Benjamin Kotthoff
Lake Saint Louis,Missouri
Summary
Field-based retail sales and technical support professional with a background in meteorology, customer communication, and product training. Manages 16 partner locations, drives in-store execution, resolves display issues, and supports partner teams to improve the customer experience and increase sales year over year.
Overview
1
1
Certification
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Retail Sales Specialist
Apple
Lake Saint Louis, Missouri
10.2022 - Current
- Acted as Apple's product expert across 16 carrier and retail partner locations in St. Charles County, independently managed operations and dedicated 40% of my time to driving.
- Increased year-over-year sales by realigning partner-team relationships with Apple, and enhancing in-store customer experiences.
- Trained 100+ partner store employees on product knowledge and customer service techniques, including troubleshooting display issues.
- Merchandised stores post-product launches (14 to date) by installing security, setting up and taking down devices, and updating graphics.
- Logged store visits, resolved recurring issues, submitted weekly feedback to Apple to inform operational improvements.
Weathercaster
KOMU 8 News
Columbia, MO
12.2022 - 03.2024
- Forecasted weather, wrote weather stories, and broadcast multiple segments to deliver clear public information. Produced short engagement videos to enhance community preparedness during severe weather.
- Executed daily responsibilities with precision to ensure timely delivery of weather updates.
- Proposed strategies that enhanced team collaboration and effectiveness.
- Worked successfully with a diverse group of coworkers to accomplish goals and address issues related to our products and services.
iOS Technician
Gravity
Columbia, Missouri
09.2019 - 01.2022
- Resolved iOS setup, sync, and restore issues, enhancing user experience for customer devices.
- Diagnosed hardware and software issues for iPhones, facilitating timely repairs and customer satisfaction at Gravity service desk.
- Conducted repairs on screens, batteries, and charging ports at Gravity service center using established repair procedures.
- Restored functionality of personal computing devices, including iPhones and MacBooks, through screen and battery repairs and data transfers from failing devices. Supported small-business networking by terminating Ethernet cables, installing patch panels, and running fiber to improve network connectivity and reliability.
Education
CCENT Certification - Cisco Networking
South Technical High School
Saint Louis, Missouri05-2019
Some College (No Degree) - Atmospheric Sciences
University of Missouri
Columbia, MOSkills
- Sales
- Customer Service
- Partnership management
- Technical writing
- Weather Analysis
- Product merchandising
- Data Visualization
- Planogram Development
- Product training
- Display issue resolution
- Retail merchandising
Awards
SkillsUSA State: 1st Place, Customer Service | FBLA National: 3rd Place, Network Design
Certification
- Cisco CCNET
- FAA Part 107
- ETA Customer Service Specialist
Timeline
Weathercaster
KOMU 8 News
12.2022 - 03.2024
Retail Sales Specialist
Apple
10.2022 - Current
iOS Technician
Gravity
09.2019 - 01.2022
CCENT Certification - Cisco Networking
South Technical High School
Some College (No Degree) - Atmospheric Sciences
University of Missouri