Tech support: "I'd be glad to assist you." You would if what? So this is kind of a conditional tech support line here, but you won't tell me what that depends on? What's wrong with present tense? (Or, better, drop the fluff and give everybody their life back?)
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Doesn't German do that too? "Ich würde gern..." Similarly, "I want to help you" sounds weirdly aggressive compared to "I would like to help you"
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The German is just like the English: “ich würde gerne mal diesen Berg besteigen” — “I’d love to climb this mountain some day” — lots of assumptions implied, and it may never happen. I’d like tech support be a bit more certain that they want to help.
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Replying to @Johannes_Ernst
But isn't it also the same as: "Ich würde gern Ihnen helfen" vs "Ich will dir helfen" Or does being so direct in German sound less abrasive than in English?

Oct 26, 2021 · 4:20 PM UTC

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Replying to @aaronpk
“Ich helfe Ihnen gerne” or “ich kann Ihnen gerne helfen” is what I would expect. Although help is generally less generously offered :-) but that has less to do with grammar.
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okay how about ordering at a coffee shop... I was always taught "Ich würde gern einen Kaffee" rather than "Ich möchte einen Kaffee". Same idea right?
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