Robots are no longer confined to factories; they now collaborate, assist, and engage with people in social environments, making their communication style a crucial factor in human-robot interaction. This study examines whether robots’ (im)politeness affects human risk-taking behavior and social perception, key factors in fostering effective human-robot interaction. In a between-subject experiment, sixty participants interacted with either a polite robot, employing politeness strategies, or a rude robot, using face-threatening acts. Risk-taking behavior was assessed through a button-pressing task that allowed participants to accumulate monetary rewards while risking total loss, and social perception was assessed with the Human-Robot Interaction Evaluation Scale (HRIES). Although politeness did not alter risk-taking, it significantly influenced perception: the polite robot was rated as more sociable and agentic, whereas the rude robot was seen as more disturbing; perceptions of animacy remained unchanged. An exploratory factor analysis refined the Agency scale, raising questions about how users conceptualize robotic autonomy. These findings confirm that politeness enhances social acceptance, but may not universally alter behavior. In social domains like customer service and healthcare, politeness is beneficial, but in financial decision-making contexts where outcomes carry real-world consequences, decision support may require additional strategies, such as assertiveness or personalized feedback.