01

Mrs Jones: I'd like to buy a cough medicine please.

Assistant: Is this for you?

Mrs Jones: No.

Note: The assistant's question is closed and does not open up the conversation for Mrs Jones to offer any further information. If the assistant had asked an open question, such as: €Who is the medicine for?€ it would have enabled Mrs Jones to answer more fully, for example: €It is for my husband, who has had a cough for three days.€ This way she has told you answers to two of the WWHAM questions already.

02

Assistant: Does he have a non-productive cough?

Mrs Jones: Yes.

Note: Again, this is a closed question and doesn't encourage dialogue. The assistant should ask: €What are his symptoms?€ to enable Mrs Jones to describe them in her own words: €It is a tickly and irritating cough that is keeping him awake at night.€ It is also best to avoid medical terms such as 'non-productive cough', as many people won't know what this means.