How Restaurants, Clubs, Shops Manipulate Us with Loud Noises (= Hearing Damage)

It's a long article but very good read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/n...or-noise-goes-unabated.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

It is mainly about different shops, bars, restaurants and clubs that have admitted that they are using loud (we are talking way over 95 db) music to make us spend more money, eat faster and drink more.
I feel mostly sorry for the poor people that have to work under these conditions (for whole shifts!) and not being able to do very much about the loudness as it is intentional.

It's a disgrace that people are aware of the hearing damage it can cause both their staff but the customers, all for the sake of money.

"Up tp 30 percent of the workers exposed to the noise levels of 90 decibel or more over their working lifetimes can expect hearing loss".

What really bugs me a bit is that they mention that ears can buzz and usually talk about hearing damage but they do not mention tinnitus. It is not just hearing damage as in "you hear a bit worse than before", it is also accompanied by the ringing.. :/

 

Well, not sure that is wise marketing speaking. Personally I would not like going to such places even if I did not have T. They seem to target a specific group of consumers.

Yeah that's very stupid to have your staff exposed to such high levels of noise.

 

I went into a large, well-known sports shop to buy trainers for my daughter and the moment I walked in, my ears were hurting and I had to walk out.

After 5mins, I braved walking back in again and asked a (young) staff member politely if she would turn down the volume. Her answer was "I'm sorry but it is controlled from head office"

Really!!!???

I did a quick non-scientific dB check using my app and the current song averaged around 87dB and peaked at 91dB. I asked her again and when she said "no" again, and finding out she was the shop supervisor, I asked her if she was aware that she, and her staff were at risk of hearing damage.

All just washed over her and the shop did not get a sale out of me.

 

Wow.

 

http://seattlemag.com/article/noisy-restaurants-how-much-noise-too-much

 

I was at a resturant where they had music 90db, how is this enjoyable when you cant hear other people speak..ugh

 

It's a well known Marketing case: According to Lore, Managers at Hard Rock Cafe (I think the first one was in London) discovered that people eat more and faster when music is louder, so they used it to get more costumers and shorten the waiting period.

The story is a little old, I think no-one knew much at the time.
Best,
Zug