Technical Support Specialist Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does a Technical Support Specialist Do?

Technical support specialists are customer service professionals who assist customers and clients with issues related to technology products and services. They answer customer inquiries about products or services, assist customers in troubleshooting technical problems, and help customers understand how to use products. They may also offer advice on purchasing decisions, installation and maintenance. A tech support specialist typically works for technology companies or for companies whose products and services include technical support as part of a more extensive portfolio.

As the title implies, success in the role requires strong knowledge and expertise in the technologies being supported. The specialist should be able to diagnose and troubleshoot technical problems accurately and concisely and explain technical information to non-technical customers. Attention to detail, logical thinking, excellent communication and interpersonal skills are also critical qualities to possess.

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National Average Salary

Technical support specialist salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for a Technical Support Specialist is:

$42,850

Technical Support Specialist Job Descriptions

It’s important to include the right content in your job description when hiring a technical support specialist. The following examples can serve as templates for attracting the best available talent for your team.

Example 1

[Your company name] is seeking an experienced technical support advisor. We are looking forward to welcoming our next technical support advisor and are excited to continue to grow our team. The ideal candidate would need to have extremely high customer service skills, a genuine desire to help customers, and be willing to work hard in order to provide the best possible customer experience. We understand that for some, technology can be highly frustrating and can cause fear and anxiety. It is our technical support advisor’s duty to effectively communicate with customers in order to alleviate this stress and attempt to turn that around into positivity and a valuable customer experience. This will take some skill and patience, but we will provide valuable on-the-job training in order to springboard you into success!

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Assist customers with technical issues; resolve any issues
  • Answer customer calls and emails 
  • Make follow up calls 
  • Keep up with an organized phone log 
  • Maintain system functionality
  • Provide feedback to engineering for improving product quality and reliability
  • Keep the customers’ information confidential
  • Build rapport with customers

Education and experience 

  • High school diploma or equivalent 
  • Associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field
  • Minimum of 2 years of related experience

Required skills and qualifications

  • Customer service skills
  • First-rate customer focus, phone etiquette, and work ethic
  • Ability to work under pressure with calmness and composure
  • Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills using operational and diagnostic procedures
  • Strong technological skills 
  • Interpersonal skills 
  • Knowledge in technical support software 
  • Ability to take initiative 
  • High level of professionalism 
  • Detail-oriented

Preferred qualifications

  • Bilingual
  • Master’s degree in computer science or related field
  • Certifications applicable to technical support advisors

Example 2

The Technical Support Specialist will be responsible for assisting clients with technical support of merchant processing hardware/software, troubleshooting inquiries, and problem resolution via various contacts methods: telephone, email, chat, or fax. Success in the role will require the ability to rapidly diagnose customer issues, problem solve with urgency, and know when to escalate to a more senior team member in order to ensure efficient resolution whilst delivering a great overall support experience.

Key responsibilities:

  • Provide clients with a personalized rewarding experience that starts with answering Merchant clients’ questions as well as understanding each client’s unique needs
  • Work with clients to solve various types technology problems, including: Wi-Fi/network connectivity; hardware and software issues; credit card terminal processing and Point of Sale (POS) integration; Bluetooth devices and cabled printers; with a knowledge around mobile applications, navigation, and downloads
  • Use resources, technology, and problem-solving skills to troubleshoot mobile POS network issues which include tablet and printer connectivity with cabled and wireless LAN and WAN devices
  • Answer “How To” quick-fix questions about supported mobile POS software
  • Take ownership of customer issues through to resolution or escalation while providing accurate and prompt feedback both to the customer and teammates
  • Follow bank policy and procedures for the proper escalation of unresolved issues to appropriate internal teams
  • Be the advocate for clients by taking ownership, acting with empathy and connecting clients to solutions that meet their financial goals
  • Maintain a high percentage of issue resolution within first customer interaction
  • Professionally resolve conflicts and barriers while appropriately escalating concerns that may jeopardize client experience
  • Work fluctuating shifts and extended hours as needed and be available for “on-call” weekend/holiday hours as requested

Required skills:

  • Positive outlook and keen to learn and develop their skills while contributing to a high performing and enthusiastic team
  • 1+ years experience in an inbound call center environment and/or a strong technical troubleshooting background
  • 1-2 years of experience in Credit Card/Merchant Services industry experience preferred, or 1-2 years of experience troubleshooting Hardware or Software applications
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
  • Strong technical troubleshooting Help Desk experience in a hardware and/or software environment
  • Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to resolve complex customer escalations
  • Ability to solve complex problems through root cause analysis, management by fact, and collaboration across a wide population
  • Ability to express ideas in a clear and concise manner
  • Strong consensus building ability with effective conflict resolution and negotiation skills
  • Ability to meet productivity and performance goals
  • Has a commitment to excellent attendance with proven reliability and can adhere to the agreed upon work schedule.
  • Has the ability to engage with clients – begin a conversation, anticipate what questions a client will have, actively share information using plain language, build rapport, and handle objections
  • Has the ability to learn and adapt to new information and technology platforms

Example 3

Job description:

  • Provides expert content/professional leadership on complex IT Support assignments/projects
  • Designs, develops, tests, debugs and implements more complex operating systems components, software tools, and utilities with full competency
  • Coordinates with users to determine requirements
  • Reviews systems under development and related documentation
  • Makes more complex modifications to existing software to fit specialized needs and configurations and maintains program libraries and technical documentation
  • May coordinate activities of the project team and assist in monitoring project schedules and costs
  • Exercises considerable creativity, foresight, and judgment in conceiving, planning, and delivering initiatives
  • Set up batch schedules through the scheduling tools
  • Process adhoc job requests
  • Create and update procedual documentation
  • Review schedules for accuracy
  • Support releases
  • Process inquiries, tickets, and requests
  • Work with CA7 and learn IWS for the migration
  • Knowledge of REXX a plus

