When should you in fact: Ask to speak to a manager?

When your service is really good. It never hurts to let management know when they’ve hired someone who knows what they are doing.

This so much…

Also let them, the customer service person know that they were Awesome
As long as no rules were broken to do so. Don't go bragging to the manager that an employee did something they weren't supposed to just to help you.
- Oh my god YES. Don't accidentally snitch on someone doing you a solid.

when the person behind the counter has absolutely no say in whatever policies they’re being required to enforce, the manager is just using them as a scapegoat

I've begun using, "if you don't have the authority to help me, please transfer me to someone who does."
- Still quite accusatory imo. Better would be I understand we might not be able to resolve this together. Is there someone you could connect me with that could assist further?

When they say "I can't do that without a manager's approval" in response to your service query.
When you know the manager personally and just need to chat but can't find them.
When an employee has seriously fucked up.

when someone has gone above and beyond to offer great service.

this is the one I use most.
- Hell yeah, I like that you're using it for something positive :)
- I did this at a restaurant on the way out, stopped a guy and asked if he was the manager. He immediately got a look of terror in his face as he said yes.
  
  I told him I just wanted to compliment the waiter...

Rarely, but:

if whatever needs to be done actually requires the manager (refunds or such)
if the person you've been trying to resolve the issue with is being obstinate, dismissive, or rude
if something actually illegal is occuring (i did this once when I noticed that a gas station was charging more than their listed price on the sign, guy immediately fixed it and comped me my fill cuz that's super illegal)
if workers are jeopardizing safety of other people. Don't tell the worker to stop, get a manager to do it and note that they're doing something unsafe.

And, most importantly:

when you catch an employee smoking a joint outside and they refuse to share

Lmao that last one 😂 it ain't called a joint for nothing

Usually if somebody is going to get hurt. Otherwise I’ll let the business run itself the way it wants.

When your problem isn't the responsibility of the person in front of you, but it is the manager's responsibility.

I wouldn't ask that exactly but "who can help?"

Sometimes employees aren't empowered to do whatever it is you need done, but it is possible and allowed. That is when it's better to ask for someone who can.

The moment you walk in that door cause you are important and the world should cater to your every need. Let that manager know who is boss and greet them with a wry insult.

When you want to apply for a job.

Can you even do that anymore?

I’m mid-forties, and that was what you did circa 99, and I was taught how to do it.

But I can’t imagine a manager today wanting to deal with paper resume and walk-in application.

(Also, if I hand you my resume, it means I’m going to skip the job history fields on the application. I hope manager can read and critically think enough to notice the resume and get that concept. Otherwise, I don’t want to work for you.
- Yeah, we still do this in the restaurant industry.
- McDonalds is bottom of the barrel in terms of hiring. My co worker told me today he saw an application at mc dicks and the reason for leaving a certain job was "went to jail". But ya know what? That won't stop them from hiring you.

Never because you are not angry at the employee or manager it is corporate bullshittery from the owners and investors that you are mad at. But they hideing in their silver tower shielded from the complaints. And if it's a mom and pop shop the owner will be there on site So you would just ask for the owner

never because corps don't allow employees of any level to have any real power to fix anything.

(been working in retail and customer service for 10 years)

Realize you’re NOT talking to a manager. If we’re talking about remote customer service, be it call center or chat on a website, 99% of the time it will be just another same-level coworker just pretending. You’re going to have the most inattentive person on the other side, who’s sole job will be to let you vent out and repeat whatever the previous rep told you.

And even in stores, you’re likely to encounter a “daily shift manager”, who may not have any customer knowledge at all. You may speak to someone working in logistics, who just happens to be unlucky on this day.

Writing a paper letter to company headquarters? Good luck with that, your letter will bounce back to the regular customer support agent.

Oh, and I didn’t even mention all the outsourced agents, most outsourced calls are the “get me a manager” ones.

It’s all a scam, just don’t be a dickhead, and you’ll get a good customer experience the first time.

The only exception is, as mentioned before, any illegal stuff, aggressive behavior from the rep, in general stuff that would get the company in trouble anyway when reported to the market regulator or put in court. And even then, don’t ask for a manager, find the board member responsible for the operations area on LinkedIn and message directly.