Tier I Technical Support Specialist — Smart Cooler Vending

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Tier I Technical Support Specialist — Smart Cooler Vending based in United States.** This is a fully remote technical support role focused on helping operators successfully run smart cooler vending equipment. You will serve as the first point of contact for technical questions involving connected machines, mobile apps, payment readers, and basic connectivity issues. The role combines customer communication, structured troubleshooting, technical information gathering, and detailed documentation. You will help customers with onboarding, machine-status concerns, app-related questions, transaction issues, and approved first-line troubleshooting. You will work closely with a Tier II technical team, providing clean and complete handoffs whenever deeper diagnosis or technical decisions are required. Success in this role depends on being organized, technically curious, customer-focused, and comfortable following defined support processes. This is an opportunity to build hands-on experience with smart vending technology, connected devices, payment systems, and real-world technical support. ### Accountabilities - **Customer Support Intake:** Receive and respond to technical support requests through approved channels, identify the issue category, gather relevant customer and machine information, and determine the likely area involved, such as the mobile app, backend, physical equipment, POS, payment reader, or connectivity. - **Issue Documentation:** Capture machine IDs, models, locations, timelines, error messages, screenshots, videos, troubleshooting history, and customer impact, including downtime, lost sales, failed transactions, or installation delays. - **Basic Troubleshooting:** Guide customers through approved first-line troubleshooting procedures, including app checks, remote restarts, physical power cycles, and other documented steps. Monitor whether issues remain resolved and identify recurring offline events or transactions stuck in processing. - **Onboarding Support:** Assist customers with routine setup and onboarding, app navigation, product libraries, pricing, templates, inventory, machine management, and preparation for technical-support sessions. Provide clear follow-up summaries and direct customers to approved training and knowledge resources. - **Connectivity Information Gathering:** Collect the information required for deeper technical investigation, including whether equipment uses cellular, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or a router; available facility IT support; physical signal limitations; and requested screenshots, speed-test results, photos, or status information. - **Payment & Transaction Support:** Help identify whether transaction issues appear to originate within the application environment or payment ecosystem. Gather transaction dates, times, amounts, machine IDs, and supporting evidence before escalating issues involving payment readers, settlements, integrations, or other advanced payment concerns. - **Customer Communication & Follow-Up:** Communicate calmly and professionally, acknowledge customer concerns, ask focused questions, explain technical steps in accessible language, provide realistic next steps, and maintain consistent communication throughout the support process. - **Escalation & Handoffs:** Recognize when an issue exceeds the approved Tier I process and escalate it with a complete, structured handoff so the Tier II team can continue the investigation without repeating the initial diagnostic process. - **Support Records:** Maintain accurate records of every troubleshooting step, customer response, outcome, and escalation status while clearly distinguishing confirmed facts from assumptions. ## Requirements - **Customer Support Experience:** 1–3 years of relevant experience in technical support, customer support, help desk, field-service coordination, or a similar customer-facing environment. - **Technical Foundation:** Basic understanding of smart devices, mobile applications, web dashboards, connected equipment, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, cellular connectivity, routers, and SIM-based connectivity. - **Troubleshooting Skills:** Ability to follow structured troubleshooting checklists carefully, investigate symptoms methodically, recognize different types of machine, application, backend, POS, and payment-reader issues, and avoid skipping required steps. - **Communication:** Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical instructions into clear, simple language for non-technical customers. - **Documentation:** Strong attention to detail and the ability to accurately record customer information, machine details, symptoms, timelines, evidence, troubleshooting actions, and outcomes. - **Customer Mindset:** Calm, patient, professional, and empathetic when supporting frustrated customers or situations involving downtime, failed transactions, or operational disruption. - **Judgment & Escalation:** Comfortable acknowledging when an issue is outside your expertise and escalating it appropriately rather than guessing or making unsupported recommendations. - **Organization:** Strong follow-up habits and the ability to manage support requests, customer communications, screenshots, tickets, and other case information in a structured manner. - **Technical Curiosity:** Willingness to learn smart cooler vending technology, connected equipment platforms, payment-reader fundamentals, connectivity workflows, and internal support procedures. - **Helpful Experience:** Background in vending operations, unattended retail, POS or payment-reader support, basic networking, router/Wi-Fi/Ethernet/cellular troubleshooting, ticket-based help desk environments, or technical support for non-technical customers is an advantage. - **Role Boundaries:** Must understand that Tier I is responsible for identifying issues, gathering information, performing approved basic checks, documenting findings, and escalating. Advanced connectivity architecture, backend changes, payment-reader replacement decisions, equipment recommendations, and deeper technical diagnosis remain outside the scope of this position unless specifically authorized. ## Benefits - **Compensation:** $17–$27 USD per hour. - **Work Arrangement:** Fully remote position. - **Employment:** Full-time opportunity. - **Professional Development:** Hands-on exposure to smart cooler vending technology, connected equipment, app-based platforms, payment systems, and real-world connectivity troubleshooting. - **Technical Experience:** Opportunity to develop practical experience across customer technical support, IoT-connected equipment, mobile applications, POS/payment technologies, and structured escalation workflows. - **Role Details:** Additional information regarding schedule, employment classification, system access, remote-work expectations, and other benefits will be reviewed with qualified candidates during the hiring process.