"Well...," says the Maiden. "Perhaps, Citizen, but there is only the night-shift here. Come back tomorrow and make an appointment to see Doctor Devaulus."
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I should point out how I tend to run persuasion attempts - I tend to shift attitude step by step, rather than allow a single good roll to move a character from Hostile to Friendly in one step. Also, with Sense Motive I will often roll secretly and then dole out hints in the narrative, unless anyone specifically asks or states that their character is looking for a specific reaction.
Also, some NPCs have "hot buttons"; topics or areas that, if mentioned IC, will grant a bonus or penalty, or outright success or fail, on any interpersonal rolls. I've found it allows for a good mix of player input, but also I believe that if a player has created a character with a good Diplomacy score, that ought to count for something.
Just so you know!
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