Charlie@CharlieF.com

303 . 772 . 1848

Longmont, CO

CUSTOMER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Technical Professional with 7+ years of specialized IT experience troubleshooting hardware and software products in a corporate environment. I have great soft skills and excel at customer relationship management and problem solving. Adaptable and resourceful, I’m comfortable in a fast paced environment and will enhance the effectiveness of any existing department.

Couragent, Inc. – Ft. Collins, CO                                   September 2010 – Current

Customer Support Specialist

Currently providing contract customer support for this growing consumer electronics  manufacturer of the innovative Flip-Pal mobile scanner, assisting customers with software usage and product updates, hardware diagnostics, and OS integration issues on Windows and Mac OS. I’m also designing and documenting helpdesk operations for our troubleshooting database, assisting with implementation of issue tracking tools, and updating the website.

NBC Universal – Denver, CO                                              January – February, 2010

Level 2 Tech Support

• Provided contract technical support for NBC Universal’s internet broadcasts of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Supported a team that built a proprietary portal to authenticate and authorize specialized online content for entitled subscribers.

• Helped design the helpdesk support structure and workflow, adapted an existing database to use as a case tracking tool, and contributed to our troubleshooting knowledge database. Monitored alert reports, the 24/7 telephone support line and emailed support requests on rotating shifts during the Olympic games.

• Met or exceeded service level objectives for all cases worked. Later, our team received accolades from NBC executives for seamless execution and technical leadership.

IBM Corporation – Boulder, CO                                             May 2001 – October 2008

Senior Technical Support Representative

• Trained and certified as an IBM Helpdesk Professional, I provided PC hardware and software support in a major call center for multiple corporate customers. We focused on issues with Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office, Outlook email, VPN and network connectivity, browsers and anti-virus applications. Also diagnosed hardware problems and dispatched deskside assistance. I have a sharp ear for information that improves processes; identified systemic problems and pursued resolutions for customers.

• As Customer Satisfaction Focal and escalation manager, I helped my team maintain a client satisfaction rating that was consistently above required service levels by analyzing survey feedback and assisting with problem remediation. I often contacted unhappy customers directly and followed up until their issue was resolved and their confidence in our service was restored.

• Wrote new or improved repair procedures for our troubleshooting database. Regularly rated “high contributor” in yearly evaluations; received frequent written praise from clients, and rewarded with recognition certificates and cash bonuses.

Communications Specialist, Global Business Office

• Researched and wrote easy-to-understand tool usage tips, technical support procedures, monthly software improvement alerts, business process documents and training materials. Directed development of a new branding identity for a major rewrite of our proprietary software.

• Directed the redesign of our team’s stale web site and made it a vibrant and useful vehicle to help our worldwide strategic outsourcing deal teams stay current and win in the global marketplace. I interviewed our customers to learn their needs, wrote all the content, and regularly posted updates in HTML.

• Managed customer email address database; drove the development of a new tool for validating thousands of addresses that reduced the time required for this task by more than 60 percent. The tool was later adopted by other organizations in Global Services.

Page One Photography, LLC – Boulder, CO                                            1990 – 2001

Commercial Photographer & Writer:

Owned and operated a successful commercial photography studio for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small businesses. Produced high quality images for advertising, marketing materials, press releases, and technical communications. Also provided copywriting, editing, and design services. Managed each project from conception to completion – including consultation with client, vendor coordination, scheduling and final image production. Excellent client relation skills and decision-making abilities. Additionally, I photographed an award-winning young adult book on crime-solving forensic anthropology, The Bone Detectives. The book has been reprinted five times in paperback and hardback and translated into Japanese.

Other Professional Experience

Appointed by the Longmont City Council to be a citizen member of the Cable Trust Board which governs all operations of the city’s municipal cable TV channel (current).

Boulder County Business Report – Boulder, CO,  Photographer
Hemet News – Hemet, CA,  Chief Photographer
Vail Daily – Vail, CO,  Reporter/Photographer
Freelance Journalist – Boulder, CO,  Reporter/Photographer

In these positions, I :

• wrote and photographed stories on news events, human interest features, sports, and the police beat for community daily and business focused newspapers.
• generated picture and story ideas, participated in page design and photo use.
• designed and produced a fresh real estate section that attracted new advertisers.
• taught a photojournalism class for the University of Colorado’s Division of Continuing Education.
• developed excellent familiarity with AP Style.

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Microsoft Office: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook.
• Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver.
• Windows operating systems; Linux.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science in Journalism, University of Colorado, Boulder

• Honors in Journalism; Dean’s List; voted Outstanding Senior by faculty.
• Employed as undergraduate Teaching Assistant for photojournalism program.

Personal Interests: Bicycling, fishing, skiing, motorcycling.

This is the 400 g-ton centrifuge used for geotechnical and structural model studies at the University of Colorado School of Engineering. The rotating arm had not yet been installed. When constructed, this was was one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world. More info at http://ceae.colorado.edu/geotech/facilities_centrifuge_400gton.html .