What does a technical support specialist do?

What is a Technical Support Specialist?

A technical support specialist is someone who provides assistance and technical support to either businesses or consumers that are experiencing technical, hardware, or software issues. Some examples of these issues are slow performance, connection problems, and an inability to access data. Technical support specialists are able to deal with most customer issues over the telephone or through email, however some issues need to be dealt with on site, especially if the computer software and hardware needs to be modified, cleaned, or repaired. A computer repair technician would typically be sent out to take care of any repairs.

What does a Technical Support Specialist do?

Technical support specialists are knowledgeable about computer systems, electronic systems, and software applications. They can educate people, answer questions, and troubleshoot any related problems about technology-based products and services. When helping customers and end-users, the technical support specialist will ask specific questions in order to understand the issue. Since most customers are not familiar with technical terms and may be frustrated in trying to explain the problem, the support specialist will require patience, good listening skills and excellent communicating skills.

Some technical support specialists works internally for a company, and their job includes conducting on-going testing of the company's existing equipment and software programs. If new software or hardware is received, they will test the product, provide feedback to the vendor, and make sure the products are compatible with the company's existing products and systems. When systems are re-vamped company-wide, the technical support specialist will set up training sessions to introduce the new software or hardware to the employees, explaining how they work in layman's terms. One-on-one training is sometimes provided for managers in each department of the company.

What is the workplace of a Technical Support Specialist like?

A technical support specialist may work in a help-desk environment or provide technical support in an company's IT department. They may work in a variety of fields, including computer systems, telecommunications, educational services and finance. Some technical support specialists may be able to work from home, while others must travel to clients' homes to provide computer support. They often work irregular hours to meet consumer needs.