Tier I Technical Support Specialist — Smart Cooler Vending

Job Description This is a remote position. Vend Guys is looking for a Tier I Technical Support Specialist to serve as the first layer of technical support for smart cooler vending operators. This is a technical support position, not a sales role. The Tier I Technical Support Specialist will help customers with smart cooler onboarding, basic troubleshooting, machine-status issues, app-related questions, payment-reader concerns, connectivity symptoms, and customer follow-up. This role is best suited for someone who is organized, detail-oriented, technically curious, and able to follow a structured support process. Tier I is not expected to engineer advanced connectivity solutions or make final technical decisions on routers, SIM cards, antennas, network architecture, backend issues, or payment-reader integrations. The role is to gather the right information, perform approved first-line troubleshooting, document the issue clearly, and escalate to Vend Guys Tier II Technical Support when deeper technical judgment is required. Key Responsibilities: Customer Support Intake - Receive and respond to customer technical-support requests through approved support channels. - Identify the issue category, such as machine offline, app access, activation, binding, demo mode, pending transactions, payment-reader issues, or connectivity concerns. - Gather the customer name, machine ID, machine model, location, issue timeline, screenshots, videos, error messages, and troubleshooting history. - Determine whether the issue appears to involve the HaHa app, HaHa backend, physical machine, POS screen, Nayax/PAX reader, customer setup, or connectivity path. - Confirm whether the machine is deployed and expected to be operating. - Document customer impact, such as lost sales, facility complaints, failed transactions, repeated downtime, or installation delays. Basic Troubleshooting - Guide customers through approved first-line troubleshooting steps. - Confirm whether a remote restart, physical power cycle, app check, or other approved step has already been attempted. - Explain basic support concepts in plain language, such as why a remote restart cannot reach a machine that is truly offline. - Help customers monitor whether a machine stays online after troubleshooting. - Watch for recurring offline “blips” or transactions stuck in “Processing” or “In Progress.” - Collect screenshots, photos, videos, transaction examples, and support evidence before escalation. Onboarding Support - Assist customers with routine onboarding and setup support using approved instructions. - Help customers prepare for app walkthroughs or technical-support meetings. - Explain basic app navigation, product library setup, pricing, templates, inventory, machine management, and general app operation. - Explain when product/template work can be done in the app while machine binding or demo mode is still being completed. - Advise customers not to physically stock or open the machine until demo mode is cleared at the app level. - Send follow-up recaps after onboarding or support calls. - Direct customers to training recordings, knowledge-base articles, or approved support resources. Connectivity Information Gathering - Collect basic connectivity details so Tier II can evaluate the issue properly. - Ask whether the machine is using cellular, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or a router. - Ask whether the facility has staff/private/IT-managed Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or an IT contact available. - Ask whether the machine is located far inside the building, behind concrete, metal, or other signal-blocking materials. - Collect screenshots, signal observations, speed-test results, photos, or app-status examples when requested. - Understand that Tier I gathers connectivity information, while Tier II determines the final connectivity solution. Payment Reader and Transaction Support - Help identify whether a transaction issue appears on the HaHa side or the Nayax/MoMa side. - Ask for specific transaction examples, dates, times, amounts, and machine IDs. - Help customers gather evidence when transactions are pending, processing, missing, settled, or not matching between systems. - Escalate payment-reader, settlement, card-reader, Nayax/PAX, or integration issues when they exceed basic troubleshooting. Customer Communication and Follow-Up - Communicate clearly, professionally, and calmly with customers. - Acknowledge the customer’s issue directly. - Ask focused clarifying questions. - Explain technical steps in plain language without unnecessary jargon. - Avoid unsupported promises or guesses. - Provide clear next steps. - Follow up after troubleshooting. - Keep the customer informed when an issue is being escalated. - Maintain ownership of customer communication even when Tier II owns the deeper technical diagnosis. Documentation - Document support activity clearly and accurately. - Record customer name, machine ID, machine model, location, symptoms, timeline, screenshots, photos, videos, error messages, and prior troubleshooting steps. - Document what Tier I asked the customer to do and the result of each step. - Record whether the issue was resolved, partially stabilized, still being monitored, or escalated. - Keep confirmed facts separate from assumptions. - Create a clean handoff so Vend Guys Tier II Technical Support does not have to restart the diagnostic process. What This Role Is Not This is not a sales role. This is also not a Tier II engineering role. Tier I should not independently recommend routers, SIM cards, antennas, carriers, ISP paths, OptConnect solutions, cellular routers, firewall rules, static IP configurations, allowlisting, or full connectivity architectures. Tier I should not decide refunds, replacements, compensation, service-fee waivers, hardware swaps, backend changes, payment-reader replacements, or manufacturer-level corrective actions. Tier I should escalate when an issue requires deeper diagnosis, backend access, vendor coordination, facility IT involvement, custom connectivity design, payment-reader integration troubleshooting, firmware/controller investigation, or any decision outside an approved Tier I process. Key Mindset Tier I identifies, documents, performs basic checks, and escalates. Tier II diagnoses deeper technical root cause, designs the solution, coordinates vendors, and owns complex technical judgment. A strong Tier I Technical Support Specialist does not need to know every answer. They need to know how to gather the right facts, follow the approved process, document clearly, communicate professionally, and recognize when the issue requires Tier II technical judgment. Requirements Required Qualifications: - Strong customer-service and written-communication skills. - Ability to read customer messages and identify the actual technical issue. - Ability to ask focused clarifying questions. - Ability to follow a troubleshooting checklist without skipping steps. - Ability to document customer issues accurately and clearly. - Comfortable working with support tickets, email, chat, screenshots, app status, and customer follow-up. - Comfortable explaining technical steps in plain language to non-technical customers. - Basic understanding of smart devices, mobile apps, web dashboards, and connected equipment. - Basic understanding of Wi-Fi, Ethernet, cellular connectivity, routers, and SIM cards. - Ability to understand the difference between machine status, app status, backend status, POS behavior, and payment-reader behavior. - Ability to stay calm and professional with frustrated customers. - Ability to avoid guessing when unsure. - Ability to recognize when an issue must be escalated to Vend Guys Tier II Technical Support. - Strong attention to detail. - Strong follow-up habits. - Willingness to learn smart cooler vending technology, HaHa systems, Nayax/PAX payment-reader basics, connectivity workflows, and Vend Guys support procedures. Helpful Experience: - Vending operations experience. - Smart cooler or unattended retail experience. - Customer technical-support experience. - POS or payment-reader support experience. - Basic networking experience. - Router, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, cellular, or SIM troubleshooting experience. - Help desk or ticket-based support experience. - Field-service coordination experience. - Experience working with non-technical customers. Important Role Boundaries: - Must be able to follow approved procedures instead of guessing. - Must understand that Tier I gathers information and performs basic checks, while Tier II handles deeper technical diagnosis and solution design. - Must not recommend equipment, connectivity architecture, payment-reader replacement, or backend changes without proper approval. - Must escalate cleanly when the issue exceeds the documented Tier I process. Benefits Benefits and role details will be discussed during the hiring process. This position offers the opportunity to work with a growing smart cooler vending company and gain hands-on experience with connected vending technology, smart cooler platforms, customer technical support, app-based equipment support, payment-reader troubleshooting, and real-world connectivity support. Additional details regarding compensation, schedule, employment classification, remote work expectations, system access, and benefits will be reviewed with qualified candidates.