Past tense for indicating long distance

Once I read a textbook on Business English.

It says that if you make a long-distance call to a hotel the receptionist might say, "What was your name?"

It also says that was is used for showing the long distance between you and her.

But I have never seen such usage since then. Is it a correct usage?

Answer

"What was your name?" is simply a more polite way to say "What is your name?". I believe the phrase originated because it is often impolite to ask "What is your name?".

Often this question sounds too direct, and often somebody has already been introduced to you in the past, or has mentioned their name already (for example at the start of a telephone call) but you have forgotten it. In these situations, the use of the past tense suggests that you were told their name and you are sorry you need to ask again.

Another form of this is "What did you say your name was?" which is often used out of habit even when the caller never gave their name before.

Edit: Thanks for the comments and the welcome. To clarify, I personally believe this textbook is incorrect to draw a link between the tense and the distance. Instead, as BobRodes has explains very well, the tense conveys the suggestion that the speaker is asking you to educate them on your already existing needs.