AI or Not, Respect is Key: Etiquette for Chatbot Interactions

In today’s digital world, more often than not, we find ourselves interacting with customer service chat systems instead of calling a company or organization to resolve a question or issue. At their best, these chat systems offer a quick and efficient way to solve problems or get answers while we multitask—whether checking emails, listening to a webinar, or catching up on our favorite podcast.

It is important to keep in mind that many of these systems are either initiated by or fully run by chatbots, which are powered by AI. As these bots become a more frequent part of our daily lives, it's important to consider how we should conduct ourselves when engaging with them.

I assume that most people reading a business etiquette blog will already default to treating a human customer service agent with the same respect we would offer face-to-face or on the phone. Even if we approach the chat due to a frustrating issue, it's crucial to remember that the person—or bot—on the other side didn't create the problem. It’s helpful to give the benefit of the doubt that they want to assist in resolving the issue and leave you feeling satisfied. With this in mind, we should always use respectful language, remembering to say “please” and “thank you” throughout the interaction.

After all, it’s widely known that “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”—kindness tends to get results much faster than negativity.

When interacting with AI-powered chatbots, I use the same principles. I maintain a polite and respectful tone, employ full sentences, and use the "magic words" just as I would when communicating with a human. If we want AI’s role in customer service to be positive, we must lead by example, modeling the kind of civil behavior we wish to see in the future. This is not only good etiquette but also an opportunity to help teach AI about human communication.

And here’s a final reason to always be kind in chat systems: you can never be entirely sure if you're speaking with a human or a bot. Wouldn’t you rather start off with respect, only to later realize you were chatting with a machine, than the opposite? It’s a small investment in civility and good manners that benefits everyone involved.