# How real or fake is Undercover boss? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708 "2012-01-16T17:32:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/41 "2012-03-10T04:48:05Z")
His wife couldn’t believe what kind of car he had to drive while in disguise, which I thought looked pretty nice. He certainly had a nice house and pool. ---
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/42 "2012-03-10T09:34:13Z")
I live in the same town as the company featured last night (OTC). I actually almost ended up working there, but I would have been in the call center. Lack of transportation (Omaha is not the best city if you don’t have a car) forced me to say no. I do have a friend who works there, who seems pretty satisfied. But yeah, the conditions described on the show… Holy cow! ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/43 "2012-03-10T15:28:57Z")
> [@psycat90](#): > > I don’t know about the folks that were directly involved, although by all accounts our president’s disguise was pretty good and the story was believable enough. > > I can only speak for myself and some of my other immediate co-workers. While we were not directly involved, our duties were impacted for various portions of the filming. We had an inkling, though no confirmation until the reveal a couple of weeks later. So, has your company’s show aired yet? If so, what did you think of it? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/44 "2012-03-10T16:36:23Z")
I was interested in last night’s episode about Oriental Trading Company to see how a large mail order operation works. I’ve wondered about that, as I do a lot of ordering from Amazon and other mail order places. The wearable computer, “Jennifer,” was cool; I wonder if it optimizes the order in which to pick items based on where the employee is located. And the guy who was training him said that he was supposed to pick 600 items that night, but that “Dave” the trainee slowed him down by one to a hundred. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/45 "2012-03-10T16:48:33Z")
> [@mage-girl](#): > > But yeah, the conditions described on the show… Holy cow! I didn’t think it was all that bad. The work wasn’t heavy, the place looked clean and there was plenty of good light. The coolers with actual bottles of Gatorade (no labels but I assume Gatorade or a generic) were something we didn’t have at the factory where I worked. (I wasn’t on the line.) At my place, the company provided Gatorade when the temperature on the floor reached 90, but it was powdered Gatorade mixed with tap water, no ice. If you wanted something different, you paid for it yourself. The nurse handed out salt pills. Workers got extra breaks if the temp in their area reached 100. In the paint department, temps would each 115 and higher, and then work time in those areas would be limited. This was a union facility. If there hadn’t been a contract, workers probably wouldn’t have had those “perks”. The place was a pit. It’s closed now, jobs moved to Mexico. Has Undercover Boss done a slaughterhouse yet, or a chicken/egg production facility? Chemical plant? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/46 "2012-03-10T16:57:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Every episode of this show I’ve seen has the CEO shocked, absolutely _shocked_ that the workers on the line aren’t rays of sunshine worshipping the customers. Tonight’s episode has the boss working in a warehouse and he’s just amazed that his employees don’t like working in a hot, sweaty warehouse on their feet all day packing boxes. He can’t believe that some of them have a goal in life that isn’t working there sorting inventory for $10 an hour for the rest of their lives. When I worked in a convenience store, my manager and I were chatting one day about a co-worker (OK, it was really catty gossip). My manager said that this woman was looking for another job, and bitching that she HAD a decent job at the c-store. Apparently the look on my face gave me away. She wanted to know what was wrong with the job. I said something on the order of we’re paid minimum wage, we NEVER get raises no matter what, the shifts suck, and there’s no room for advancement unless one of the managers leaves, so this sort of job is only for when you are looking for another job. I said that I had taken the job because I wanted to be able to pay my bills, I really wasn’t fond of working 8 hours on my feet, having to put up with drunks, with no break and no way to get ahead. She wasn’t happy with that answer. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/47 "2012-03-10T16:57:32Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Has Undercover Boss done a slaughterhouse yet, or a chicken/egg production facility? Chemical plant? just recent fish processing. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/48 "2012-03-10T17:46:25Z")
The show is pretty clearly not “faked”. We’ve all seen bad actors in movies; we can recognize bad acting. These guys are not acting; there aren’t that many talented, convincing actors around. What it clearly is is manipulated by the producers. None of these employees with issues and/or heartwarming stories are there by accident. They are clearly carefully chosen. What always strikes me as being particularly manipulated is that the undercover person is brought on to do a new job and be trained, and the trainer is always shocked when they’re not performing up to regular employee speed and ability within a half hour. Sure, most of this stuff isn’t rocket science, but it’s still clearly abilities that take some time to get up to snuff. I guarantee the first interview with the trainer always goes something like, “Yeah, Bob is pretty slow and unsure, and has made some mistakes, but all trainees do for the first few days…”, and is told by the producer to be harder on them on the next take. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/49 "2012-03-10T22:03:09Z")
