I actually like these readings when I sense that the person truly wants a "general reading," it is when I get asked this and my psychic "bell" goes off saying: they are looking for something specific and want to see if it turns up in the "general/future" reading. 

There is one fundamental problem with this line of thinking: well at least for me.  I am not a mind reader I am a psychic.  If I were a mind reader this line of thinking would be fine because the art of mind reading involves "hearing or seeing" what the person's personality or ego deems, important.  Like the person who left them or the job that they may want that they want to know about and want to see it turns up in the "general" reading. 

But psychic ability  does not "read" the personality or ego".  Well, I know I don't.  I know I read their higher self or what spirit deems important,  so when I do a general/or what's in my future type reading,  you are going to get what spirit wants to talk about  not what your personality wants to talk about so, needless to say,  if that was not your objective for asking,  then you are going to go away disappointed.

In many cases,  the client will just hang up, convinced I wasn't a "good enough" as a reader to see this  " whatever it is" that is on their mind.

Actually,  I am a very good psychic,  just a lousy mind reader!

I guess a good parallel would be:  you go to a new restaurant and it has a menu of 3 or 4 pages of choices,  but instead of looking at the menu to see what you want,  you don't even open it and instead tell the waiter,  "just bring me something."  When the meal comes, if you are truly open to getting "anything" then your chances are maybe 50/50 of getting something you like and 20/80 of getting something you LOVE.  BUT if you went in secretly craving, chicken or something spicy,  and the waitress brings you a cold seafood salad: will you be happy?  No, you will be disappointed. And whose fault would that be?  And there is also a good chance you will walk away from that restaurant and not return.

Readings are a collaboration of the reader's ability to "bring through information" and your ability to be clear on what you need to know.  If you are looking for something specific or you have an actual person in mind, share that.   Making 'your psychic reader" jump through hoops to "read your mind" isn't proving whether or not they are a good psychic.  It actually only proves that your personality wants the answer it wants and is willing to manipulate the situation to get it.

So, don't let your personality deprive you of a great reading.  Trust me,  you will still know whether the reader is "on" or not even with giving them specifics about what you want to know or who you want them to look at.

I am not saying,  tell them the answer,  but if you go in to a reading knowing you want to know if the "so and so" still thinks about you: ask, does "so and so" still think about me.  The reader still needs to be able to "tune" in to that person to give you a true answer.  And from that alone, you will know if they can "truly see" or not.