Zaraf Shaikh is on a mission to change lives

For Specsavers Audiology partner Zaraf Shaikh, opening her store at Stanhope Gardens, in Sydney’s northwest, wasn’t just the next step in her career, it was an important milestone in her personal mission to help change lives. 

“I always wanted to become a professional who could help people improve their lives. An audiologist is not just someone who treats hearing loss but also engages with people to improve their day-to-day communication and social needs. It’s not a one-off thing, it has a lifelong impact,” she says.  

“Hearing loss impacts people in many ways at all stages and ages of life; social isolation being the most common and the most important.  

“Early intervention for hearing loss doesn’t just alleviate a medical condition but makes the world accessible again to people. Having hearing aids can boost confidence, prevent social isolation, and can even prevent cognitive issues in the long term. Research has shown that people with untreated hearing loss are three times more likely to develop cognitive decline of some sort. Having hearing aids can prevent that.” 

So, with a mission to change lives at the forefront of her mind, it made perfect sense for Zaraf to partner with a business that was also committed to transforming lives – and the audiology industry – for the better.  

“Customer care is at the core of audiological services. Hearing loss affects most people in very personal ways and the impact can be not just social but also emotional. Having compassion for our customers through a high standard of customer care is important to delivering exceptional audiological services.”  

And that’s exactly what she delivers every day as a Specsavers partner.  

“When I first inquired about partnership, I was particularly impressed by the customer-oriented approach and making the best technology available and accessible to the wider community,” she says.  

And with the Specsavers brand behind her, Zaraf knows she will be able to make a big difference in her local community.  

“I look forward to working with an amazing team and changing many more lives,” she says.