Admit it: we’ve all asked the internet for help at some point, and often it’s resulted in sifting through hundreds of forum posts or how-to articles, none of which really solve the problem.

The best way to get help with something – whether it’s a technical issue on a computer or a question about a recipe – is to talk to a real person. Somebody who understands your query and can offer advice accordingly. And that’s exactly what Google Helpouts gives us: people.

It cleverly plays on the name for Google’s chat service, Hangouts, but adds the obvious, much-needed ingredient of “help”. Now, people who need assistance with something, but don’t have time to sift through search results, can talk to another human and get help faster – at a cost. That’s right, the convenience of having a personal tutor to guide you through your problems or tasks.

The list of experts you can be put in touch with isn’t endless, though, and there are limitations to the subject matter. Google lists common things, which will be helpful to many, but don’t go to Helpouts expecting you’ll find out how to rebuild a gearbox on your project car, or overhaul the inside of your broken Nespresso machine. For that, you’ll simply have to pay actual experts to do the hard work for you.