"We started with pen and paper. Today we have TISS."
Interview with Dano Grigar, owner of optical store ZITA and the eye center Eyekido, who did not fall behind the times. Zita is one of the most well-known optical stores in Slovakia. Dano told us why they decided on TISS and what good service means to him. It all started innocently - at a trade fair. One conversation, an unplanned contact, and a question that triggered a change for many years. Today, this optical store is a respected brand with a reputation envied by all the major players.
1. You got to TISS in a somewhat unusual way - our colleague literally "jumped in your way" at the trade fair. If this tactic hadn’t proven highly effective at that time, what moment or feature would have convinced you to decide on TISS?
"Although I grew up in the optical world thanks to my mother, who is a lifelong optical store professional and optometrist, I actually came to it from marketing and business industries that in my opinion are significantly ahead of optical stores when it comes to implementing innovations. We started using TISS about seven years ago and I was immediately interested in the cloud solution, which today is a standard for any application, but back then it was not. For us at ZITA, the user interface and the ability to work with data are important."
2. Over the years, is there something where our software has significantly simplified or improved your work in the optical store and you can no longer imagine working without it?
"We started using TISS at a time when it was not unusual in Slovakia to use pen and paper for stock management. If you wanted to find a customer, you had to look them up in a notebook. TISS definitely sped up our processes, administration, and any repetitive tasks."
3. Your optical store is popular and has a great reputation - services and product quality are at a high level, which is why famous personalities also visit you. Why do you think you earned such a good reputation? What makes you unique?
Some brands become successful just thanks to big campaigns. Others thanks to people. In this case, the answer is clear:
"Thank you for the kind words. I probably won’t say anything new, but the most important are our colleagues - whether those in operations or those working in the back office who are less visible. Besides that, behind every result is daily work, the desire not to stop, to constantly improve, and not to go on autopilot. Above all this is the love for the craft and the fact that we enjoy what we do."
4. If someone, maybe a schoolmate, asked you if it’s worth going with TISS Optic… what would you say?
"Let them do business in something else, because the optical store business is already full :D"
The story of this optical store is not just about glasses and prescriptions. It’s about how passion combined with technological courage creates something exceptional. And in their case, TISS was more than just a tool - it was a partner in growth.
