by taxes. Where large sums of money are involved it follows (rightly so) that patients who go to the private sector will expect a much higher standard of service. They are more willing to complain for the very reason that they will get heard and will, eventually, get a satisfactory outcome. With regard to variations in price, I was always taught, reinforced by sometimes painful experience, that you will get exactly what you pay for!!! The service element of hearing provision is the difference between success and failure. When I need a plumber, I do not choose the one who charges the lowest price for the materials! Working for a national company has not stopped patients from recommending my service to friends family etc or showing their appreciation by sending letters etc. Also most large companies have very strict compliance departments to ensure that the HAC code of practice is strictly adhered to, disciplinary action for persistant non compliance. Would this be the case at the local independent? My advice; by all means shop around, but do not, ever, make your decision purley on price!
My apologies to Binns hearing centres ,i think it is the old Milnes hearing businesses in Yorkshire which Mr Bayley has taken over ?? hes certainly an Audiologist worth tracking down …Very Reputable and gives an excellent after care service
I have just been fitted with 2 aids from david ormerod at boots and i was given the same speel about buying the better ones and if you can afford as if to challenge me. but you cannot try them out at all to experience the effects or i was not given any other solutions ie buy one really good one for my bad ear and work up from that rather than 2 cheaper ones, 1000 pounds cheap!! My main gripe is they are so tinny, its like having a tin can on my head, my car stereo which is really good sound rubbish and although i can hear i can hear everything, i felt physically sick after wearing them to work which is a noisy place, but I still cant hear conversations just all the noise. Is this the same for everyone or just my ‘cheap’ ones?
what a terrible experience for you!!!
i wonder if you have a sensitivity to loud noise as you say you feel ill using them in noise …did the audiologist do any uncomfortable loudness measurements on you ?
if not ask them to do the measurements as this may well improve the performance of your aids
Too tinny ?…are the aids vented or are they simply blocking up your ears and blasting high frequency amplification down your ears ?
You certainly paid a lot of money for them you should have at least a 60 day return for credit on the aids which they can extend to 120 days as this is what the suppliers give Boots and Ormerods,,,,,,,any issues with this speak to the hearing aid council .
Shop around a little try Specsavers they are fast becoming the most reputable professional hearing aid supplier in the U.K also try a local independent but under no circumstances put up with what you have at present ,in todays economic climate 1000 pounds is not to be wasted
There are some very jaded views on this site.
I am RHAD qualified and have also worked on PPP, switching long term users of analogue BTE’s to digital BTE’s some wearing analogue for in excess of 20 years, some users who had given up using there previous NHS aids as they didn’t help to hear better. Digital was a massive change to the technology and has improved many peoples hearing but with perseverence from the hearing aid user within the NHS and the Private sector. Technology is changing all the time to try to make the hearing aids work better for the users and help them in more and more environments, but they will never restore normal hearing.
People don’t seem to appreciate that you have to undergo comprehensive training to work in this field and that we are professionals not salesman, not just anybody can dispense hearing aids. I am horrified to hear how some of the people have been treated on this site, and if anybody is ever dissatisfied with a hearing aid (or aids) that they have purchased or received from the NHS they should go back and complain as many times as is necessary.
There are so many different hearing aids available it is difficult to find out what is going to be appropriate, you will need to have an assessment before anybody can recommend a product, but they should be able to give you a range of prices.
If you are looking to purchase hearing aids privately do some research on the internet and see a few different companies, whether independant or nationals and go with the person you trust and who you feel is going to help you with the transition to wearing aid(s), don’t just base your decision on price.
I hope all the people who have had difficulties with their aids whether NHS or Private have found a satisfactory solution to their problems.
I qualified as an RHAD 12 months ago and have been working for Scrivens, (The Hearing Company) ever since and I have to honestly say I am horrified at some of the stories here. I’ve had it drummed into me both during training and during my continued development that we fit the hearing loss and lifestyle, not the maximum price we can get away with. I’ve even provided a full refund to a customer 6 months after they bought a pair of aids because the original dispenser hadn’t identified the fact that the lady in question worked in a fish and chip shop and the high humidity kept causing the aids to break down.
