~てもらう Please help!

[iaai]

OK, I'm currently learning about this construction. Please read this sentence:
私は池田さんに部長を紹介してもらいました。
The translation given is: I had Mr Ikeda introduce the department manager.

But does that make it sound like I asked for the introduction, that I tried to make the action happen OR does it mean that Mr Ikeda did it out of kindness without influence from me (although here ~てくれる springs to mind...)?

I haven't studied the causative form yet so I can't tell the difference.
Please help me you so-called Japanese experts!!

[Javizy]

In your sentence, you (私) are the subject, so as you suspect, it does have the
nuance that you've solicited the action in some way. As you guessed, if the inclination was from the other person, you would use "～てくれる". The key is in the subject of the sentence: you will always もらう; somebody else will くれる.

[iaai]

So the ~てくれる version of this sentence is:
池田さんが部長を紹介してくれました。
meaning Mr Ikeda introudced the department chief (for me) out of Mr Ikeda's near-spontaneous decision or kindness?

[iaai]

Oh and thanks a lot once again Javizy, I just knew you'd come to rescue me from this lingual entanglement.

[kagawashaun]

think of ~てもらう as "getting someone to do you a favor". At least that's how I think of it and it seems to be just fine.

[iaai]

THANK YOU!