A technical service representative is in charge of providing technical assistance to customers via phone, email, or in person. Hardware, software, or any type of mechanical device can all be supported. A technical service representative is typically employed by a technical support company that provides assistance to a third-party company’s customers. The technical service representative may also be in charge of providing technical support to both internal and external clients.
Regardless of the industry in which they work, most technical service representatives assist customers with computer or software problems. When a customer contacts a company’s technical support department, a technical service representative will assess the customer’s problems and attempt to troubleshoot the problem over the phone or via email. In some difficult cases, a field representative may be required to meet with a customer in person to resolve the issue. With in-home services centered on cable television or high-speed Internet, this is standard procedure.
Because they will be dealing directly with irate customers, technical service representatives must have excellent interpersonal skills. In order to effectively resolve issues that a customer may be having with his or her product, representatives must be knowledgeable in a wide range of technologies and products. Representatives are also responsible for ordering replacement parts and scheduling in-home support services when necessary, in addition to troubleshooting technical issues. When a technical issue cannot be resolved, the technical service representative must make every effort to maintain a positive relationship with the customer by satisfying the customer in some other way. This could be accomplished by providing a complimentary service or product, or by replacing the customer’s current product.
Although no formal education is required to work as a technical service representative, many hold bachelor’s degrees in information technology or communications. Representatives who are responsible for providing technical support services for extremely complex software solutions can benefit from having a degree or experience in a technical field. Depending on the complexity of the problem, some companies have multiple levels of technical service representatives. A level 1 representative would be assigned to basic technical issues, while level 3 representatives would be assigned to more difficult technical support calls.