Undercover Boss, anyone?

[merrily]

He was working in Customer Service for a cell company (similar to his position during the Undercover Boss taping). It's the only job from which he was ever let go. Why? You're gonna love this. Black Friday (2008, I think/deduce), i.e. the day after Thanksgiving/busiest shopping day of the year, his daughter died while his fiancee was giving birth to her. They had planned to get married somewhat quickly because of the baby, but because there was now unfortunately no rush, they decided to put away money for a big wedding. Anyway, that one day, he called work and said he wouldn't be able to come in and told them why. He was told not to bother coming back to work, that they no longer needed him.

I think he said they were postponing the wedding to use the $$ to buy the burial plots next to their child's.

Does anybody even know what item she ordered? I think it was a toy, but I'm not positive.

She said something about Garmin so I assume a GPS

 

[waltwhitman]

I watched the first episode and thought it was REALLY good. Then I watched the Hooters guy from this week and I just sat and shook my head the entire time. Talk about someone who has no business being a CEO of a company. That guy is CLUELESS as to what makes a company run. I think he did the show for marketing and he ended up making his company worse because of it.

Anyone else watch this show?

Kristine

I'll have to check this show out

 

[RUDisney]

Yeah, there's only so much retraining you can do. I think her general attitude didn't fit in with the CEO's vision for his company and how customers/clients are treated. He'd have fired Danielle on the spot if he could have. As for Elizabeth, I don't think they had any way TO contact her - no phone number, no last name, no order number, nothing. She hung up. Since GSI provides fulfillment for a number of different companies, none of which probably track orders BY item or price, there may have been no way to find her. Does anybody even know what item she ordered? I think it was a toy, but I'm not positive.

GSI Commerce. http://www.gsicommerce.com/about/our_history.php

If she called through an 800 number, the company would have been able to get her phone number easily and then possibly trace her name from that. Any time you call an 800 number, even from a private number, the company has access to your phone number. I learned this when I was setting up the call center at my last job. The way it was explained to me is that because that company is paying for you to call them, they can have access to your phone number.

 

[lillygator]

I watched the first episode and thought it was REALLY good. Then I watched the Hooters guy from this week and I just sat and shook my head the entire time. Talk about someone who has no business being a CEO of a company. That guy is CLUELESS as to what makes a company run. I think he did the show for marketing and he ended up making his company worse because of it.

Anyone else watch this show?

Kristine

I think the Hooters manager should have been fired on the spot, but as has been posted, it was a franchised location. But seriously, they will NEVER have problems getting business regardless of that episode.

Last night was good, wish he would have fired Danielle, what a mean beast – she was really pretty rude on the phone. I do wonder what the story is regarding the film crew – what do they tell the employees?

 

[kaytieeldr]

This past week (GSI episode) they were filiming a show (documentary? training film? on seasonal jobs. Last week - Churchill Downs - the cover story was "documentary/training film" about entry level jobs.

I don't recall exactly what they call the tapings, and I've deleted it already

 

[pooh136]

I still cannot think of what company they were packing and shipping for though.

Here's a link to a list of all of GSI's clients, you'll be surprised at just how many there are. For some of these companies, they just run/maintain the website/webstore, and for others they handle everything from shipping to customer service. http://www.gsicommerce.com/clients/index.php

 

[Diznygrl]

The documentary film about training/entry level jobs cover is going to get old very quickly...they better think up something new or else people will start to catch on right away.

That Hooters CEO was a piece of work. "Oh, I had no idea that there were people who thought Hooters degraded women! What an eye-opener!"

Missed last week's but am enjoying the show so far. Sometimes I wonder how much of it is real and how much is fabricated, though. Like I wonder if the CEO actually stays in the crummy motels or they just shoot footage of him there eating microwave meals, brushing his teeth, and turning out the lights.

 

[leslie@dvcstore]

i missed the first episode but watched the second and thought it pretty good. Very interesting in deed!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Missed last week's but am enjoying the show so far. Sometimes I wonder how much of it is real and how much is fabricated, though. Like I wonder if the CEO actually stays in the crummy motels or they just shoot footage of him there eating microwave meals, brushing his teeth, and turning out the lights.

