When someone start a request in a near-realtime medium with stuff like that, I instantly get annoyed as it is immediately wasting time for me in having to respond and way for their actual request.

I much prefer you make the request right away without waiting, and just tacks on whatever pleasantries you feel necessary. Then I don't need to roundtrip with you to figure out whether or not what you are requesting is actually more important than what I am doing right now.