Working in a regular live chat role is fun and an excellent way to make money. But after you have become established as a successful live chat agent, you may be ready for more. 

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a specialized role where you add value to your team...and get extra pay for doing it? Here’s the good news—there is such a role, and it’s the perfect ‘next step’ for you.

Many live chat teams have a Subject Matter Expert, or perhaps several of them. They earn top dollar for doing a role that’s interesting and important. Now it’s your turn to step up and take on the job. Let’s find out what the job is all about...

A Subject Matter Expert (SME) is an individual with a deep understanding of a particular topic. Whereas standard chat agents will have a general knowledge of relevant topics, SMEs go much deeper.

For example, a software company may employ live chat agents to deal with customer queries. Normal agents may be able to handle most inquiries. But some customers will have more technical or more complex questions.

That’s where SMEs come in. They are trained to handle these specialized inquiries. They have the expertise and knowledge needed to give the correct answers and resolve issues. 

SMEs have an essential role to play in customer service. They are commonly found in companies that deal with technical issues or where the organization has many products with complex features. Overall, there are many situations where SMEs play an important role in assisting customers.

Most SMEs start out as normal agents, then train up to become more specialized. If you work for a particular team for a while, you will naturally learn more and more about the company and its products. That puts you in pole position to move up the ladder and become a qualified Subject Matter Expert.

You don’t need any formal qualifications for this. All you need is the willingness to learn and the ability to explain more complex concepts in a way that’s easy to understand. 

As a Subject Matter Expert, your most important role will be supporting your colleagues in the live chat team.

If a team member encounters a customer with a difficult query, they will contact you for assistance. Depending on the situation, you can help by either: 

In addition, you may be expected to help train others by passing on your specialist knowledge. This helps everyone in the team to get up to speed and deal with inquiries efficiently.

You may help with formal training for other members of the team. And if the company has a Knowledge Base, you will probably help with updating and managing this. 

The role of the Subject Matter Expert is constantly evolving as business and technology evolve. But it’s always an exciting and rewarding way to make a living.