Last Clinic Day in 2009

HearingLife Hurstville

Today is the last clinic day in 2009. As hospital clinic has closed in this week, I have finished my clinic work in this year. In December, I have not provided a good sale result in HearingLife. Some cases were not good lucky, some cases were not in the right timeline. Anyway, I have a very good performance in October and November, so this month is like a adjustment. Look forward, I will have a busy January, I hope I have a good start in next year.

Avoid Other Mistake at Last Minute

HearingLife Hurstville

In today's appointment, I reviewed all refitting orders for OHS clients and found a similar situation with my last refused refitting application. A client with current hearing aids less 2 years and want to be refitted by a ITC hearing aids, I have received the hearing aids and planned to fit today. I found the problem at 2 hours before the appointment time and quit to fit hearing aids for this client. I would send a request for refitting and waiting for the reply from OHS before I perform fitting. Thanks God for giving me a early notice at last Friday and avoid a consecutive mistakes in similar cases. Now I focus on the only one rejected case and will be very cautious on the refitting cases.

I want to I have focus too much on the business indicator and pay attention on the sale skills and results. I need transfer to complete the odd paper works and real ear assessment for the OHS patients otherwise I will have to redo these in future that will be very painful and time costing. I need put more admin time on these OHS paperwork in this month when the holiday season coming.

Rejected Refit

HearingLife Bondi Junction

Wow, I have to pay for the risk I have took. One refit application had been rejected by OHS as it was not accept the evidence I have provided. I know that case was not a strong case for refit but the client and her son was so frustrating when they came to the appointment. It is a lesson for me. I have talked with Jan for this case. The final result maybe is that the company have to pay the value of hearing aids fitted. I felt disappointing. I need send out a request of refit before I fitted the hearing aids. Anyway, now I will do what I can do to reduce the negative impact of this case.

I pray for this issue. I have a faith that God will help me again as He has done many time before. and thanks Him give me a important remind on this thing.

Telemarketing

HearingLife Bondi Junction

I just heard about that a few persons had complained about the head office telemarketing staffs at the last state staff meeting. For my understanding it was because they thought telemarketing persons had booked too many clients for their clinics and made them too busy to see clients and no time to finish all paperworks. It is a problem, but I think the other problem is that most of these kind of appointments could not be transferred to a hearing aids fitting. However, personally I were not hate telemarketing as most of my private clients come from free hearing screening test or regularly hearing aids checking. On the other hand, I hope my calendar is fully booked so there was no space for the home visit. I hate home visit that was totally wast time.

As the commission system in HearingLife is no any commission for the free OHS hearing aids fitting, we kept very low refit rate. Now I will push clients to a top-up hearing aids as most of other audiologist had done. I will not say the free one is OK, otherwise no clients will think about the top-up hearing aids. In today's clinic, it showed a good results, two clients selected to refit their hearing aids with extra payment by themselves. I am not sure whether it was the results of my consultation skills or because it happened in Bondi. I will try it in Hurstville also. Meanwhile, I also need more closely contact with clients if they do not return or no further action after consultation. All these things are about sale skills that is a good chance for me to improve it.

Chinese Community

HearingLife Hurstville

Last week, Rebecca mentioned that maybe HearingLife can promote the business for Mandarin speaking consultant in Hurstville clinic. She gave the example as the Epoch Time newspaper. I can understand what she thought, but I never want my name on this newspaper. Meanwhile, obviously Hurstville is a Chinese community, also the Chinese elders are low income group. They will not promote the business too much or as much as Rebecca expected. In this stage, i will keep silent if there is not anything further happened.

Today I have a good performance as least I think it is. I fitted a top end CIC hearing aid and order two top up OHS hearing aids, i can not expect better than this in Hurstville. I will have other good performance this month. What I can do is keep doing. Ordering, Fitting and Home Trial. Thanks God for this good start in here.

Quiet Day, Good Day

HearingLife Hurstville

Like last Friday in Bondi Junction, there were a few client did not attend the appointment today. So it is a quiet day and not a busy day. It is good for me to have a rest after a serial busy days in October. On the other hand, I started to order new hearing aids again in today, and there are a potential private order on the track.

