Okay, first of all let me say that I am not getting paid by ‘Undercover Boss’ or CBS to write this blog entry (I had to look up the network to even post it here). Yes, it is a Sunday Night “feel good” show along the lines of the popular ‘Extreme Makeover Home Edition.’ However, it also lends itself to some pretty good insights for business.
Here are some of the truisms I have seen on the episodes I have watched:
1. Treat everyone (client, co-worker, trainee) with as much respect as you would treat the CEO of your company. If you have never seen the show, it is a simple enough premise. The CEO of a large organization like 7-11, Waste Management, or Choice Hotels goes undercover for a week within his company (I think there has been at least one “her,” and hopefully there will be more) and takes on several low-level positions. They explain the presence of the camera crew as they are participating in a documentary on entry-level jobs. So at 7-11, the CEO works as a coffee maker, night clerk, doughnut maker and delivery person. It has been comedic to see the head of a hotel chain take on housekeeping or the head of the biggest garbage collector in the country trying to clean up garbage on the outskirts of a landfill. What is more amazing to me is the respect with which the trainers of these inept “workers” treat them without knowing who they are—even when they are to make the decision to “fire” them. In most cases, the first-line managers and fellow entry-level workers are more civil and friendly to each other than what I have witnessed at many board meetings.
2. Budget cuts are not as easy when you live with the results. The CEO of Choice Hotels checked into one of his higher-end branded suites during the week, and discovered that there are no coffee packets in the hotel rooms. He called the front desk manager, who said that coffee packets are available for purchase. He was furious to have to go back down to the front desk and pay $1 for it (more because of the inconvenience than anything). When the CEO went back to the boardroom, the COO said that it is a corporate policy to charge for coffee. It may sound like a little thing that can add up, but you can truly alienate a large portion of customers by denying what comes standard at most other hotels. The airline industry is the only industry that seems to be able to get away with these kinds of cuts (charging for meals, checked bags, etc.) but it seems that in the hotel industry in particular, reputation can make or break a property—and the details do matter.
3. You need to focus on the core product or service above all else. I have learned in my years of marketing that no amount of advertising is going to be able to sustain and grow a company if the core products and services don’t deliver. Week after week on the show, the upper managers learn that customers may be willing to try a new product once, but it is more important to deliver on it and keep them coming back. For instance, one of the top revenue-generating 7-11 stores in the country is so successful because of the repeat business from satisfied customers. This is due in large part to a wonderful coffee-worker who knows hundreds of her customers by name. It goes back to the old business adage of over-delivering on your promises. The coffee is very good, and the service is even better.
4. Sometimes the best training is cross-training. Yes, it is great fun to see the CEOs act as housekeepers, waiters, garbage collectors and store clerks. Some may say it is not a good use of time for these executives to try these jobs. However, they learn valuable lessons that they would never learn in their isolated corporate offices, or when the companies’ managers are putting their “best face forward” for the CEOs’ time in the field. You can bet that the CEO of Hooters would have never seen the manager of one of the restaurants degrade waitresses by “playing reindeer games” like eating plates of beans using only their mouths in an attempt to win the opportunity to go home. (Yes, the manager quickly left the company after the show was filmed.)
5. Many U.S. companies need more diversity in upper management. While I am not espousing that companies try to force a formulated level of diversity, I am saying that something is wrong when almost every board room table each week is surrounded by Caucasian men, with maybe one African American, Asian or Hispanic and maybe one woman (who is often zoomed in on while flashing a nod of recognition when an HR issue is mentioned). This is especially apparent because the shows jump from the board room to follow minimum wage earners on the “front lines”—populated by many minorities, immigrants and single moms. Thankfully, the CEOs often help the workers find additional training to advance within the company, but these efforts need to be replicated at all levels for promising employees.
6. There is hope out there for American businesses. Every week, the show covers people who are working their butts off to do a good job—and for many of these people, they work 2-3 jobs. They could look at their demanding jobs as difficult and spirit-breaking. However, many seem to take great pride in what they do. One of my favorites was a tour director for a “Ride the Ducks” tour boat (this guy has to listen to those annoying duck whistles for 8 or more hours a day, and he seems to love it). Many of the workers don’t only love it, they come up with enterprising ideas—such as the factory worker who puts UPC stickers on her sleeve so that she can scan boxes faster. The CEO liked her productivity ideas so much that he is now using them throughout the company.
After going through the process, the head of each company has a better understanding of how to run the business and how to value the company’s employees. The problem is that this only occurs in the companies that take part in the show each week. What can the average company do? Try “walking in each others’ shoes” for a week—allowing employees to try different jobs. It should increase morale and will certainly give employees empathy and a better understanding of their co-workers’ jobs.
Also, upper management should take a more active role in the field—not just supervising but truly working. Finally, every employee should try out their own products, services, 1-800 numbers and websites to see what the average customer encounters. I believe that many cable, technology and credit card companies would want to look into overhauling their customer service practices after calling their own 1-800 numbers every once in awhile. In the end, a little due diligence can save any company a lot of headaches.
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