"Have a Good Show!": The Performance of Luxury by Hotel Banquet Servers

This research examines the experiences of on-call banquet servers working in two luxury hotels. Drawing on semi-structured qualitative interviews and ethnographic field notes I examine the lived experiences, concerns, and interactions of these workers while they create the presentation of luxury. This research focuses on the on-call status as a precarious form of employment and examines the role banquet servers’ play in a field of stratified encounters. Using Goffman’s Dramaturgical analysis as a frame, several consistencies emerged. The results indicate that flexible work schedules and holding multiple jobs is a key feature of this type of work. The precariousness of on-call employment is both a factor for coercion and autonomy in this sector. Findings also indicate that servers experience a lack of trust and transparency from management, skipped and interrupted breaks, and a scheduling system that is in a constant state of fluctuation and negotiation. These findings highlight the need for better accountability in wage transparency and proper break compensation for skipped and postponed break opportunities. Further research should focus on systems of employer accountability.