Previous Role: Lottery Equipment Service & Support Technician

Kamloops, BC · 2000 – 2007 (7 years)

During my early career, I provided specialized field service and technical support for lottery terminals and related equipment across British Columbia, working with NCR Canada (a major provider of lottery and point-of-sale hardware) and Lang's Ventures (a key service partner for the BC Lottery industry, handling installation, repair, and support for thousands of retailer locations).

Key responsibilities and achievements included:

• Performing on-site installation, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and servicing of lottery terminals and associated hardware at retail locations to ensure maximum uptime and reliable operation.
• Diagnosing and resolving hardware faults, communication issues (including serial interfaces), software glitches, and peripheral problems in high-availability gaming environments.
• Developing and implementing custom firmware delivery systems, specialized testing equipment for serial communications, and auditing tools (notably a CRC check digit generator) — streamlining hardware support workflows and increasing productivity in repair and deployment processes by over 60%.
• Providing internal technical support to field staff, vendors, and retail partners — resolving escalated issues, offering guidance on equipment handling, and ensuring consistent service quality across multiple locations.
• Creating and maintaining clear, practical documentation for service procedures, troubleshooting guides, and repair protocols to support team consistency and reduce resolution times.
• Delivering hands-on training to field technicians and external vendors on equipment operation, maintenance best practices, fault isolation, and safe servicing techniques.
• Managing parts inventory, tool calibration, and vehicle stock for efficient mobile service operations while adhering to strict security and compliance standards required in regulated lottery environments.
• Traveling extensively to retailer sites province-wide to respond to service calls, perform upgrades, and conduct audits, contributing to high customer satisfaction and equipment reliability for the BC lottery network.

This role established a strong foundation in electromechanical hardware service, serial communications troubleshooting, field logistics, and process improvement within regulated, high-stakes environments — blending technical repair expertise with training, documentation, and productivity-focused tooling.