How Do I Become a Product Support Specialist?

A product support specialist provides customer support for one or more products and usually communicates with customers over the telephone. In addition to helping customers find solutions to their problems and educating them about a product's features, a product support specialist also may be responsible for selling products or services, checking the status of existing repairs and assisting with the installation of software. To become a product support specialist, you need excellent troubleshooting skills and the ability to provide helpful customer service. You may need an associate's or bachelor's degree, technical certifications and related experience to quality for some positions.

If you wish to become a product support specialist, then you need to have a high school diploma at a minimum, but training in a technical field is usually preferred. Some employers require an associate's or bachelor's degree in a technical area such as electronics, information systems or computer science. Professional certifications related to customer service and troubleshooting also are sometimes required. If you have limited work experience in a related field, then you likely will need a degree or certifications. More advanced positions also may require training in project management along with a related certification.

Interaction with customers generally takes place on the telephone, so it requires excellent communication skills to become a product support specialist. Being good at customer service also is important, because you will have to solve problems remotely and efficiently gather needed information from your clients. The remote nature of the job also demands excellent troubleshooting skills and extensive experience with the product or service you're supporting. It also helps to be a fast typist, logical thinker and eager learner. Some product support specialists have to train both customers and other employees to use products, so the ability to work well with others is helpful.

You probably will need to gain experience troubleshooting products before you can become a product support specialist. This is especially true if the job for which you're applying asks for the ability to troubleshoot multiple products. If the role requires extensive technical skills, then you may need at least three or more years of experience working with the specified product, as well as experience in customer service and information technology administration. Some product support specialists start out as field technicians or help desk employees to gain both troubleshooting skills and customer service experience. Entry-level product support specialist jobs do exist, and some jobs offer comprehensive training.