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Beltone has been America’s most-trusted name in hearing aids since the company was founded in Chicago in 1940. Here in the Valley, John Druley, with the help of his son, John Brian, has overseen Beltone’s three offices in McAllen/Pharr, Weslaco, and Harlingen for more than three decades. On the strength of their customer satisfaction, the three stores have combined for nearly a dozen Readers’ Choice awards over the years. “Customer service is really what this industry is really all about,” said Druley. “It’s about how well can you take care of your customers so that they continue to come back. When you have a need, we’re going to be there for you. Beltone has always prided itself on customer care. Even when your hearing aid is out of warranty, we can still take care of you.” Druley is certified by the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences, meaning he has demonstrated the highest standards of skill and knowledge for hearing aid specialists. Druley and his staff at Beltone Hearing Aid Centers are dedicated to improving the lives of people with hearing loss and restoring their connection to those around them. “It’s very rewarding, because you do get to help a lot of people,” Druley said, reflecting on his 30 years in the industry. “When a doctor or other specialist has told someone there’s no help for them, but then you do a complete test like the state requires, you see that they do still have some hearing and there is help available for them. Many people are misled about how bad their hearing loss is.” Beltone has the most-advanced research and development in the industry. Typically, anything new that has come out in the last 15-20 years has come through Beltone’s research. Beltone developed the first hearing aids that connect directly to the iPhone. When you get a phone call, the audio goes directly from your phone to your hearing aid. Beltone introduced the technology five years before any of its competitors. Beltone’s newest innovative hearing aid is slated to hit the market in midSeptember. “It’s called Imagine,” said Druley. “What makes it unique is it has three microphones instead of just two, which is the standard now. It’s the first hearing aid that will have the three microphones like this. It’s going to be the closest thing to natural hearing that people with hearing loss have ever heard.” Like many other companies, Beltone of the Rio Grande Valley has had to adjust some of it office practices due to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as requiring face masks and limiting the number of people in its waiting rooms. However, Beltone has remained open throughout the pandemic and many of its health safety practices were in place long before the pandemic arose. “We have always sanitized after our customers leave anyway, so in that way, sanitizing is not new to us,” said Druley. “We always wear a mask. Our waiting room will hold eight to 10 people, but we only let one person at a time. We don’t see anybody that’s running a temperature, or that’s been sick, or has been exposed to someone who has Covid. Some things can be done remotely, depending on what hearing aid device they have.” Druley says he’s honored to win The Monitor’s Readers’ Choice award again this year, and is excited about the future holds for his industry. “It’s hard to even imagine what’s coming,” said Druley. “Ten years ago, we had no idea we would have hearing aids that we could listen to through our smart phones. Now, you can stream a TV program, or listen to music all day long and nobody even knows you’re doing it. This is technology you only used to see on Star Trek, but now it’s real. We were the first company to use the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) Bluetooth technology, which is the wireless standard. Other companies before were using 900 to 1,200 megahertz. Our Bluetooth connectivity is second to none, and it’s true of all our hearing aids.” For more information on how Beltone can transform the way you hear the world, call the Rio Grande Valley location nearest you: Weslaco (956) 647-5061 Harlingen (956) 423-4400 McAllen/Pharr (956) 632-0908