I’m sure there are very many happy NHS users out there, but it’s also true to say I dispense regularly to people who have lost patience with poorly fitted or serviced NHS aids, or who don’t want the delays and travelling necessary to use the NHS service. If you’ve got money in the bank why not use it to get a better, more convenient service? As for the general comment that private companies are just interested in making money, well, of course they are interested in money otherwise they go bust, but any company in a competitive market knows that its reputation is vitally important and word-of-mouth is the best sales tool you can have.
To anyone looking to buy a hearing aid I would say firstly, make sure you know what your needs are, in particular the types of environments you will need it in, what your cosmetic requirements are and your dexterity in handling hearing aids. Decide what your budget is and stick to it, and shop around and try different demo’s until you feel confident you are buying the right aid from the right company. Ask about post sales support, the regularty of check ups and any after sales costs such as for home visits etc. If you’re not happy go back and say so. There is a requirement that says a supplier must provide at least one rehab consultation so if you don’t hear from them after the sale contact them and say you’re not happy. If the dispenser can’t resolve the issue escalate it by contacting the manufacturer who is usually happy to send someone to help in difficult fittings.
Finally, if you feel you are being badly treated or ignored try saying you intend reporting the matter to the Hearing Aid Council, you will probably see an instant change in attitude!
I lost my hearing in my left ear in August 2008 after suffering from labyrinthitis. I have waited for a year to see if my hearing would come back. It hasn’t so am considering a hearing aid, does anyone have any experience of this type of hearing loss and any suggestions of what my best options are.
I have read all these comments n this site which I have found very informative, but would like to hear from someone who has my condition and the best possible solution.
dear all,
Well I seem to be in the minority…after having a moderate to severe hearing loss since the age of 2 ( I am now passed the 40 mark) and having been treated like herded cattle through the NHS for most of my youth and young adult life I finally got my new digital hearing aids today from a David Ormerod hearing centre. My early years negative experiences and the way I was treated have affected the way I feel about my hearing loss and consequently it has taken this amount of time to come to terms with having to wear hearing aids.
I have to thank Steve at David Ormerod for his professionalism, respect for me,not just as a customer but of my fears and emotional baggage that I am now coming to terms with. My experience compares to nothing I have read on this blog; I wasn’t pushed to a particular make or cost. He laid out in front of me a range of hearing aids of differing types, costs and styles and I chose two or three to which he then explained the pros and cons of each. What I have ended up with is my choice and my choice alone. Music doesn’t sound tinny, background noise is minimal compared to people speaking in my immediate area. It’s early days but it is looking good. Unfortunately I cannot ignore the wife anymore. I have yet to experience the aftercare service and the 60 day return policy (if I have to) but you know what I don’t have any worries on that if my recent experience is anything to go by. …and please don’t tell me that he was being nice to get a sale….I was there you weren’t..
I just found this forum and found it very interesting reading. It looks to me as though “sweep” seems to constantly promote Specsavers and so probably works for them! Anyone who works in the private hearing aid profession will tell you that Specsavers are as ruthless and “money-grabbing” as any of the other offenders you are discussing. Have a look at the Hearing Aid Council website http://www.thehearingaidcouncil.org.uk and see how Specsavers behave. Check out how their National Training Officer was falsifying records of trainee hearing aid dispensers last year, and how two of their dispensers were recently erased from the register after allegations of sexual misconduct! If you look at the long list of disciplinary cases you will see who the real “villains” are in the hearing aid profession. It is noticeable how the same companies and individuals appear regularly. To all you genuine “consumers” out there who are looking for the best advice, I would use basic common sense and go by referral or recommendation. Of course there are some bad dispensers and companies out there (and you will find them on the HAC’s website), but there are also mostly good ones. If anyone has been trading for at least ten years, then the chances are that they must have sufficient satisfied clients to still be in business! As a rule of thumb, expect to pay between £1000 and £2000 for the best hearing aid technology, and don’t be fooled by “cheap” prices, or more expensive prices. Like everything else in life you get what you pay for, and you should expect good service and aftercare from whoever you buy from.
nice to hear you had a good experience Kevin,most hearing aid salesmen are very good but like any other sales profession there are some dodgy ones,it pays to shop around for price and service esp when thousands of pounds are at stake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!