Ralf holds a screwdriver in his hand as he focuses on his service work

ZEISS Stories | Ralf

The best of three worlds

Field Service

"My work combines the benefits of self-employment and employment. I work independently but also have stability, security and a strong back office," says Ralf the field service technician enthusiastically. And he knows exactly what he's talking about. His father was self-employed in dentistry and taught him at a young age that medical technology will remain relevant. Although he didn't take over his father's business, he did follow in his footsteps in a sense.

Portrait of Ralf. He smiles as he looks at the camera.

With a Master's degree in the service technics

Ralf decided to do a joint Bachelor's degree in Medical Informatics and Biomedical Technology in Stralsund and completed his education with a Master's in Electrical Engineering. He then moved back to his hometown in the Ostalb region in southern Germany and began his career as a field service technician at ZEISS, where he combines the skills he has learned from the three fields.

His interdisciplinary education stands him in good stead. Nevertheless, he says the range of career paths to a career as a field service technician are complex in his view. "You need expertise in electrical engineering and IT. You also need to understand the technology and recognize overlapping areas. At the same time, you need to keep your ears open so that you can listen to people," he says, explaining the prerequisites for his job.

Ralf sits on a swivel stool and holds his laptop in his left hand. He is smiling and facing the camera.

Out and about with Ralf for the day

Ralf manages products for ophthalmology, which enable chronic eye conditions to be diagnosed and treated and which support health care professionals in surgical ophthalmology and refractive surgery. If, for example, a repair is required, the back office enters this into the system for him. Software helps with job handling and order processing. He can fix some error messages from home via remote maintenance, but he often heads to the clinic or doctor's office to attend to the work. Once there, Ralf seeks to talk to the users: It's my job to build trust. Customers should be able to rely on me. They should be sure that we are working toward the same goal.

The field service technician looks for faults, takes the device apart, replaces broken parts, repairs, tests and documents. He meticulously records his work steps in the service report and discusses them with the customer. With new installations, Ralf also optimizes the workflow at the doctor's practice, connects the device to the patient management system, sets up backups and trains and advises the users. "Transparency and expertise are the fundamentals," he explains.

It's my job to build trust. Customers should be able to rely on me. They should be sure that we are working toward the same goal.

Ralf Field Service Technician

Ralf uses pliers to work on the wiring in a ZEISS device. The camera is below him, pointing upwards. He is focused on his work.

Boredom? Missing!

Ralf usually works on one job a day and then drives home again. He travels an average of 50,000 kilometers every year. What's so special about his job? No two days are the same. Ralf knows his devices extremely well, but he gets excited when new innovations are released. "When ZEISS expands its product range, it's a major highlight for me," Ralf enthuses. "First, I receive training myself. Then I'm tasked with installing the device and instructing the users. I'm often astounded by the development myself. I familiarize myself with every part of it. I don't want to just undo screws and replace broken parts. I aim to understand the bigger picture. Customers rely on us and appreciate our expertise."

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