Employee fired on "Undercover Boss" for ranting about customers

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1255556

I'm kind on the fence on this. I mean, I don't hate all customers but anyone who has worked in the service industry for awhile knows how aggravating it can be dealing with them on a daily basis.

I've griped to CWs before about customers but always in a back room or other out of the way place and even if I'm not fond of someone I still treat them professionally at all times.

I'm honestly not sure whether or not I would have been fired like this guy was for my complaining.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I watched a couple clips from the episode on YouTube. Kid had it coming.

It's one thing to become unnerved when serving sucky people, but he pre-judges people based on appearance and assumes the worst out of everybody. He also doesn't appear to be much of a worker. I can't be 100% sure, but it looked like he made a snarky remark about a customer not reading a menu with her still around. And encouraging co-workers to eat food without paying for it probably isn't the smartest thing in the world.

If it weren't for the Undercover Boss appearance, he still would've been fired eventually.

They only question I would have is whether the employees knew they were being filmed and knew they'd be dealing with one of their corporate honchos in disguise.

I'm honestly not sure whether or not I would have been fired like this guy was for my complaining.

As long as your attitude isn't "customers all suck, I hate kids and old people, I hate fat people, etc" and you're not saying these things with customers around or being able to overhear it, I would think you're safe. As long as your managers aren't too power-hungry.

[Raveni]

Sounds like it wasn't a one time thing, which is why she was sent to investigate.

Keep in mind that this exchange happed on the floor, while he knew that he was being filmed, and this was supposedly a new employee he was training.

Is that who you'd want training your new employees?

[PepperElf]

The interview clip: did he know he was being recorded? I know some people just don't think when they open their mouths but seriously what did he think was going to happen with that?

but the "training" he was giving... i guess he really is stupid if he thinks that's how you train someone. I can see the pained expression on her face having to listen to the shit that comes out of his mouth.

I mean sure I understand that you have customers that suck, but... you can't act like every single person who comes in is an inconvenience.


It's people like that who... make it easier for the rest of us to pass job interviews.

[fireheart]

They only question I would have is whether the employees knew they were being filmed and knew they'd be dealing with one of their corporate honchos in disguise.

They usually get around this by saying it's for a reality doco about retail work or something along those lines in an effort to excuse the cameras.

Sounds like it wasn't a one time thing, which is why she was sent to investigate.

Isn't it also that the coroporate honchos want to see whether their systems actually WORK at the store level and address various problems that arise? (for instance realising that an asinine ticketing system may need to be made more efficient).

I do love seeing the corporate honchos going through their OWN systems though.

[Raveni]

True, I remember when the CEO of my C-Store did Undercover Boss.

"You mean, we THROW OUT all these donuts when the fresh ones come?"

"Yes, but you should know that. Your company has upgraded all the hardware/software TWICE in the past five years just to better track that we ARE discarding them and how many."

[lordlundar]

The interview clip: did he know he was being recorded?

Interviews made before the revelation are done as part of whatever cover story there is for the cameras.

Interviews after the revelation are done genuine.

[fireheart]

True, I remember when the CEO of my C-Store did Undercover Boss.

"You mean, we THROW OUT all these donuts when the fresh ones come?"

"Yes, but you should know that. Your company has upgraded all the hardware/software TWICE in the past five years just to better track that we ARE discarding then and how many."

OK NOW I want to watch Undercover Boss!

I've watched 2-3 episodes, some of which were the Australian ones.

I remember the one involving a casino/hotel and the corporate honcho did a variety of duties across the board including front desk and craps dealer (the game not the excrement). He discovered that the computers were shite and had them all upgraded. He also discovered that while one of his employees was smoking in an area that was visible to customers (she was given a minor warning for that but not a writeup or anything), she also delivered flowers to nursing homes. He gave her a donation to help her continue doing that AND had his family come along for the trip with her.

There was a story down here I think where she was almost exposed. She was working at a YMCA pool and a kid almost drowned. She lacked the skills....

[Eevie]

It was only a matter of time. If this was a regular thing, then the wrong someone, be it a customer or in this case a boss, was inevitably going to hear something. I can understand the need to rant, we all need to vent sometimes, but talk about it with someone who is not a coworker or customer, and preferably off clock. That idiot was asking for it.

[PepperElf]

Interviews made before the revelation are done as part of whatever cover story there is for the cameras.

Interviews after the revelation are done genuine.

yeah but from the other clips i saw with other interviews, employees were rating the "boss's" performance. this moron didn't do that and just went on about how much he hated people.

smoking in an area that was visible to customers

Although I have to wonder... is that where they were suppose to smoke or allowed to smoke? it'd suck if that was the designated smoking area or something like that.

[Grendus]

His attitude was toxic. I get it, we all have customer types that we don't like, but he seemed to be focusing entirely on the negative. Some customers take too long to choose a meal, or leave a mess. Most (probably 80-90%) are decent, and a few are exceptional. He wasn't cut out for food service, and she definitely made the right choice firing him.

[Pixilated]

I agree. The SCs, alas, will be with us forever, and it's understandable that the 1 nasty customer of the day tends to overshadow all the good ones of the day, but ... if he can't get past the SCs to the point where he hates all customers, then he's definitely in the wrong business.

Would be interesting to know how he behaves when he's the customer, wouldn't it?

[PepperElf]

I agree. The SCs, alas, will be with us forever, and it's understandable that the 1 nasty customer of the day tends to overshadow all the good ones of the day, but ... if he can't get past the SCs to the point where he hates all customers, then he's definitely in the wrong business.

Would be interesting to know how he behaves when he's the customer, wouldn't it?

indeed.


which reminds me... is there any footage of him for the "big reveal" yet?
oo found it: Full episode is up on CBS!!

The employee is confronted about his behavior in the second segment - around the 13 minute mark - where the boss reveals who she really is and sends him home for the day. She then has a discussion with the manager of the store about the employee's behavior and says that the kid is fired.

[cindybubbles]

For those of you who couldn't see the video on YouTube.

[JustaCashier]

....the corporate honcho did a variety of duties across the board including front desk and craps dealer (the game not the excrement).

Mike