Undercover Boss: CEO of "Hooters" Learns Some Lessons

If you haven't watched, or heard, about CBS'S new show, "Undercover Boss," here is a quick guide to the show. A CEO of a big company goes completely undercover in his own company, as an entry level worker. He, or She, is portrayed to the unsuspecting co-workers as a laid off construction worker, and a documentary crew is following him or her, to see how they do with their potential new job.

Episode two has us meet the CEO of the world famous 'Hooters" Restaurants. His name is Coby Brooks. Coby was thrust into the CEO job by his Dad, owner of the Company, when Coby was 34 years old. Coby explains that he and his Dad did not get along well, and was surprised when his Dad gave him control of his company, without even asking him, or talking to him, about it first. His Dad has since passed away, and Coby is very happy to have kept this job.

Before he goes undercover, Coby chooses to tell his executive team about what he's doing. I think that is a big mistake. With this show, the fewer people that know what's going on, the better. No phone calls, or e-mails can get sent out in advance. Coby's undercover name will be "Scotty Archer."

Coby changes his appearance by shaving, and adding glasses. His first stop is in his largest restaurant, in Dallas, Texas. He meets the General Manager, Dave, and is shown to the kitchen, where Coby will be working. Coby's first job is to load totes of empty beer mugs into the freezer. When Coby struggles to get the totes over the threshold of the freezer, Dave asks him if he 'Should get one of the girls," to help Coby out. After emptying trash, and doing some cooking, Coby is politely told by Dave that his day is over, and to turn in his apron. Coby would not be invited back to work the next day.

From there, Coby goes on to another location in Texas, and is introduced to two Hooter girls, Amanda and Brittney, who are going out on a promotion, giving out free wings on the streets. What Coby encounters is very troubling to him. Several people stop, and a few "wives" complain to the girls, and Coby, that they find the Hooters girls to be "Demeaning," and 'Degrading." One went on to tell them that she would never let her daughter work at a Hooters. At the end of the day, Coby tells us that he would let his own two daughters, too young yet, work at Hooters. He hadn't met his next project yet.

Next, Coby goes to another restaurant as a Manager Trainee, and meets his mentor, Jimbo. Jimbo proceeds to tell Coby that all of 'These" girls are spoiled, and makes them lie up for inspection. Jimbo makes several demeaning remarks to his girls, and then tells them that if they want to leave early today, they would have to perform in his 'Reindeer Games." The girls do not want any part of this, and at this stage of the game, Coby almost blows his undercover status, but chooses not to. The girls are made to race to eat all of the beans off their plates, with no hands used. When Coby leaves the restaurant, he calls his people, to alert them about Jimbo.

Next, we meet a female Manager, Marcee, who shows Coby the ropes of her operation. Marcee, a former Hooters girl, is now a manager, and Mother of two girls. She interacts well with all of the employees, kicks a drunk guy out of the restaurant, and handles any problem thrown at her. She even helps Coby when he spills, and tells him that cleaning up is all part of the management job. Needless to say, Coby is impressed.

The final part of his trip is to a factory his Dad started, Naturally Fresh Products, which makes all of the Hooters sauces and dips. Coby had not been in the factory since he was 10, but is carefully disguised by hiding his face with a plastic mask that all of the employees wear, along with the plastic hair net. Coby's Dad used the visit the plant very often.When Coby asks Ricky, one of the employees, about the Dad, Ricky explains that he was the world to the employees, and that absolutely nobody knew the Son running the company. Morale was very low due to those facts. This, more than any part of the trip, makes Coby rethink his way of running the company.

The best part of the show comes next. All of the employees that Coby met during the show are summoned to Corporate Headquarters. While none of them had any clue what was going on, I suspect that as this show becomes more popular, it will be easier to figure out. Coby introduces himself as the CEO to the two Hooter girls, Amanda and Brittney, and tells them he was impressed with them, and wanted them to work with the marketing department, to improve the image of Hooter girls. He tells General Manager Dave, who is a former Marine, that he was so impressed with the way he ran his restaurant, that Hooters were making a $50,000 donation to "Operation Home Front," a program for returning Veterans.

Marcee, the female Manager, was next. Coby again heaps tons of praise on her, and then sends her on a long vacation, with her two girls, anywhere in the world that Marcee would like to go. Marcee, obviously is overwhelmed, and very grateful.

Last, but not least, was Jimbo, the 'Reindeer Games" Manager. As he learns that Coby is really the CEO of Hooters, he gets the 'I"m so fired" look on his face. I think all of American wanted him fired, but Coby decides to tell him he wanted Jimbo to apologize to his staff, and change his management style. Coby tells him that he would never want his daughters to work in Jimbo's restaurant, which causes Jimbo to step back, and change his ways. Come on Coby, he's so fired in my company!

At the end of the show, Coby promises change in the way his company does it's daily business. The show was taped in July, and, unless I'm missing something, I haven't seen any major Hooters Ad Campaign. All of the emoloyees, we are informed, are still working at the company. Jimbo did appoligize to his staff.

I absolutely love this show, and truly think that it could change a lot in Corporate America. It needs to be tweeked, here and there, but, it should become a big hit for CBS. I hope so, I'm waiting for a laid off construction worker to show up at my place of employment. Stay tuned.