Originally Posted by
Mr H
If calling taxis is not part of the person's duties, then even this phrasing could appear demeaning. It suggests you think it is and that the person behind the desk is a gofor who is there to do your bidding. Projecting a sense of entitlement is probably not going to do you any favours.
On the other hand, if you ask for advice (how can I get a taxi?), then that is flattering. It implies that the person you are asking is knowledgeable and in a position of superiority in that situation. In that situation, they are much more likely to (a) want to demonstrate their knowledge and (b) offer assistance to someone in need.
Agreed 100%--I thought the same thing when I read tfar's post.
As someone in the service industry but whose job it isn't to fetch people taxis, if someone asked me (even pleasantly as tfar suggested) to call them a cab, I wouldn't be inclined to help them. After all, I may need to look up the phone number to a taxi company--the same as they'd need to do, in which case my impression of them is that they're too lazy or too self-important to do the work themselves, in which case I'd be tempted to decline their request (they can do their own d*** work).
On the other hand, if someone asked me the best way to catch a cab or to get to the airport, I'd actually feel (as Mr H suggested) flattered that they think I might be knowledgeable enough to help them. I might offer to look up the number for them, call the taxi for them, suggest a better alternative, or--who knows?--I could even say that I was going to be heading that way in a few minutes and I'd be happy to take them with me (I've done that a time or two).