A guy at the hardware store gave me the best advice on asking questions

I was in Ace Hardware last Tuesday, trying to find a specific valve for a sink. An older employee named Frank saw me looking lost and asked what I needed. He said, 'Tell me the whole problem, not just the part you think you need.' I explained the whole leaky faucet situation, and he walked me right to a different part that fixed it for half the price. It made me think about how we ask for help online. Do you find you get better answers when you give more background?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyg4325d ago

Yeah, it's a real struggle to find that sweet spot. I've definitely had people miss my actual question because I buried it in too much backstory. You want to be helpful but not write a novel.

the_emery25d ago

That's such a good point about asking for help. Honestly though, I've found the opposite can be true online sometimes. If you give too much background right away, people just skim and miss the actual question. The trick is giving just enough context so they understand the real problem, but not your whole life story. It's a tough balance to find. Maybe start with the core question and then add the important details right after.

clark.alex25d ago

I read a blog post that called this the "inverted pyramid" style of asking for help.