“I got to test drive my hearing aids for free.”

Chris McDermott noticed his hearing had changed following his time served in the forces. Even though he had his hearing checked at the hospital, Chris wasn’t given a hearing aid. 

Over time, he found problems with his hearing were beginning to affect his social life. “It was awful,” he says, “I’d be stood in a pub talking to my friends and I couldn’t hear a word they were saying. I was getting really desperate.”

He also found that it was affecting his career as a bus driver even if ! People who are deaf or have hearing problems may drive without informing DVLA of their physical condition. “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.” It wasn’t until 2011 that Chris decided to go to Amplifon. “My Audiologist was brilliant, really approachable and thorough,” he says. The Audiologist gave him a free, in-depth hearing test using pioneering technology to identify his particular needs. “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 says.

“She also showed me how it could be adjusted to work in different environments, which was perfect for me, as I like going to live music gigs.” 

Chris was then offered a trial for his new hearing aid, with no purchase upfront and no obligation to buy “I took up the offer of a free trial,” he laughs, “But to be honest, the improvement was noticeable straight away.”

He was particularly thrilled with the expert care he received. “The staff there were brilliant, and it was fantastic to have such a great level of service,” he says. On the lifetime aftercare, he remarked, “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 having his 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. “It’s made my working life so much better now,” he says, “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 better quality hearing has also allowed Chris to get back to the things he enjoyed doing the most. “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,” he says with a smile. “Again, that’s a lot better now as I don’t need to turn the sound up on the TV!”

For Chris, the decision to go to Amplifon transformed his life so much, he’s been recommending them to his work colleagues. “I’d say to anyone who’s thinking of getting a hearing test with Amplifon, ‘do it!’”he laughs.“I just wish I’d gone years before - it’s made a real difference to my life.”new lease of life.”