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Telemarketing
& Tinnitus The following was written after a conversation with an ATA representative regarding my experiences with tinnitus. This article appeared in one of their newsletters, and sparked some much needed discussion among others who had the same experience. If you or someone you know works in the telemarketing industry, I urge you to consider the issues brought up below. My situation is complex... I'm a musician, so the reasons for my having a mild case of tinnitus might seem obvious. However, the truth of the matter is that I don't generally attend loud concerts or play loud music. In fact I play an acoustic guitar that is often unamplified. So how did I get tinnitus? During a rather desperate point in my life three years ago, I chose to take a telemarketing job with Edward Blank Associates (now IQI). I had reservations about wearing headphones all day, but I thought I could bear it long enough until I found something else. Unfortunately this tendency to go against my instinct forever changed the way I hear and speak. The problem wasn't really in the job, but in the equipment. The headsets, made by Plantronics, were made in such a way that you not only could hear the person on the other end of the line, but you were also forced to listen to your own voice amplified through the headphones. The headphones fit over both ears, so you were always getting blasted with sound from both sides. To make this worse, if you had a call that was especially faint on the other end, you would have to turn up the volume to hear the customer, which only made your voice louder as well. I tolerated this ear-damaging technology until my ears were physically sore. Combined with talking 7 to 8 hours a day, and the cold winter we had that year, I was forced to go to an ear specialist and take antibiotics. While my health recovered, my hearing never did. My musical activities were put in jeopardy as well, with one of the biggest flare-ups coming right before a recording date for a local radio program. Eventually I spoke with management and demanded that something be done. I was fortunate that they let me train for another position, and I was no longer required to be on the phones. But there were many others who never got this chance. My fiancee also took a job with the same firm and soon she experienced the same problems. She tolerated it longer than I did, but it pained me to see what she was going through. She was able to train for something else, but the damage was already done. To this day she doesn't hear the same way. I hope that my experiences can help spread the word to manufacturers and businesses who make and use audio equipment that something must be done to make these products safer. I tried contacting the manufacturer and they blew me off as if I were crazy. They couldn't believe that something they made, that was approved by OSHA, could be harmful. Hearing loss and tinnitus are a tragedy for everyone, especially musicians, and I wish there was some way to educate employers in these matters. I also hope that people looking for jobs will stay away from telemarketing and other similar businesses. Our hearing depends on the choices we make, and I could kick myself for going to that interview. If you've had similar experiences, send me mail. These companies need to know. For more information on tinnitus, or to tell your story, contact: American Tinnitus Association |
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