Tier 1 Customer Support Specialist

Thought Industries powers the Business of Value - enabling enterprises to unlock growth across the customer lifecycle. From our Boston headquarters, we help organizations drive measurable impact, maximize customer lifetime value, and fuel innovation through our leading enterprise solutions. Unlock growth with us - where your potential meets boundless possibilities.

The Thought Industries Support Operations team is seeking a Customer Support Specialist to provide technical support and assistance to our customers via our Zendesk ticketing system. As a Customer Support Specialist, you will be responsible for addressing and responding to basic customer inquiries on products and services, including installation, operational functions, limited troubleshooting, and maintenance. You will also be expected to understand when customers require preventive maintenance and configuration recommendations so that you can move the ticket to the next level of tiered support in an efficient manner  and maintain customer satisfaction.

Core Responsibilities

• Basic Troubleshooting: Reviewing  technical questions and issues submitted by customers  and providing timely and accurate solutions, and/or identifying when tickets require more complex investigations by the next level of tiered support and escalating this appropriately. This may involve reviewing internal and client-facing support articles, performing diagnostics, and utilizing remote access tools to troubleshoot issues

• Customer Support: Assist customers via various channels such as email or chat, providing professional and empathetic support. Address customer inquiries, concerns, and complaints promptly and effectively, ensuring customer satisfaction and maintaining a positive customer experience.

• Incident Management: recognizing and taking initial  ownership of customer-reported issues and tracking them through to resolution, when necessary, to adhere to defined service-level agreements (SLAs). Escalate critical issues to the appropriate teams or higher tiers when necessary, while maintaining communication with the customer regarding the status of their reported issue.

• Collaboration: Collaborate the larger Support team and/or cross-functional teams, including, product managers and Customer Support  to communicate customer feedback, identify product improvement opportunities, and contribute to the overall product development process. Provide input on potential areas for process improvement within the support team.

• Training: Stay updated on the latest features and updates of the learning management system and related technologies. 

• Proactive Issue Prevention: Identify recurring issues and patterns in customer inquiries and work with the Support team so that they can help flag this with product and development teams to proactively address them. Suggest improvements to product documentation, or platform enhancements to increase customer satisfaction and reduce support tickets.

• Continuous Learning: Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices related to our platform and customer support. Engage in ongoing training to develop technical skills and deepen product knowledge.

Overall, your role as a Customer Support Specialist would focus on reviewing and answering, where possible,  basic technical issues and queries, escalating complex technical issues to the next tier of support, delivering exceptional customer support, collaborating with internal teams, and contributing to the overall improvement of the product and support processes.

Competencies

• Technical Expertise: Possess a strong understanding of the company's platform and related technologies. Have basic  knowledge of troubleshooting methodologies, network protocols, databases, web technologies, and operating systems. 

• Problem Solving: Exhibit exceptional problem-solving skills to diagnose and resolve basic technical issues and queries efficiently, and be able to identify and discern when a complex technical issue requires escalation to the next tier of support. Demonstrate the ability to analyze information, identify patterns, and apply logical reasoning to find innovative solutions. Display a proactive approach to problem-solving by identifying potential issues before they escalate.

• Customer Focus: Maintain a customer-centric approach by actively listening to customers, understanding their needs, and providing personalized support. Display empathy, patience, and professionalism while addressing customer concerns. Strive for high customer satisfaction and deliver exceptional service.

• Communication Skills: Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate with customers and team members. Articulate technical concepts in a clear and concise manner, avoiding jargon, and adapting communication style to suit the customer's level of technical understanding. Active listening skills are crucial for understanding customer issues accurately.

• Collaboration: Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including the greater Support team , product managers, and Customer Success when applicable. Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills to build effective relationships, share knowledge, and contribute to team success. Communicate customer feedback and technical issues effectively to the relevant teams.

• Analytical Thinking: Apply analytical thinking to analyze technical problems, break them down into manageable components, and identify potential root causes. Use data-driven approaches to make informed decisions and recommendations for issue resolution. Leverage analytical tools and techniques to extract insights from system logs and diagnostics.

• Time Management: Possess strong organizational and time management skills to prioritize and manage multiple customer inquiries and issues simultaneously. Adhere to defined SLAs and effectively manage workload to ensure timely resolution of customer tickets. Efficiently handle escalations and prioritize critical issues.

• Adaptability: Thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and quickly adapt to changes in technology, processes, or customer requirements. Display flexibility in work schedules to accommodate customer needs, including working evenings, weekends, or on-call rotations as required.

• Continuous Learning: Display a growth mindset and a passion for continuous learning. Stay updated on new product features, industry trends, and emerging technologies related to learning management systems. Actively seek opportunities for professional development and acquire new skills to enhance technical expertise.

• Documentation Skills: Demonstrate the ability to create clear and comprehensive technical documentation, including troubleshooting guides, knowledge base articles, and FAQs. Ensure accuracy, completeness, and relevance of documentation and regularly update it to reflect changes in the product or support processes.

• These competencies enable Customer Support Specialists to effectively address technical challenges, deliver excellent customer support, collaborate with teams, and contribute to the overall success of the company's learning management system.

• 1-3 years of experience in technical support or a related field

• Familiarity with a learning management system is a plus

• Strong communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate technical information to non-technical customers

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills

• Ability to work independently and in a team environment

• Strong time-management and prioritization skills

• Must be comfortable working remotely

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. 

The annual salary for this role is $50,000-$60,000. 

Thought Industries does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Employment decisions at Thought Industries are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities.