As the television season got underway in September, the hospitality industry played its part. Two CEOs of hospitality companies took their star turns on the reality program “Undercover Boss.” If you haven’t seen the program, now in its second season, it follows the heads of major corporations as they don disguises and go undercover as new employees to gain a better understanding of their companies and their employees. The CEOs work in different positions with various supervisors within their companies.
This season began by following Steve Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International. In it’s second episode of the season, the show followed its first female CEO, Kim Schaefer, CEO of Great Wolf Resorts. Each had different experiences, but both found the experience rewarding and eye-opening. And, for Joyce, the disguise ended up giving him a new look.
“The first time I cried was when they shaved my mustache,” he says of his well-known appearance. But still he says taking part in the show was a good idea because it gave him an opportunity to get back to the front lines and to find out exactly what employees of Choice hotels go through each day. “I’ve done all of these jobs in the past but hadn’t spent any real time on the front lines in quite some time,” he says. “It was a good opportunity for that.”
Schaefer had a similar reason for doing the show. “It was a great opportunity to get a different perspective on what you do everyday,” she says.
Schaefer says the show contacted the company and she jumped at the chance. “It was just a neat opportunity for a small company like ours,” she says.
For Joyce, who heads a very large company, the show offered a chance for exposure of his corporate company. He says that while many people knew the company’s brands, such as Comfort Inn and EconoLodge, many don’t know the parent company.
Both Joyce and Schaefer say that the hospitality industry is a natural fit for the program. “One of the things I think they found attractive was that we could give them a lot of storylines,” Joyce says. “For the industry, it’s great exposure.”
“I think [the industry] is a good fit because you do have so many entry-level jobs and so many people who have the opportunity to work their way up,” Schaefer adds. “It’s also unique because it’s all front of the house. Every single thing I did affected the guests directly.”
Both new reality stars also learned a lot about themselves and their employees during the experience. Joyce found several hard-working people responsible for keeping up maintenance, keeping rooms clean, taking care of the front desk, and making sales pitches to potential groups. He ended up find more than a mustache to cry about as he encountered a number of heart-wrenching stories of employees who showed a penchant for bigger things but obstacles in their paths. “It reminded me of how hard these people work and I have a great appreciation for the people we have,” he says.
He also found that the front lines of the hotel business could be physically demanding as he struggled to clean pools in the hot Florida sun and clean rooms in an efficient and timely manner.
Schaefer says that what she learned she already knew, but, “sometimes you get caught up in your day-to-day and you need that reminder.” She also found that her company’s employees work hard everyday and go through a lot. “I work hard every day, but I don’t always have a guest standing right in front in me,” she continues.
She says the experience taught her that the company must keep “doing more for the employees.” Following the show she embarked on a tour of all of Great Wolf’s properties. “We are talking about what we can do to help our employees.”
In the end, despite struggles on their “jobs” both Joyce and Schaefer say they are glad they did the show and that they and their companies are better off for it.
