For years I regularly asked pilots who they would like to speak to next and this often led to discussions about handovers or freecalls and closest radar units etc Then when I took off the blue suit I used the same phrase whilst at the college for conversion and was told categorically that there was no place for that and I was the controller and told the pilot who to go to...Seems like the OP would have appreciated an early heads up. I think that controllers are guilty of forgetting that it is a SERVICE we are providing and unless there is absolutely no other course of action we should at least give prior warning. Its my job to help every pilot who calls me to the best of my ability and if that means I use non standard phraseology to achieve it then so be it - I cringe when I hear how curtly some controllers speak to pilots in class g who are clearly not professional aircrew and are looking for a bit of help whilst muddling through...