Why Hearing Aids Get Returned

Most tech works instantly. Hearing care doesn’t, and that gap can turn hope into frustration if we don’t name it and guide it. We take you inside the real reasons hearing aids get returned and share a practical playbook for turning the first two weeks into a solid foundation rather than a ticking clock.

We start with expectations, showing how “normal hearing now” thinking collides with the reality of brain-based adaptation. You’ll hear why own-voice changes, sharper background sounds, and early fatigue are not warning signs but normal steps in neural recalibration. We lay out simple ways to frame realistic optimism, set clear milestones, and keep patients focused on meaningful wins like easier conversations and less strain across weeks, not minutes.

Then we go deeper into the human side. Hearing loss affects identity, relationships, and confidence, especially in life stages where connection and contribution matter most. When emotions are ignored, the device absorbs the blame. We share language that validates those feelings, maps goals to daily life, and uses small, achievable wins to build momentum. You’ll learn how to schedule early follow-ups that actually matter, craft supportive check-ins, and fine-tune without overwhelming. Beyond real-ear and hearing aid test boxes, we outline best practices that integrate counseling, acclimation guides, and team-wide consistency to reduce returns and raise satisfaction.

If you want fewer returns, steadier outcomes, and patients who feel seen and supported, this conversation gives you the tools to make it happen. 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Why Returns Happen
• 0:09 Expectation Mismatch Explained
• 0:39 The Instant Tech Mindset
• 1:05 Shaping Realistic Optimism
• 1:18 The Brain Needs Time
• 1:52 Normalizing Early Discomfort
• 2:16 Reflect On Case Presentation
• 2:45 Emotions And Identity In Hearing Loss
• 3:44 The Myth Of The 14-Day Spike
• 4:17 Early Follow-Ups That Matter
• 4:37 Foundation Period Over Deadline
• 5:03 Best Practices Beyond Tech

Transcript

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS : 0:00

So, why do hearing aids get returned? Let's start with number one. And that really is the expectation mismatch. One of the most consistent findings in hearing healthcare research is that expectations strongly influence satisfaction. When expectations exceed reality, especially early on, frustration will follow. In today's hearing healthcare landscape, patients often expect immediate, quote, normal hearing, right? Effortless listening and noise, and little to no learning curve. Again, it's sort of that Amazon model. We're working with patients who are so used to just clicking add to card or buy now and it's at their doorstep. Now, that said, that doesn't mean that patients are unrealistic. It just means that they live in a world where technology often does work instantly. And as hearing care professionals, our role is not to remove hope, but it's to shape realistic optimism. Let's go to bullet point number two. The brain needs time. We've talked about this time and time again, about the connection between untruded hearing loss and cognitive decline, but I believe that we can do a better job and continue the conversation about talking about brain acclimization. So the brain needs time to acclimate to its new hearing world. We know from neuroscience and clinical research that the brain begins adapting early, but it continues to adapt over the weeks and months when a patient is first fit with their technology. So early on, patients will notice their own voice sounds different, background sounds feel intrusive, listening fatigue increases, and these experiences are normal. We as hearing care professionals know that these experiences are normal, but they're only normal if patients are told they're normal. Time for reflection here. Where in your case presentation are you perhaps not educating as much as you could be as it relates to the brain acclimating to the patient's new hearing world? I want to pause there for a second and just allow you for some thoughtful consideration. Where in your case presentation are you perhaps not educating as you could be as it relates to the brain acclimating to the patient's new hearing world? The third bullet point is really emotional and identity factors. I really enjoy behavioral science and psychology. And during my psychology course in college, we talked about Eric Erickson's psychosocial stages. And we are meeting our patients at the intimacy versus isolation stage, which is forming deep, committed relationships, you know, learning to love, things of that nature. And then as humans, we go into that generativity versus stagnation stage, which, you know, as humans, we'll ask ourselves are we contributing to society and future generations, leading to care? And then last but not least, integrity versus despair, which is 65 plus years and older, reflecting on life with a sense of fulfillment. So I do believe that as hearing care professionals, we can put that behavioral science psychology cap on when we are talking about the emotional and identity factors when working with patients, because hearing loss is not just sensory. It affects confidence, it affects relationships, it affects identity. When those emotional factors aren't acknowledged, the device becomes the focus of frustration. This isn't soft science, but this is patient-centered care. We'll hear our colleagues and clinicians talk about the first two weeks being that critical window. I want to be very precise here. There is no single study that says hearing aid returns spike exactly at day number 14. But here is what the evidence and clinical consensus support. So first and foremost, neural adaptation begins early. So we know that. Early experiences shape those long-term beliefs. Many clinicians intentionally schedule early follow-ups for a reason. And we did this when I was practicing full-time. You want to ensure that you have that one-week follow-up, two-week follow-up, you're staying in contact with your patient, not annoying them or being intrusive, but supportive. And patients often begin forming decisions early, even if they act later. Think of that as that buyer remorse, right? We are navigating not only a patient's hearing loss, where they are at in terms of their psychosocial development, but also then buyer's remorse. So rather than thinking about the first 14 days of a patient wearing their hearing technology as a deadline, I really like to think of them as a foundation period. So when you build a home, we want to build that foundation on that rock. It's when patients decide, you know, consciously or not, whether this feels like a supported process or a stressful one. Are your patients feeling supported by you and your staff, or are they feeling a little stressed out and pushed into a corner to make that decision to keep their hearing aids? I've been pondering about the best practices that we implemented at the practice to reduce returns. And sure, best practices are real-ear measurement, hearing aid test box. I don't have to go through all of them. I want to talk about these specific best practices to reduce hearing aid returns in 2026 because I don't believe that it's just about reducing hearing aid returns. These are patients that need our help as hearing care professionals. And we know the comorbidities linked to untreated hearing loss. And while the tech continues to advance, I personally want to ensure to share my stories that not only does the technology advance, but our skill set also advances and becomes stronger year after year as we grow into this profession together.