I feel sorry for those warehouse pickers. That voice computer would drive me nuts. Trying to keep those stock numbers in my mind as I walked & located the correct aisle would be tough. A printed display you could double check would be much easier and less error prone. I suspect there has to be more quality control we didn’t see. After picking an item it needs to be scanned to confirm its the right one. Fascinating to see how places like Amazon process our orders. ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/50 "2012-03-10T23:12:31Z")
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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/51 "2012-03-10T23:32:46Z")
Wrong thread, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/52 "2012-03-10T23:35:25Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > just recent fish processing. I liked the crusty old immigrant guy. “You tricked me. You made me look foolish” And he was one of the good employees. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/53 "2012-03-11T00:04:23Z")
Just watched the Popeyes episode on the cbs website. They sent a new corporate team lady out to work. She got some serious dirty work done. Scrubbing toilets, frying chicken, and even scrubbing out greasy garbage cans. I think we know why they sent the _new_ corporate team lady for this job. 😃 This show does remind us how important it is for management to have some connection to the real work or business operations. So many MBA corporate types take jobs in industries they never actually worked in. At a minimum they should at least work as an assistant manager or cashier at a store. Learn the product they are responsible for managing. ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/54 "2012-03-11T02:09:24Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Wrong thread, perhaps? Whoops, indeed. My apologies, and I’ve reported it. ---
**Author:** ![D-bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@D-bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D-bear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/55 "2012-03-11T05:48:55Z")
I can only speak from experience, but we all knew that the film crew was there for Undercover Boss… Tip #1 Gee, why is every single VP and director in town all of the sudden? There is a film crew for “a new reality show” coming to follow a new hire? Um, we’re at an airport where security is so, post-9/11 tight that we can’t even take that make-a-wish kid and his dad down on the ramp to see what a plane looks like from the outside??? And after the show aired??? Yeah, remember how I said we were going to reinstate that pay cut you all took? It was totally mis-edited. You heard that you were going to get that pay back, but _what I actually said was_ You are all going to get your pay rates reinstated, pending the approval of the Board Of Directors. And, oh yeah, the BOD has actually nixed the whole plan… Kthxbye… ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/56 "2012-03-11T06:18:28Z")
It’s like the Warehouse workers that pulled items for that internet mail order company (similar to Amazon). The boss actually choked up and cried at the end. I think he was sincere. But, there’s not a lot that can be done to make that job easy or fun. Warehouses get very hot. Spending millions to install AC and pay the enormous utility bills isn’t financially viable. The best they can do is offer Energy Drinks and heat related breaks. Same thing loading those trucks with the boxes. It’s going to be hot miserable work. There’s no magic way to make it fun and not bankrupt the company. There’s always some third world country willing to outsource the work for half the cost. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/57 "2012-03-11T06:35:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > There’s always some third world country willing to outsource the work for half the cost. Up until this sentence, I was agreeing with your post. I am, however, mildly curious as to how we’re going to outsource distribution work within the U. S. to a third world country. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/58 "2012-03-11T11:27:24Z")
Couldn’t the main distribution warehouse be anywhere in the world? A guy working for $1 an hour could pull product and fill & box up orders just as easily as a $9 an hour American in Kansas. Fed Ex has world wide service. Your order would get delivered to your door maybe 1 day later. You’d never know your internet order was filled by a starving kid in Sri Lanka. I don’t like foreign outsourcing, but the savings can be significant and very tempting to a company that’s bleeding labor & pension money. > [@Frank](#): > > Up until this sentence, I was agreeing with your post. I am, however, mildly curious as to how we’re going to outsource distribution work within the U. S. to a third world country. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/59 "2012-03-11T11:43:26Z")
Are you at all familiar with how expensive FedEx international shipping can be? No company is going to save money shipping individual packets from somewhere as distant as Sri Lanka. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708/60 "2012-03-11T11:48:03Z")
Well, maybe Mexico or one of the South American countries would be better for a huge Internet order distribution center. You still get cheap labor and can get away with not paying any employee benefits. Pension plans and benefits are the main reason so much of our manufacturing has shifted overseas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-or-fake-is-undercover-boss/609708.md?page=4)