RION-ENG-vol7

18/24

16HanoiHo Chi Minh CityNguyen Van ThienBorn in central Vietnam, Thien returned to Vietnam in April 2020 after working for a year at a subsidiary of Rion in Japan. He cur­rently assists in hearing tests for hear­ing­impaired patients and oversees sales and hearing aid adjustments in the fitting room at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi.Following China, Vietnam marked the second country in Rion’s energetic efforts to expand overseas sales of medical testing equipment. We started out in Hanoi, the capital, in April 2016, and then 2018 we ventured into the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, with the goal of enhancing brand rec­ognition and expanding sales of Rion products. We interviewed the staff working at each of these two locations about their work and their thoughts.“My name is Thien. I’ll talk about conditions in Hanoi. I work at Bach Mai Hospital, Vietnam’s largest public hospital, where I help hearing impaired pa­tients with hearing tests and adjust and sell hearing aids in the fitting room. I also handle sales for audi­ometers and equipment for use in clinics.” (Thien)“My name is Thanh. I’m stationed in Ho Chi Minh City. My job is almost the same as Thien’s, but in addition to working at the Ear Nose Throat Hospital HCMC, I also work at a hearing aid sales stores and clinics. These places also sell hearing aids made by other manufacturers, so it’s a challenge to get patients to choose Rion’s products from all the other choices they have.” (Thanh)Hanoi is located in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. The two cities are about one thou­sand miles apart. The climate and market size are just as varied.“Ho Chi Minh City is the business hub. I work at the largest ENT hospital in southern Vietnam, so we have patients visiting from the central part of the country too. We have maybe about 100 people a day come in for hearing tests. The number of patients is two to three times more than at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, so I often have to work overtime.” (Thanh)“Hanoi is a city with distinct seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter, rich in both history and na­ture. I think it has a more laid­back atmosphere than Ho Chi Minh City. Three staff members work directly for Rion here, including myself.” (Thien)Nguyễn Thị Nhật ThanhBorn in south­central Vietnam, Thanh mo v ed to Ho Chi Minh City when she entered univer­sity. Since April 2019, she’s been assisting with hearing tests, and oversees sales and hearing aid adjustments for hearing­impaired patients at the Ear Nose Throat Hospital HC­MC, at clinics, and at hearing aid sales stores.The Vietnamese market is growing rapidly, and new developments are expected in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the future. What do the staff members see in the near future?“Vietnam is a pro­Japanese country, so Japanese products are as popular as European products in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Rion’s hearing aids have a solid reputation for ease of use, including replacing batteries, and how natural they sound compared to products from other manufacturers in the same price range. But there’s limited product variation. We only carry about one­third of Rion’s products here, so I’d like to see our product lineup expand to improve our chances against the tough competition.” (Thanh)“In recent years, insurance has begun covering the cost of hearing tests for the hearing impaired, but assistance is still not offered for those who want to purchase a hearing aid. Hearing aids are expensive, so they’re not readily affordable for many people. Combined with the psychological hurdle of actually wearing them, only about 20 to 30% of people who try hearing aids after their hearing test end up buy­ing one. We’re looking forward to future changes in legislation to address this.” (Thien)Finally, the two talked about the motivation underlying their work.“Some things are hard to judge based only on what you see. For example, someone who looks scary and rough at first sight may turn out to be warm and kind in their speech. I think the informa­tion conveyed by the human voice is very important. It’s satisfying to see my customers’ faces light up with happiness when they can suddenly hear again.” (Thien) “I agree. Since I’m the only staff member working directly for Rion in Ho Chi Minh City, the process of supporting a patient from beginning to end gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.” (Thanh)Staff members working in Vietnam. On the left is Hau, and on the right is Dung, who both work in Hanoi, and in the center is Thanh, who works in Ho Chi Minh City.Staff member Dung (right) listening to a client in Hanoi.The main gate of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, where Rion staff work.The Ear Nose Throat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where Rion’s staff work.A small crowd await their turn at a hearing aid sales store in Ho Chi Minh City.Mr. Thien giving a lecture on audiometers used for med-ical checkups.FROM OVERSEAS Here we’ll present reports by Rion staff members and partners living overseas on their work and daily life in foreign countries.How does Rion contribute to people in foreign countries? What’s life like abroad?This section is presented as a series of stories, with each issue presenting the story of one member.Two local staff members give their report on two major cities in Vietnam.Vietnam [Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City]Rion Across the Sea