I think they stay where the taping shows - in part in case they run into any fellow employees. A recent issue of Entertainment Weekly (or TV Guide, I get them both, and get them confused!) ran an interesting article on the show.

 

[sparklynails23]

That show is so staged, it's painful to watch. You can tell that the companies have ultimate control over editing to show them in a positive light. There is always one negative situation that gets resolved, and these also appear to be completely staged. The GSI call that the woman handled incorrectly sounded fabricated, like it was made from some corporate lackey. How stupid do they think people are?

 

[happygirl]

That show is so staged, it's painful to watch. You can tell that the companies have ultimate control over editing to show them in a positive light. There is always one negative situation that gets resolved, and these also appear to be completely staged. The GSI call that the woman handled incorrectly sounded fabricated, like it was made from some corporate lackey. How stupid do they think people are?

I don't think it seemed stage at all

 

[kaytieeldr]

That show is so staged, it's painful to watch. You can tell that the companies have ultimate control over editing to show them in a positive light. There is always one negative situation that gets resolved, and these also appear to be completely staged. The GSI call that the woman handled incorrectly sounded fabricated, like it was made from some corporate lackey. How stupid do they think people are?

I'm telling you, it's NOT staged. READ THE ARTICLE I referenced.

Note that they don't film lengthy interactions with just four or five employees. They film an entire WEEK of undercover work by the CEO. Then they edit. But no, it's not staged. If you're that cynical, maybe you should be watching something else.

 

[FINFAN]

just read that this week is on "Theme Parks"...not WDW, but Dollywood and know many on these boards have gone there!

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/m...ndercover-boss-explores-theme-parks/19409841/

 

[ckay87]

The documentary film about training/entry level jobs cover is going to get old very quickly...they better think up something new or else people will start to catch on right away.

I thought the same thing....there is no way they can continue to follow around supposed "new hires" with cameras for ANY reason. People will immediately know, or suspect, what's going on and then Google pictures of their company's CEO. I honestly don't know how this show will continue because of that.

 

[Ohiodislover]

I thought the same thing....there is no way they can continue to follow around supposed "new hires" with cameras for ANY reason. People will immediately know, or suspect, what's going on and then Google pictures of their company's CEO. I honestly don't know how this show will continue because of that.

Do we know how many were filmed before they started airing? That would be the only way to keep going.

I know they got picked up for another season. I wonder how they will keep it up?

 

[SaraJayne]

Last night was the first one we've watched and I was very impressed with the CEO of Herschend.

He seemed like he really "got it", kwim?

 

[pooh136]

Do we know how many were filmed before they started airing? That would be the only way to keep going.

I know they got picked up for another season. I wonder how they will keep it up?

I think most, if not all, of them were filmed before they started airing in February. My DH works for GSI and they taped the big reveal the Friday before Christmas. They lured them to the convention center for a company-wide meeting with a "big exciting announcement." They all thought they might be getting a bonus, or that they would at least announce that they were going to bring back the 401k match, tuition reimbursement, or merit-based raises (all of which had been cut due to the economy). There were a lot of disappointed people, who were kept at this "meeting" late on a Friday evening right before Christmas.

 

[Missy1961]

Do we know how many were filmed before they started airing? That would be the only way to keep going.

I know they got picked up for another season. I wonder how they will keep it up?

There are lots of people who don't watch reality TV. There are lots of people who have no idea who the CEO of their companies are. There are people who know the name of the CEO but have no idea what he or she looks like. And we would never see the people who figure it out.

 

[Ohiodislover]

And we would never see the people who figure it out.

Very good point

 

[Deb in IA]

Last night was the first one we've watched and I was very impressed with the CEO of Herschend.

He seemed like he really "got it", kwim?

I was actually waiting for "Cold Case" to start, and watched the last 20 minutes.

I agree, the CEO, Joel Manby, seemed very touched and moved by some of the stories he heard.

And I got all misty when he told the woman who worked at the aquarium, who was formerly homeless that she was getting an immediate raise. And then the kid who was getting his tuition paid, well, that was when the waterworks started . . .