The thing about support is that what a person may need in terms of support can change depending on what is happening. It is hard on PC to read peoples' minds and figure out exactly what they want in terms of support, and sometimes we miss the boat. Personally, I don't see that as a huge crime. We do what we can with the information we have. How someone responds is pretty unpredictable most of the time. If I realize I've upset someone, I try to simply apologize and move on.

Real life isn't so different. I'm like you. Most of the time I want directness and honesty, even if it is hard to hear. But there are occasions when it may take me a while to get to that point, and just a listening ear is all I need, at least for a bit.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to support.