If you address someone on WhatsApp, is it impolite to only say ‘hi’ and then wait for a response?
“No, that’s very strange,” says etiquette expert Anne-Marie van Leggelo. “You should always provide some information, because otherwise you leave the recipient with a lot of question marks.”
With just a ‘hi’ or ‘hello,’ the recipient of the message doesn’t know why you sent this greeting. Did you just want to chat or did you have a specific question? With a content-free greeting, the recipient will only find out after they have responded.
A content-free ‘hello’ is especially frustrating, according to the makers of the website NoHello.net. “It’s like calling someone, saying hello, and then putting them on hold,” the site says.
Always say what it’s about
According to the etiquette expert, you should start a message with the correct salutation. With friends, a simple ‘hey’ or ‘hi’ is sufficient; with more formal contacts, you can use ‘good morning’ or ‘dear person.’ Then you say what you’re texting for.
“The intention is to write something short, no longer than five lines. If it gets longer than that, you’d better email. You can write a new message after those five lines.”
‘Leaving it on read is okay’
If you have received a short, content-free greeting, according to Van Leggelo, it is not bad if you do not (immediately) respond to it. Even if you have read the message and there are two blue checkmarks for the sender, you are not immediately obliged to respond.
“The general rule is: try to say something back within 48 hours. If you still haven’t responded after that, it will raise questions for the sender. Some think you should answer immediately, but you really don’t have to.”