帅哥/美女 to get attention of someone who isn't handsome/beautiful In China (at least in mainland), it is common that people say 帅哥/美女 to someone to get his/her attention. Example cases:


If a person wants to use an iPhone charger but someone blocks the outlet and needs attention
If a person asks a location to a stranger
If a waiter at cafes wants to get attention from a customer


In these cases it is common to use 帅哥/美女, but I wonder if it is common even if the target is clearly not handsome or beautiful.

I feel that there is little or no connotation of "handsome" or "beautiful" when it comes to using these words as such, but in these cases is it common to use these words even to ugly people? Or is it simply that Chinese definiton of "handsome" or "beautiful" is extremely low?
It is just flattering talk. Most people like being flattered. 

Personally, I think this kind of talk only suitable for actual handsome people or people with ordinary faces. 

If a person is truly ugly, calling him "handsome" might sound like you are mocking him.

A similar example :

You can call anyone "kind Sir" either he is really kind or just a regular folk who doesn't break the law. However, if you call an amoral person who rips babies away from their mother  "kind Sir" , you are clearly mocking him.