413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

Quotas and Performance Incentives
In some cases, pimps imposed quotas on their employees or used performance incentives to encourage
maximum earnings. Eighteen percent of respondents reported that they imposed a quota. Some
respondents expressed strict quota guidelines: “I had a quota of $600. If they came back with $550, or
$599, she had to go back out. I mean, I don’t want you to think I’m really harsh or hard on them over a
penny, but I just had to teach them they couldn’t be doing that, stashing away money” (A3). Another pimp
expressed a higher quota: “They needed a thousand dollars a night. They would have to go back to work
and get it. She would go anywhere to get it. We were open all day long” (D3). A bottom explained that her
pimp also imposed a $1,000 per night quota: “Each girl had to make $1,000 a night. If they didn’t make it,
they’d have to work until they got it. They couldn’t come in the house until they did” (E1). While
respondents with escort services did not generally
enforce quotas, they did impose structured fee
schedules (see text box).
Escort Service Fees
Escort services functioned similarly to pimp-managed
businesses in many ways, while carrying some significant
distinctions. While prior research has found that indoor
prostitution does not automatically equate to better
working conditions (Raphael and Shapiro 2004),
formalized contracts and set fee structures can mean
that employees maintain control over a higher
percentage of their earnings. While pimps often collect
all earnings, escort service contracts required employees
to only turn over a portion of their earnings. One
respondent explained this distinction:
Working through the [escort] service you
would only pay a fee, and working through [a
pimp] they would give him all the money; he’d
collect it all. The girls who worked for
[pimps], they would always give all the money.
But through the service, if the fee was $300,
then they would pay the escort service $125,
and keep $175, plus tips. (A8)
At the same time, some respondents ran escort services
while simultaneously pimping women who turned over
all their earnings:
The thing about the escort service is I could
have as many as 10 people on call, I just
collect agency fees off the escort service. I
actually had one or two [employees] where I
was getting all their money. (D8)
Contracts allowed respondents to ensure themselves
against business losses when an employee departed
unexpectedly:
There was actually a contract where the first
$300 is considered escrow, an insurance
program for me because the calls were issued
over the phone. If you decided you weren’t
going to turn in the agency fee, and they went
on one or two calls, I would have this escrow.
(D8)
Quotas could vary based on the time of week and
anticipated demand. One respondent explained that the
amount of his quota was $700, but could go as high as
$2,000 or $3,000 around special events that might
increase demand (D5). For other pimps, quotas served
as a target rather than strict requirement. A bottom
explained that “[her pimp’s] goal was for a girl to bring
in $1,000. It could vary, some days a girl brought in
$600 or $1,800—but the goal was always $1,000”
(D21). Quotas were not necessarily strictly enforced. As
one respondent explained, “Normal nights were $500.
If they don’t make it, I’m not mad. I’m selling drugs
every day” (G12). Additional sources of income could
alleviate earning pressure.
Not all respondents imposed quotas. Some pimps
simply believed that the demand would fluctuate, so
imposing a quota was not necessary or fruitful. One
respondent said, “I didn’t have a quota, nah. As long as
you making money. Some days a girl’s phone may not
be ringing as much as it was, got to take the bitter with
the sweet” (B3). Another pimp noted that in his
business, there was “No pressure. Every day is not
going to be a good day in any business. That’s why a lot
of different pimps put stress and strain. I don’t have a
quota, what you make is what you make” (E2). One
respondent stated his expectation was simply based on
what each employee felt she could earn: “It’s what you
feel you can do. If you start out feeling like I can’t do it,
it’s a bad night, I’d say $5[00]. If you know it’s a good
night and can do something, no reason you can’t break
$1,000” (E13).
At least two respondents did not impose quotas at all,
but incentivized earnings by starting each day with
almost no cash on hand to support their employees.
One pimp, who traveled frequently with his employees,
explained, “I always used to keep $500 in spending
money. I keep everything else in the bank. They know
once that $500 goes, we done. Gas, food, rooming, I
don’t care. I gon’ be alright, they got to find a way”
(E10). Another pimp used a similar strategy to
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