Hearing health is a huge market, and it’s no wonder that big players like Costco have entered the game. Much like they’ve done with vision, they now offer hearing tests and hearing aids to their customers.
Many people who are already used to shopping at Costco and know about their great customer service and pricing might be tempted to give the Costco hearing department a chance. Here at Chicago Hearing Services, we even occasionally get calls with questions about whether we can price-match Costco prices.
Here’s the thing: Costco may be great at selling items in bulk, but diagnosing and properly treating hearing loss is an entirely different specialty. And, while they may be able to sell you a hearing aid that will get you a part of the way to hearing better, you can’t be sure that your hearing is being treated as well as it can be.
Limited choice is another potential issue. Because Costco doesn’t specialize in treating hearing loss, its main interest is in covering most of the options the average customer might need. Right now, they offer five brands of hearing aids: Rexton, ReSound, Kirkland Signature, Bernafon, and Phonak. Compare that to dozens of brands and models available from a specialized audiologist’s office.
Because Costco focuses on volume, it also doesn’t foster the same kind of decades-long patient relationships you can expect from your local audiologist’s office. Things like post-fitting checkups to ensure your hearing aids are working as they should be are limited, whereas they’re a matter of course at offices like Chicago Hearing Services.
Finally, there are the customer reviews. Here at Chicago Hearing Services, we take our patient relationships extremely seriously. We have a 4.7 average rating of 23 reviews on Google. Meanwhile Costco Hearing has a little under 3 out of 5 stars according to Consumer Affairs.
And here’s the thing: because many people aren’t familiar with the standard of hearing care, they may not know what they’re missing out on by going to a Costco Hearing Center. If you or a loved one are considering Costco, please get in touch with us to discuss your options. In nearly all cases, we are able to provide a higher standard of care and equal or better hearing aids at a comparable price.
