[freetime2]

One thing that always bugs me at work is when I get a slack message from someone I don't know along the lines of:

"Hello John, are you available to chat later today about Foo Product?"

Or sometimes just:

"Hello John"

I know they want something from me, but I have no idea what, how much effort it will require, how urgent it is, or whether I am even capable of helping.

A much better approach is more like this article outlines:

"Hello John. I'm looking into in a client-reported issue with Foo Product. The customer states they are unable to do X. The support ticket is <link to ticket>. I've done some investigation and think I have identified the root cause with <possible root cause>. Are you available for a brief 30 minute call this afternoon to discuss the issue as well as some potential fixes?"

That way I have some idea of context, priority, and what they are looking for from me. I can also review the details of the ticket prior to the call, which makes for a more productive conversation. Or if there is someone else who is more knowledgeable than me, I can request that we add that person as well.

If you're in the habit of starting work conversations on slack with just "Hello" - I would highly recommend that you start including additional context when initially reaching out.

[primaprashant]

sending nohello website [1] back to people who just say hello without additional context is a classic solution

[1] https://nohello.net/en/

[thin_carapace]

basic etiquette and presentation (the linked article) is mind blowing enough to reach the top forum ranking, precisely because of behaviour like that which you describe. as the dog whisperer taught me, dominance and fear are seperate concepts - it is possible to set boundaries without being a dick. personally I love being a dick but moderation is key. snarky behaviour shifts responsibility to avoid directly addressing the issue oneself. thats not how an adult behaves in my book.