Chatroom moderators and how to become one

Anyone who’s played any kind of online bingo games will certainly be familiar with the chatrooms. As bingo is about socialising as much as playing, all the good quality bingo sites will have a chat room built into their software to try and replicate those much loved traditional bingo halls. Chances are good then, that if you’re familiar with the whole chat concept, you should also be familiar with chatroom moderators or hosts.

What exactly is the chatroom moderator’s job?

Conversation is encouraged in bingo rooms, and can range across any number of topics, from the game itself to what happened on Coronation Street last week. At least one chatroom moderator (often abbreviated to CM or CH) can normally be found in each of these rooms. Generally, they’re friendly and outgoing people who are more than happy to join in the conversation, and it’s not unusual for a CM to make friends with many of the regulars in the room. That said, it’s more than just fun and games for a CM. They have a few important jobs to do.

First and foremost, the CM’s job is to make sure everyone’s enjoying themselves. Any good bingo operator, online or off, will make great efforts to try and foster a good community spirit among their patrons. Obviously, an unhappy player is unlikely to come back, and even less likely to stay a part of the community. In the online rooms, the responsibility here falls on the CM. They’ll be the ones who greet new players and try to keep them involved in the conversations. A good CM can make a site lots of fun, but similarly a bad CM is unlikely to have players returning.

Play nicely!

Also importantly, the CM is there to ensure everyone feels safe being there. Just like in any pub or bar, while most people are just there to have a good time, there may be someone looking to cause trouble. Of course, any forms of bullying, discrimination, threats, or any other unsavoury behaviour are not tolerated in chatrooms. Before anything turns bad, the CM is there to act like the club bouncers. If someone’s trying to pick a fight or otherwise be nasty, the CM has the job of escorting them off the premises. Figuratively speaking.

The third job of the CM is to answer any questions people may have and make sure everything is working properly. Essentially, the CM is the first port of call for any bingo players looking to find answers. This works out much better than having to e-mail the helpdesk with questions – the question may well have a quick and easy answer, and the player gets their answer much faster than they otherwise would. This way if there’s a genuine problem anywhere, the CM can identify it and suggest contacting customer support (or do so themselves if need be).

Becoming a chatroom moderator

Being a CM is an important job which can require a lot of care and some amount of thinking on your feet, but it can also be very rewarding. So how do those people become CMs in the first place?

Probably the most important thing is to love bingo. All CMs have probably been enjoying regular bingo games, either online or in bingo halls, for quite a few years. Obviously, it’s also important to be a good communicator. To be a CM, you’ll need to be outgoing, as well as needing some amount of determination and assertiveness. Remember, as a CM you’ll be the face of the site. You’ll need to pay attention to yourself, and make sure you’re in a good mood. We’ve all been to places with grouchy staff and it’s never a pleasant experience. Good manners and placing the payers first is a must. Even if someone acts rudely or aggressively, you’ll need to reply without becoming aggressive yourself.

You’ll also need to be reasonably tech savvy. You won’t need to know how to write computer code or do any other programming, but you’ll definitely need to know your way around a computer. If you don’t know much about the internet outside Facebook, you may be lacking in a few essential skills needed. A CM will need to be perfectly comfortable sending e-mails, using the advanced functions in chatrooms and be able to work behind the scenes of a website. Most websites have what’s called a backend system – it’s the area where the control panels are kept, which regular users don’t normally see. Don’t worry, it isn’t as complicated as it sounds!

So if you’ve been playing on any one bingo site for a while, you’re comfortable with it and you think you’re up for the job, it’s just a matter of contacting customer support about whether they have any chatroom moderator opportunities. Taking that first step, even asking informally, is actually the best way to get the site’s attention. Opportunities may arise either due to the site increasing in size, or if other CMs have to step down for any reason. If a position opens up and you fit the bill, then the staff may want to get in touch.