In this commission system, the OHS clients and orders are really painful. You need take many risks from OHS audit but no any profits. The refit is also waste time sometime. However, for me, I will keep positive attitude and hard work spirit in this position. I think the more experience, the more benefits I can get from this job. Meanwhile, I also need to improve my sale skills in private clients. I had a 60 % conversion rate in October that is the best in NSW. It give me some confidence. It is not a bad beginning.

OGM, CROS Hearing Aids, Any Idea?

HearingLife Bondi Junction

In today's last appointment, a 1.5 hour appointment for a potential home trial and noted for Touch. However, the client actually has a unilateral deaf with normal hearing in other ear. He want to get more information about CROS ITE hearing aids with wireless connection. I have no any experience with CROS hearing aids and Sonic also could not provide any CROS aids. The client had already done some research and notice the Phonak and Unitron CROS hearing aids. However, I really suspect the benefits from a CROS aids for the unilateral profound hearing loss and a normal hearing in opposite ear that will make confuse in the normal ear and will not improve speech discrimination ability in noisy environments. What I can do is honestly told him I am no more information can provide him today and will collect the products information and price list for him that also is he want to know. As it is not the Sonic hearing aids, I only can get wholesale price from manufactures and need find out the index in HearingLife for the retail price. I have two weeks to do this research, but I just hope he change his mind.

In this morning, one client did not attend the appointment and other rescheduled so there is no any client from 10 to 12:30. I am not happy for that I need talk to Ginny next week to prepare a cancel list and put some client in the calendar if there is a spot.

No New Order

HearingLife Hurstville

After a very busy October, the first clinic day in Nov is a comparative quiet. I just fitted a top up Velocity 6 CIC, client is happy with the hearing aid, hopefully he can used it very well. There are some other screening and full hearing test with OHS vouchers, but all of them could not be go ahead for a hearing aids discussion.

Look back to October, I am the forth busiest audiologist in whole state. If considering I am only work 2 days per week, I think it is not bad achievement. I need to keep going and keep busy in Nov. I am on the track now.

Second Month Finished

HearingLife Bondi Junction

This is my second months of independent clinic work in HearingLife. Today is the last day., I fitted seven hearing aids one day. I got some private clients and home trial. It is very busy day but it will be a good finalisation in this month.

I first time realised that many clients preferred to in the ear hearing aids rather than the open-fitting. Meanwhile the refit is also a issue in OHS clients. I think the refit will not cause any commission but a potential for the OHS audit argument. To be honest, I have to reduce the refit in future.

Today I get a good home trial Touch 24 and hope I can fit out my first Touch 24. It is cute. I like it.

Tricky Clients, Tricky Hearing Aids

HearingLife Hurstville

Today I met two complicated cases. The first one, I discussed with him at last appointment, and he was happy with a free Half Shell hearing aids, but today when he back he said he had seen one of his friends got a smallest hearing aids with little top up, he was not happy with the ones I ordered for him. For his mild to severe hearing aids, I would not recommend a CIC hearing aids as the target will be hard to march. Meanwhile there is no free CIC I can offer to him. After a further discuss and argue, he want to change to a top up hearing aid but keen to CIC. What I can do? Just explain to him that I can fit CIC for him but am not sure whether it will be enough for him, and if he still don't like it, he have to pay $ 75 for it.

Second one, client come to clinic for a home trial. He already get $4000 claim from a insurance company. So he trial 2 different RITE and Open fitting BTE, but still not happy for the sounds from hearing aid. It take me too long to deal with him. Finally, he and his wife decided to get a top end CIC hearing aids, quite same situation with the first client, he also had a severe to profound hearing loss. As he is private client, I just order what he want.

In these several weeks, I found the sound in sonic hearing aids have a little bit problems. I am not sure if it is because I fitting process or the products. However, I concerns for the feedback problems in Touch hearing aids and the options in noise reduction program. I need be careful in fitting it. Meanwhile, in my experience, the Touch hearing aids are not very welcome as I expected. There are some concerns on it. I think the customer hearing aids looks like more easy to manage.

Today these two clients made me tired, and there is a potential for further problem, but I am confident for what I have done is right. It is the first time I felt challenging in here.

