Three facts about ZEISS SmartLife which make the eye care professional's life easier

Aalen, Germany | 2. June 2020 | ZEISS Vision Care

With just three questions discover which lenses could suit the consumer - this is the basic function of the ZEISS Smart Guide. It comes as an easy-to-use analog disk or as a digital version integrated into ZEISS VISUCONSULT 100 and simplifies the introduction to the anamnesis and the discussion with the consumer in the eye care professional's (ECP) premises. The questions are: how old is the consumer? Has he/she particular visual challenges and which is the current lens solution? A suitable ZEISS SmartLife spectacle lens is then displayed.

These three questions in no way replace an anamnesis but form an interactive starting point. If the consumer has to wait for the ECP for a short time he could even operate the analog version of the ZEISS Smart Guide himself, arousing his curiosity. The ZEISS Smart Guide also helps ECPs who have never previously worked with ZEISS to navigate through the ZEISS lens portfolio and find the right product type. Minor uncertainties about possible products and when these can be sold are quickly and easily resolved. For example, ECPs which had very limited contact with ZEISS Digital lenses in the past will see how a product of this type could be a solution for many consumers. And finally, the ZEISS Smart Guide can for example be an excellent support for trainees right at the beginning of their professional career, helping them start out in the consultation process with certainty.

In the era of professionalized quality and process management, small tools like the ZEISS Smart Guide, combined with the ZEISS Vision Analysis, guarantee a uniform process. A defined process irrespective of which ECP in the shop provides the consultation. The ZEISS Smart Guide reduces the complexity of the eyeglass lens, which is customized to every wearer. Thus, the product and its attributes become more comprehensible for the consumer and also a little bit more comprehensible even for the ECP. If required, the ECP can, of course, continue to go into detail about all the technical aspects of the lens.

What does the customer want when he visits the ECP - digital eyeglass lenses with an optimized area for close work and fields of vision customized to suit his lifestyle, or just a single vision lens with these properties? Or simply the best solution for him? Surely the last one. And different product names will not make any difference. This is what is unique about the ZEISS SmartLife portfolio: the ECP has a product name "ZEISS SmartLife" and a related common theme behind the name which can be summarized in short like this:

Today we all share an on-the-move lifestyle but still have different visual needs and age-related challenges. ZEISS SmartLife is the right solution and is adjusted to suit every wearer. 

Whether single vision or progressive lenses plays a secondary role. The ECP can, of course develop, supplement and adjust this derivation for a complete portfolio with individualization and upselling opportunities. He can bring individual and age-related factors into play. But in principle he can use ZEISS SmartLife with all his customers. Thus, he will be able to sell a ZEISS SmartLife lens to the 30 year-old programmer as well as the 60 year-old opera-lover.

Over 1,000 products, innumerable possibilities for consumers - this is how the reality of a product catalogue appears. And ECPs agree about one thing: anyone who has become accustomed to a catalogue principle often after a lengthy learning period is now very happy.

To create ZEISS SmartLife the company has retained all the previous well-functioning categories and classifications and has updated everything which has moved onwards as a result of scientific progress and technical innovation. Anyone buying a new car will see many new features which enhance and simplify life. But driving and using the car have remained very much the same. This is exactly the case with ZEISS SmartLife. It is a new generation of eyeglass lenses built on familiar structures. For example, the catalogue still contains the well-established ZEISS individualization steps such as Pure, Plus, Superb and Individual.

^{SmartLife and VISUCONSULT are registered trademarks of Carl Zeiss Vision GmbH.}