Dear Editor:

I just finished reading your Staff Standpoint article, “Stick to Your Guns” (November 2014 Hearing Review, p 6). I enjoyed reading it and agree with everything you said.

I run my own private practice and when a patient mentions Costco, I simply reply that if they want the absolute lowest price and that’s all they are looking for then I can’t compete and they should go to Costco. I follow that statement by explaining that, by seeing me, they are getting a highly skilled healthcare provider who will dedicate himself to their hearing healthcare needs. I explain that this has a value.

The conversation ends there. There is no begging or arm twisting but a simple explanation of the facts. I don’t think a patient has walked out the door yet. I have been dispensing for 18 years. My return rate is so low these days.

I have learned over the years that it comes down to two questions that I present to my patients before placing an order:

  1. Do YOU recognize your hearing loss?
  2. Do YOU want to hear better?

If the answer is yes to both questions, they will be successful.  I love doing what I do every day. I don’t think a patient can get this from Costco.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share these thoughts.

— Stuart Motechin, AuD, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, and private practice in Cedarhurst, NY