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While attending the University of Missouri, Ayers worked as a reservationist and door guy at the Déjà Vu Comedy Club.

She started as a ski-school reservationist, then became a lift operator, earning $13.75 an hour.

Dr. Cohen and his co-authors estimate that the practice of mislabeling workers as managers to deny them overtime, which often relies on dubious-sounding titles like “lead reservationist” and “food cart manager,” cost the workers about $4 billion per year, or more than $3,000 per mislabeled employee.

To earn extra bucks, she found work as a reservationist at a local Howard Johnson’s.

Still, there are plenty of restaurants that see the value in having a phone and a dedicated reservationist.