Qualities of a Good Technical Support Representative

Companies desire to hire and maintain the best technical support representatives that they can find. This means choosing technical support representatives that possess the traits and qualities necessary to excel at their position. It doesn't matter whether you are employed in a corporate environment or work independently as an in-home repair technician; the traits and skilled needed are the same. To be a first-class technical support representative, you must demonstrate as many of the following qualities as possible:

Excellent Customer Service

Successful technical support representatives must be able to relay highly technical information to end-users who may potentially have no experience whatsoever. They must be able to speak to any user about any problem and define that problem in terms that the end-user can understand. This must be done in a way that doesn't demean the end-user and leave him or her feeling inadequate or stupid. This entails being polite, showing concern for the end-user, and displaying a sincere desire to resolve the user's problem. In addition to emotional intelligence, a successful technical support representative must also possess social intelligence, or the ability to handle others' anxieties, anger, and frustration.

Top-Notch Communication

A qualified technical support representative should be able to communicate with end-users of any level or experience, any personality, and any level of the corporate ladder. This requires presenting technical information to non-technical end-users and acquiring relevant information from those unable to explain the problem clearly. Skilled technical support representatives also take the time to explain why the problem occurred, how it can best be avoided in the future, and what to do if nobody is immediately available to help. Technical support representatives also document the issue, any communication made, and a solution so that future representatives can communicate even better with end-users the next time around.

Multi-Tasking

Technical support representatives must be equipped to deal with several ongoing problems, multiple new troubleshooting tickets, deadlines for completing service level agreements, accountability to upper management, and various other ambiguous problems. While handling these numerous issues, technical support representatives must still remain calm and continue to work effectively and efficiently. Technical support representatives must also maintain a professional and calm demeanor, no matter how upset an end-user becomes.

Technical Proficiency

A good technical support representative must enjoy and know how to configure computers, hardware, and software. They typically enjoy working with various technologies, are unafraid to learn about new technologies, and show a natural talent for seeing the larger picture in terms of networks, shared files and folders, and problems. Having the ability to view the larger picture is the first step to becoming a successful technical support representative.

Problem Solving

Talented technical support representatives are able to solve problems quickly and efficiently. They are skilled at solving logic problems, uncovering hidden clues, chasing leads, and discovering and attempting solutions without complicating the problem further. The ability to communicate and think logically is the top skill employers seek. The technical aspect of the job can be taught much more easily than communication and logical thinking because these aspects have more to do with overall intelligence, personality, and social abilities than technical aptitude does. As a technical support representative, you must be prepared to think critically, solve complicated problems, and find viable solutions. So long as you have the base skill-set, you are capable of being a successful technical support representative. Your abilities will gradually improve through training, experience, trial and error, observation, and working directly with higher-level representatives.