Can I help you?
I went to Big Box store to buy some parts.
There was a very cheerful gentleman who asked if he could help. His demeanor, warmth, and kindness was sincere. So, I tried to explain to him what I wanted to do.
We don’t have anything like that here in plumbing. Check hardware.
I went to hardware. He was equally cheerful and wanted to help. I repeated what I hoped to accomplish and what I needed.
I don’t think we’re going to have anything like that. Maybe plumbing can help.
I genuinely appreciated the sincere effort to help.
Helping, though, requires a step beyond willingness. It requires listening to learn what people want and need.
Correct me if I’m wrong. But, it sounds like you want to safely disconnect a dishwasher so you can remove it. Then, when you get a new dishwasher, you’ll be all set to reconnect it. Is that right?
The step of listening and clarifying allows the next stage of helping.
We got through step one just fine. But after that, it fizzled out. I didn’t have the right words to connect with them. They didn’t really ask questions that would clarify.
Most of us don’t know what we want when we’re dealing with something outside out skillset. If we want to help, we need to be patient enough to figure out what people really want.