By Jeffrey V. Smith
Rick Haag owns and operates five Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Centers in the Denver metro area with his wife, Gayle, and son, Todd. Photos by Jeffrey V. Smith
While it’s not exactly divine intervention, to his customers, Rick Haag is a miracle-maker. He literally brings the sounds of the world back into the lives of those who thought they were reduced to a world without be able to hear. Even though it’s the Miracle-Ear hearing-aid products that Haag, his family and staff bring to their clients that returns the hearing, he usually gets the credit.
“It’s a real thrill when you have somebody with real hearing loss, and you open up the world for them,” Haag said. “What happens almost every single time is people get what we call the ‘welcome to the world look.’ All of a sudden their eyes are wide, and they are paying attention all the way around them.”
Haag, who owns and operates five Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center locations in the Denver metro area with his wife, Gayle, absolutely loves his job. And, by now, Haag knows what makes him happy in a career. He retired from the postal service after working 34 years and multiple positions, has worked for SkyWest airlines and a windshield repair business owned by his son Todd. Being in Colorado and helping bring hearing back to others, however, is more reward than work.
The Westminster location recently moved out of Sears at the Westminster Mall into a new stand-alone store across 88th Street from the old location.
“It’s honestly the best, I should have done it 34 years ago,” he said. “The reward of watching what it does to people is absolutely fantastic.”
It was Haag’s son who introduced him to the Miracle-Ear product and business several years ago. Todd commuted weekly from Utah to Denver to work for the former Denver-area Miracle-Ear franchisee. He even-tually was running the business, and named general manager. After being invited to join his son, Haag picked-up and moved to Colorado, and, about a year after coming to town, the owner gave up the Miracle-Ear franchise and Haag and his son found themselves working for the company’s corporate offices.
“They fired us and hired us the same day,” Haag said. “We worked for a year for them, then I asked, ‘Why am I working for a company again? They offer franchises, so why not see what we can do.’”
Despite an original, less ambitious plan, Haag and his wife started their company last year, on July 5, with a five-store Miracle-Ear franchise; and the family has not looked back. They own three stand-alone stores and two located inside Sears stores. In addition to their work, the family members also love being in Colorado – something else Haag says he should have done 34 years ago – and are absolutely thrilled with the products they provide.
“I’m not one to stand still and do one thing and be happy, but this I could be,” he said. “What I love about Miracle-Ear, above other manufacturers, is their commitment to the individual and their hearing. It’s not like we’re here just to sell hearing aids, we’re here to help people hear. It engages them back into their family and everything else.
“The main thing, however, about Miracle-Ear is the service and the follow-ups,” Haag said.
He explained that when someone purchases a Miracle-Ear product, there are no service charges for any work done in-store.
Todd Haag and Brant Searle are two other providers who provide quality evaluations and excellent service to their customers. A great staff of front office assistants who really keep the business running smoothly, who include Loretta Wright, Diane Wilson, Meredith Seaton, Heather Murphy and Virginia Mangan, supports them. Rick’s wife Gayle keeps them on track fiscally and as an administrator and trainer.
“Once you buy a set of hearing aids, whatever we can do in the office here, you get that service for life. So, you’re not paying office visits and all that,” he said.
From accidently getting into the shower to feeding a curious pet, Haag has found hearing aids can be damaged in myriad ways. In one odd occurrence, a client even confused his hearing aid with a cashew, and bit into it.
“We do a lot of fixing right here,” he said. “We try to fix whatever we can in the store. If we can fix it, we will. We want people to hear right, and to come back.”
He also said a new client is seen once a week for four weeks to make sure “they are where they need to be, and the hearing aids are comfortable.” Four-month visits follow, but clients are always welcome to call and make an appointment when the unexpected happens.
The 63-year-old company’s innovative products – like the recently-released Aquaví waterproof, dustproof, shockproof hearing aids – is yet another reason the family is enthusiastic about Miracle-Ear.
“There is always something new in the technology to meet the needs of everybody,” Haag said.
Unfortunately, there is no shortage of customers since 1 in 10 Americans — more than 30 million people — experience some degree of hearing loss. Hearing loss is the third leading chronic health condition among Americans, after arthritis and high blood pressure.
Haag encourages anyone that “feels a need for it” or is “experiencing issues,” to come in and get their hearing checked for free. For information about Miracle-Ear and its products, visit www.miracle-ear.com, or call one of the Haag family’s Denver-area locations.
