Ask your question right away

@nohelloen

Please Don't Say Just Hello In Chat

It's as if you called someone on the phone and said "Hello!" and then put them on hold!

Please note that if you ask your question right away, you will receive help a few minutes earlier and will not keep them waiting. Instead, the co-worker can start thinking about your question right away!

You're trying to be polite by not jumping right into the request, like you would do in person or on the phone. But Chat is neither of those things. Typing is much slower than talking. Instead of being polite, you are just making the other person wait for you to phrase your question, which is lost productivity.

The same goes for "Hello -- Are you there?", "Hi Bob -- quick question.", "Do you have a sec ?", "yt?" and "ping". Just ask the question!

Additionally, asking your question before getting a reply allows asynchronous communication. If the other party is away, and you leave before they come back, they can still answer your question, instead of just staring at a "Hello" and wondering what they missed.

Source: nohello.com