I read the TOPIC: [SOLVED] Can I give my moderators CB User Manager access? and I'm trying to set something similar but no luck so far:
As per ACL tutorials/docs, etc. the basic rule is do do flat instead of nested, so I have created the following groups/users/acl leaving the existing default Joomla 3x settings in place:

Goal for CB: abc customers and abc staff see their individual tabs/fields (customer does not see staff's tabs)
abc managers can see + moderate and update both customers/staff accounts
Specs: J3.4.3 / CB 2.0.10

Here are the initial settings:
added:
ABC Customers Group (=> public)
ABC Staff Group (=> public)
ABC Managers Group (=> public)

In Joomla Global Configuration > Permissions
ABC Customers Group=> Site Login Allowed; rest = inherited (from Public)
ABC Staff Group=> Site Login Allowed; rest = inherited (from Public)
ABC Managers Group=> set as Joomla Manager Group (All allowed, except Super User/Access Administration Interface - set to inherit = not allowed)

In Joomla Viewing AL
ABC Customers AL (=> ABC Customers Group)
ABC Staff AL (=> ABC Staff Group)
ABC Managers AL (=> ABC Managers Group)

additionally:
in Registered AL added ABC Customers Group, ABC Staff Group, ABC Managers Group
in Special AL added ABC Managers Group

in CB Configuration > Moderation:
Moderators View Access Level = special
Allow Moderators to Edit User Profiles = Moderators and Super Admin only

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Once this didn't work, I tried (and I'm trying as I'm typing it) different variations based on the post noted above, but I think I'm just getting deeper into confusion as all my tests do not work.

In most scenarios user in the ABC Managers Group gets and error
""You cannot edit a `abc-customers`. Only higher-level users have this power."
Please help!
thanks!

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Quick update:
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I have actually also tested by assigning a user to Administrator and Manager profile: in both cases I'm getting the same message as above - only as a Super User I'm sucessfull to edit another user's profile.

Remember, these accounts are default Joomla - also I have tested by updating the CB Config > Moderation "Allow Moderators to Edit User Profiles" = Administrators and Super Users Only - AND as an Administrator I'll still get the message:

"Error
You cannot edit a abc_customer`. Only higher-level users have this power."

hmmm... this kind of gets little complicated in the following scenario:

Public
ABC Customers
ABC Staff
Registered
- ABC Managers

The goal is to show different content (tabs in CB) to Customers and Staff, BUT have Managers to be able to view and update all of them... this nesting might cause other issues (don't know yet what type of issues, but I have a gut feeling that's something is not quite right...)

Anyhow, how would you solve this scenario then? customers and staff do not see eachother content, but managers can update both groups? The ABC Manager should also SEE what default Joomla Managers sees, but the reason I put it in Public to ADD permission not remove (the ABC Manager should not have ALL Joomla Manager rights, but only some)
thanks!

I have something like this:

Public
- Registered
- - Members
- - - Leaders
- - - - Managers
- - - - - Moderators

I want the moderators to be able to promote/demote anyone at a lower lever to any level between Registered and Managers.

Can this be done in the front end, is there a way to add the user group when a moderator is allowed to edit another users profile?

Thanks