My hearing aid made a real difference to my life

Bus driver Chris is back in control thanks to Amplifon

AFTER leaving the armed forces, Chris McDermott loved his new job as a bus driver. But problems with his hearing began to hamper his ability to communicate properly with his passengers. He explains: “People were getting on the bus and you talk to the bus driver’s left-hand side, which is my bad ear, so I wasn’t hearing what they were saying.

“The background noise of the bus itself made it almost impossible to understand anyone – it was very frustrating for me.” His social life began to suffer too. Chris adds: “I’d be stood in a pub talking to my friends and I couldn’t hear a word they were saying. It was awful.”

While Chris had been to hospital to have his hearing checked, he’d not been given a hearing aid. He adds: “I was getting really desperate.” So, in 2011, Chris decided to go to Amplifon, a global hearing specialist, to see an audiologist who gave him a free, in-depth hearing test using pioneering technology to identify his particular hearing needs.

He explains: “She showed me all the options available to me and then, once I’d picked a hearing aid, she talked me through why it would make a difference.”

Amplifon’s audiologist also demonstrated how Chris’ hearing aid could be adjusted to help in different environments.

Chris says: “That was perfect for me as I like going to live music gigs.”

Offered a trial for his hearing aid, with no purchase upfront and no obligation to buy, Chris jumped at the chance to try the device.

He laughs: “I took the free trial, but to be honest the improvement was noticeable straight away.”

And Chris hasn’t looked back, impressed with Amplifon’s level of service and the lifetime aftercare they provide, adding: “The staff there were brilliant. If I ever have a problem and need to drop in, nothing’s ever too much trouble.

“They really are very good and have made my life so much easier.”

Since getting his Amplifon hearing aid, Chris is much happier in his job. At last he can hear what the passengers on his bus are saying.

Chris says: “It’s made my working life so much better now. I couldn’t be driving big buses otherwise.

“I was struggling beforehand, but my new hearing aid adjusts to the sounds around me, which has really pleased me.” His home life has been given a boost too. Chris enthuses: “I’ve been doing more driving and walking and my wife and I are spending more great quality time together.

“It’s also been great watching more rugby on the TV as I don’t need to turn the sound up so much any more.”

In fact Chris is so pleased with his hearing aid that he’s been recommending them to everyone he knows, including his work colleagues.

He adds: “My hearing aid has made a real difference to my life– I just wish I’d gone years before.

“I’d say to anyone who’s thinking of getting a hearing test with Amplifon: ‘Do it!’”