Mr. H, I see where you are coming from but I am happy to report that my simple courtesy requests are never refused and never frowned upon. Maybe the way I ask and the tone of my voice help. In any case, my request is already much more polite than the OP's.

So to answer your question, the ranking of who to ask was just meant as a method. You should have the best chances and least problems starting with asking the business partner. If you don't want to do that, ask the front desk person.

My question: what else is a lobby attendant there for than to provide customer service? Why would they be too good to call you a cab? Why would they even feel the right to be miffed by such a request?

As far as stereotypes are concerned, there is often a lot of truth to them and they exist in the first place because there are real differences between cultures and social groups and there are salient, repetitive patterns in behavior and preference between these groups; as witnessed in this discussion itself. If you know the stereotypes (meaning the most likely behavior of a certain group) and act on them, your chances at achieving the desired goal are higher.

So, if you ask a straight-laced German dude what's the best way to get a taxi around here even if your actual goal is to get him to call you one, then the goal has not been met. He will tell you exactly what you wanted and think he did all that was required. You can instead tell him straight up you need a taxi and if he can help. That'll get you a taxi.

In the US, as experienced by the OP, the code is different. Calling a cab seems to be considered menial labor for anyone but a bell man. So you need to package the question differently and the above question about the best way to get a taxi will trigger his service response rather than an outright request for service.

None of the methods or cultures is superior. I happen to prefer the straight one but to each his own.

Till