Archived I can't hear you

[OneGoodEar]

I am deaf on one ear and have good hearing in the other. I do work on the sales floor, but my hearing loss does makes it difficult to help guests.

The problem arises when the guest tries to get my attention from my bad side. Sometimes I think the guest thinks I am slow or being rude by not responding right away. But that is not the case. I just can't hear on that side. I do wish some people would not stand on my bad side (a few feet away, let's say or a few inches if they speak softly) and ask me a question right away.

This is what happens in my view. I hear some mumbling. Then I notice someone standing in the corner of my eye on my bad side. Then I ask the guest for help. It is then I ask the guest if they want something (CIHYFS).

Sometimes I hear only partial statement so I have to ask them to repeat, which itself is frustrating because they repeat what I was able to hear but omit the portion I was unable to hear.

 

[redeye58]

Don't take it personally. It's retail.
It happens to me even tho I have 2 good ears. Guests mumble, bark out fragments of requests, mangle the description of what they're looking for - you name it.

 

[Retail Girl]

As I've started cashiering, I am realizing I am going to have the same problem, as guests will be approaching me from my deaf side. It is something I can generally get used to and make up for when I'm used to the situation, but I totally feel your pain!

Have you always been deaf in one ear or did you have hearing in both ears at some point?

 

[OneGoodEar]

As I've started cashiering, I am realizing I am going to have the same problem, as guests will be approaching me from my deaf side. It is something I can generally get used to and make up for when I'm used to the situation, but I totally feel your pain!

Have you always been deaf in one ear or did you have hearing in both ears at some point?

Always have had problems in one ear.

 

[Rarejem]

I have a partial hearing loss in one ear. I have found that guests are not offended or rude (and I don't mind telling them) when I tell them that I have difficulty hearing with my left ear and ask them to repeat what they said.

 

[AssetsProtection]

I hate when guest just randomly run up too you and ask a question without getting your attention.

 

[Reneeisxena]

When I worked FA it was so noisy that it was hard to hear. So I would repeat what the guest ordered, most would just confirm it and get their stuff. There were some who would get upset when I hadn't heard them correctly and bark at me. I would try to explain that with all the vents, fans and freezer compressors it's difficult to hear. There were always those that would still get mad, but I just smiled and told them to have a nice day.

 

[mxrbook]

At my previous employment, one of the clerks was deaf-mute and wore a name badge which explained this. A guest came up to me, screaming about the rude clerk who refused to follow his verbal instructions on bagging his purchases and then had the rudeness to not answer his questions. "He ought to be fired on the spot! He completely ignored my requests and then refused to speak to me."

I so wanted to laugh in his face but that would have minimized his embarrassment when I explained the clerk's disabilities. What an azzhat.

 

[daninnj]

One guest complained to the LOD about the TM with a bluetooth in his ear. It was actually a hearing aid...

 

[mrknownothing]

One guest complained to the LOD about the TM with a bluetooth in his ear. It was actually a hearing aid...

I forget that they make hearing aids like that. An usher at my church has one, and for the longest time, I thought it was a Bluetooth.

 

[Organizedchaos]

Deaf-mute isn't what we use to explain deafness nowadays, by the way. Hearing impaired is also politically incorrect. I know because I'm deaf and use a cochlear implant to hear. More appropriate term would be deaf or hard of hearing.

I work in pfresh at a very busy metropolitan store, I'm always being asked something by guests and they usually come up to my deaf side. They're pretty understanding when I explain that I'm hard of hearing and ask them to repeat.

Ive only had one bad experience with a guest. I walked out of the back room to pick up a PDA from a team leader in toys. I walked through electronics to get to the back. I'd just gotten into the dry room when another TL came in telling me that a guest needed me. Thinking it was a deaf guest that needed help, I went out into the back room and was surprised to see a guest standing in the back room just past the doors. She had actually followed me into the back room! She was screaming at me for ignoring her when I walked through electronics. I was so shocked that I couldn't say anything, but the TL stepped in and explained to her that I was hard of hearing and didnt hear her call for me.

Needless to say, her face went beet red and she apologized to me.

 

[commiecorvus]

Deaf-mute isn't what we use to explain deafness nowadays, by the way. Hearing impaired is also politically incorrect. I know because I'm deaf and use a cochlear implant to hear. More appropriate term would be deaf or hard of hearing.

I work in pfresh at a very busy metropolitan store, I'm always being asked something by guests and they usually come up to my deaf side. They're pretty understanding when I explain that I'm hard of hearing and ask them to repeat.

Ive only had one bad experience with a guest. I walked out of the back room to pick up a PDA from a team leader in toys. I walked through electronics to get to the back. I'd just gotten into the dry room when another TL came in telling me that a guest needed me. Thinking it was a deaf guest that needed help, I went out into the back room and was surprised to see a guest standing in the back room just past the doors. She had actually followed me into the back room! She was screaming at me for ignoring her when I walked through electronics. I was so shocked that I couldn't say anything, but the TL stepped in and explained to her that I was hard of hearing and didnt hear her call for me.

Needless to say, her face went beet red and she apologized to me.

I was going to say that but since I'm not hearing impaired I didn't want to seem like 'that guy'.
We have a young lady working for us in softlines who is hearing impaired.
She reads lips and signs.
We had a old woman actually grab her thinking she was ignoring the stupid cow.
I've only heard the story but I guess the yell that resulted could be heard from across the store.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

If a tm's encounters a guest who hard of hearing or deaf, smile, keep eye contact, & speak slowly to them. Don't turn away! Then whipped out a pen & paper, for a description of an item to write down. To find for them. We have several guests who deaf/hard of hearing come to our store daily. They love us because we treat them with respect & dignity every time.