Writing is very personal; usually students do not want to share their written work with anyone, much less with someone they do not know. Often, self-image is at stake since they are coming for help. Therefore, the most important initial goal of a tutor should be to build rapport. If a good tutor/student relationship is established, the student will feel more comfortable returning. You should always try to make the writing center a friendly and relaxed place. Reigstad and McAndrews write in Training Tutors for Writing Conferences: 

Tutoring is face-to-face interaction and as such requires that both tutor and writer are relaxed and confident. The tutor must show an interested concern from the onset if the writer is to enter the interaction easily and develop self-confidence as well as confidence in the tutor.

When a student comes to you for tutoring, be sure to introduce yourself in order to establish a personable relationship. Open the conversation with some general questions to help you get to know each other. You may ask questions like these:

• What is your name?

• What year are you?

• How did you enjoy last week’s game/concert/play?

• Where are you from?

• What's your major?

• How do you like it here at (name of your school)?

• How are your classes going?

You want to take a personal interest in the student and begin to build trust. Start a dialogue, but be careful not to become too sidetracked! 

As a tutor, you have some definite advantages over faculty members. Although your status as a tutor assumes some expertise, students do not necessarily view you as an authority figure as they do their professors. This enables you to help in ways that faculty cannot. Many students are much more comfortable with their peers, and they are more willing to seek help. Again, you play a very important role as a tutor.