29

On the basis of a study of outsourced receptionists in France employed by service provider companies and working for their clients, the article analyzes the conditions in which low-skilled employees succeed in this triangular labor relation. Such employment arrangements—which scramble the usual one in that the client becomes a determinant third party—are extremely malleable and do not systematically intensify employee subordination. In fact, three types of alliances may emerge, shaped in part by a client’s characteristics and relationship to the service provider, but the article emphasizes the degree of maneuvering room employees have when it comes to facilitating or undermining the development of such alliances. To succeed in this triangular employment relation—that is, to keep one’s job and even in some cases to make a career in reception—does not require special skills so much as the ability to master certain codes: it is crucial to show commitment to the client (while maintaining a certain distance) and consideration for the provider. Not all receptionists are equally at ease when it comes to getting their bearings and operating within these configurations. The article explores the personal resources and dispositions behind the ability to do so.