Is there a faster way to get companions "to do something for me"?
Can you get into the "I need you to do something for me" mode without going through the dialog tree with your companion?
Solution 1:
If you press and hold X (PS3) like you would to move an item around when your cursor is on your companion you immediately enter the "do something for me" mode. I discovered this when trying to put a hat on an alchemy table that was being crowded by Lydia.