Often when I go to pick up online orders, I have to simply tell the person who tries to have a conversation that they will have to speak louder as I don't have my hearing aids .... (I rarely wear them when I am alone as they pick up too much road noise ... then I have to adjust the volume.. But when I do have my hearing aids with its remote microphone... I set the remote mic close to where the person helping would be... my Starkey remote mic has a bluetooth setting used with my smart phone ... it also has a setting for amplifying ambient sounds... I use that giving it too my partner to have as she wanders around talking to me as if she doesn't know I have this hearing loss... it works.. in an open plan house very well... The remote mic has a clip or a lanyard so the person you want to "hear every word" does not have to strain to be heard.... I had a discussion with a friend on the phone...and she explained her "take" on an issue.. I thought her reasoning was flawed... and told her so... She then said, "You are not hearing me".... to which I said .... I hear you perfectly with my remote mic working .... but what you are saying does not make sense.... Hearing devices can't fix all communication... ken