I got to test drive my hearing aid for free

BUS driver Chris McDermott first noticed his hearing loss after leaving the armed forces. Then the problems in his left ear began interfering with his new job, as he couldn’t always hear what passengers were saying to him.

Chris’ hearing issues were starting to affect his social life too, making it hard to hear his friends talking in the pub. He admits: “I was getting desperate.”

Although he’d previously had his hearing checked at a hospital, Chris had never been given a hearing aid.

But a visit to his local Amplifon clinic was the first step on his journey back to better hearing.

The fully trained audiologist there gave him a free, in-depth hearing test using pioneering technology to identify his particular needs.

Chris recalls: “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.”

Chris was also shown how the hearing aid could be adjusted to help in different environments.

He adds: “That was perfect for me, as I like going to live music gigs.”

Taking up the offer of a free trial of the hearing aid Chris quickly noticed the benefits: “The improvement was noticeable straight away.”

‘My hearing aid has made a real difference to my life’

Since wearing his new Amplifon hearing aid, Chris’ hearing has gone from strength to strength, and he’s finding it much easier to hear the passengers on his bus.

He 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 I’m really pleased with.”

His home life has improved too. Chris explains: “I’ve been doing more driving and walking, my wife and I are spending more quality time together, and it’s been great watching more rugby on the TV.

“Again, that’s a lot better now as I don’t need to turn the sound up!”

Chris was particularly thrilled with the expert care and levels of service he received from Amplifon. He adds: “The staff there were brilliant, and it was fantastic to have such a great level of service.

“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.”

For Chris, the decision to go to Amplifon transformed his life so much, he’s been recommending them to his work colleagues.

He says: “I’d say to anyone who’s thinking of getting a hearing test with Amplifon, ‘do it!’

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