Preferred qualifications:

  • Certification, an Associates degree or higher 3-5 years of IT Batch and Operating experience
  • Knowledge of ESP, CA7, IWS, AS400, REXX
  • Knowledge of MVS, JES, CICS, DB2, and VTAM commands
  • Knowledge of JCL, NDM, and FTP
  • Knowledge of Service Now and Microsoft Office Product
  • 3-5 years of experience of Scheduling
  • 3-5 years of general IBM Mainframe Operations experience
  • Ability to prioritize workload
  • Seasoned and well developed independent decision-making skills
  • Strong customer service focus
  • Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
  • Familiarity with Health Care or PBM industry helpful

Example 4

The Technical Support Specialist will provide front-line user support for tools, technologies and products. In this role, you will solve a wide range of problems across ABC Company’s broad technical services environment. The focus is to deliver support and solutions to ABC Company customers while serving as an advocate for customer needs. You’re interested by the way things operate and can figure out how technology works when things go wrong. You can multitask across systems and applications, analyze, isolate and resolve a variety of technical issues and comfortably navigate a technical environment to solve for a better way. You will act as the voice of the customer leveraging the company value of relationships matter to be the care provider’s most trusted partner. The team provides support on a 24/7/365 basis.

A suitable candidate is a passionate transformer who could multi-task and utilize both written & verbal communication skills to help our range of customers resolve their technical issues. You’re not only here to help fix technical issues, but also provide an outstanding customer experience. You stay focused on aligning the highest-level company priorities with effective day-to-day operations.

Responsibilities

  • Support customers through troubleshooting support inquiries across a broad spectrum of products and supporting triage on behalf of customer
  • Listen to customer and uses your technical expertise, creativity and intellectual curiosity to meet their needs
  • Provide support across multiple channels including web requests, phone, follow-up service tickets, etc. (the amount of time will vary based on operational needs)
  • Be a voice and advocate for our customers when something doesn’t feel right
  • Develop detailed knowledge about specific product lines and features
  • Actively seek solutions to customer needs, communicating trends to leadership and suggesting innovative solutions focused on the customer experience
  • Close teamwork and interaction with Field Service, Operations, Sales, and Service Supply Chain organizations
  • Ability to document technical customer issues into notes that are consumable by other users
  • Able to research and grasp technical information across multiple tools while taking with customers
  • Aptitude for acquiring skills in technical troubleshooting and an eagerness to learn and take on new challenges

Required knowledge and skills

  • Experience supporting customers via phone, e-mail, chat, and/or in person
  • Passionate transformer for customer service and ownership of the customer experience including issue resolution
  • Able to self-manage and work independently in a fast-paced, continuously changing environment
  • Effective time management including ability to multitask, organize, and prioritize
  • Able to research and grasp technical information across multiple applications while talking with customers
  • Ability to document technical customer issues into notes that are consumable by other users
  • Collaborate with other team members to resolve customer issues, problems or concerns on a timely and effective basis
  • Proven success in a fast-paced support environment
  • Ability to deal with adversity while still delivering to expectations
  • Intellectually curious and gravitates towards tools and resources that enrich you
  • Available to attend required training on a fixed schedule during first shift hours
  • 5% Travel

Basic qualifications

  • Associate degree
  • 1+ year experience in a customer support role working with computer hardware/software troubleshooting

Preferred knowledge and skills

  • Experience in the healthcare industry is preferred
  • One year+ experience in a customer support role
  • Certification in Microsoft (MCSA), ITIL Foundation, HDI Technical Support Professional, or similar certifications
  • Basic knowledge of SQL (advanced scripting, database back-up & restores)
  • Basic understanding of computer systems, computer hardware, software, networking troubleshooting, and SaaS support
  • Familiarity with remote desktop applications and help desk software

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • Google IT Support Certification. This certification is good for beginners in this field. This teaches candidates the basics of IT support and how to properly troubleshoot technical issues by breaking down each step. 
  • Microsoft IT Support Certification. This certificate is a training program regarding Microsoft applications, the fundamentals of information technology, and customer service. This certification helps technical support advisors to be overall more efficient and dependable. 
  • ITIL Foundation Certification. This certification educates candidates on customer support and how to use tools on the help desk so that they can master their services. They’ll need to take an exam and pass it with a 65% or higher.

Sample Interview Questions

  • What is your experience and background providing technical support to customers?
  • Can you tell us about your process for diagnosing and troubleshooting?
  • Can you tell us about a time when you had an angry customer on the phone? How did you handle that situation?
  • What skill sets would you say are important to have as a technical support specialist?
  • What made you decide to get into being a technical support specialist?
  • How do you handle situations where the customers aren’t technically savvy? 
  • Can you describe a time when you were unable to resolve a technical issue for a customer? How did you handle the situation?
  • Technology continually evolves. What do you do to keep up with the latest technology?
  • How do you prioritize and manage multiple urgent technical support requests?
  • Describe your use history and preference for each of these channels when providing technical support: phone, text, chat, email?
  • Which ticketing systems have you used?
  • What would you say the most challenging part of this job is?
  • How do you keep up with changes, advancements, and best practices in technical support?
  • What is your ideal work environment?
  • Do you perform better as an individual or as part of a team?

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