Performance Review

HearingLife Bondi Junction

After the first month of independent clinical working in HearingLife, today I have the first performance review with the state manager. He was in Wollongong so the review was on the phone. We talked about 30 minutes. It was a informal style talking, he just asked me whether I want to work in here for a long time running, how about my feeling in here and whether I have any concerns in clinics I am working so far. Actually, I am really happy with this new position. So I gave him a very positive feedback, he was happy with that. I also know at least now, there is no any complaint to me from clients and colleagues. I also asked me which clinic was my prefer one in Hurstville and Bondi Junction. I honestly said I like Bondi more than Hurstville as I can try different hearing aids in Bondi but in Hurstville I more likely to focus on OHS clients and free hearing aids. When the review finished, I felt that I did nothing wrong. Hopefully, he also thought that.

Today's clinic is busy and quite normal day, no surprise, but I nearly got my first private hearing aid fitting done. And so far I satisfied with my relationship with the clients in here. When I started work in HearingLife, a few persons told me that the clients in Bondi is the hardest client to deal with in NSW, but I though it is not so bad so far, I am quite confident now.

Does Hearing Aids Need Program

HearingLife Hurstville

I have to study for two years for Master degree and several years training for a qualified audiologist. However, one client walked in clinic and want to buy a hearing aid. He had experience several hearing tests and tried different hearing aids before. All other audiologist done was to connect the hearing aids to computer and try to program them to meet client's hearing needs, but he was totally unhappy for both hearing aids and service from audiologist. Although this thing happened in other provider, I think I almost did same thing in past. So do we need a long training for providing a bad service/ Did a hearing aids need to program?

This client just want to buy a hearing aid with basic features and do not need to be program. I gave him a hearing aid to trial. I did not know his audiogram and previous hearing aid fitting experience. He did show me his current hearing aids but there was nothing write on it (Everton?) What I did was just put battery in the hearing aid and insert hearing aid into his ear. Let me see how is going.

Must Be Careful Under Time Pressure

HearingLife Bondi Junction

Today there was a full calendar waiting for me when I arrived clinic. I have to work under time pressure from first appointment. For the first client, he need a quote of hearing price for his private health funding, and he could not provide any informtion for his previous hearing aids fitting history. I provide the top end ITC hearing aid for him. However, I wrote a price for OHS client though he was a totally private client. Thanks God I find this problem when he leave and contacted him straight away and send a new quote to him.

The last client, I also have to spend long time to talk with the client's daughter, she is a GP doctor. I finally finished all work just at the close time. When I order the free hearing aid for this client, I just wrote a top up hearing aid, fortunately, I also find this mistake before the order was processed.

I must be very careful when I worked under time pressure.

Now I will face my first preformance with manager. To be honest. I like this job so far.

First Month of Independent Clinical Working

HearingLife Hurstville

I have nearly finished my first month of independently clinical working at HearingLife today. With the returning of Luci, everything is back to normal. I am quite familiar with the new clinic and feel more confident for the new hearing aids and new softwares. So far I have to say I am happy with the new settlement in here.

I still leep to order new hearing aids at every clinic day when I work. However, there is still no private clients in Hurstville. I need to do more on Top-up and private purchasing in here. Otherwise everything is fine.

I need to arrange a performance review based on the contract.

Go To Normal at Hurstville

HearingLife Hurstville Clinic (14/09/2009)

It is a quite normal clinic day. Only one client did not turn up and Ginny organised the appointments very well. All things went well.

As the long waiting list in Hurstville. today I email Ken to reduce my appointment time to the normal clinic time, I felt quite confident now to deal with the new hearing aids and software.

Since I start at HearingLife, I still did not fit a private hearing aids, so I need work harder to discuss with clients and do more research for the products, and of course I need good lucky. Otherwise I am happy with this new job.

First independent day at Bondi Junction

This is the first independent day at Bondi Junction. Before that several persons mentioned that the clients in Bondi Junction were hardest to deal with. Today I were careful, clients were ok, they were not too hard and they came from higher income community.

We have no receptionist now. Amy went to Wollongong. Allison come today. Van back from his holiday.

I need business card for the Bondi Junction. Contact with Ginny with my key in Hurstville. So far so good.

Overall still happy for this new job.

First Independent Clinic Day at Hurstville

It is a good day. Everything looks settle very well. I am please to work at this new environment.

OHS clients are not good profit but in here they are nice and ease going.

I need have a good cooperation and communication with Rebecca, she looks like very nice so far, and is professional that is important for future contacts.

I will call her on Friday when she work at Hurtville.

Overall. it is a good start.