"UNCOVERING THE UNDERCOVER BOSS" - Episode 8, Roto-Rooter

They have one of the most recognizable names in corporate America. And like many companies, making the Roto-Rooter stronger during tough economic times was the primary goal for Rick Arquilla, President and COO of the company. As we followed this week’s “Undercover Boss,” can we say that Rick is really doing all he can to make this 75-year old Company stronger?

It is hard to imagine how your company gets stronger when employees are “giving away” your service. We found out that if you don’t like Roto-Rooter’s quote of $1,200, just tell the top technician, Henry you can’t afford it. The price will be instantly lowered. . Rick rationalized this decision by saying Henry is on commission so it affected his compensation. Does Rick think Henry’s actions really help the Company become stronger?

Perhaps it resulted in one satisfied one customer, but what about the other customers? How does reducing revenue of your company help the job security of Roto-Rooter employees? Shouldn’t this well known Company have adopted fair prices for all customers which could not be reduced based on the customer’s financial condition? It is also unfair to the other employees, especially since the Roto-Rooter plant employees are concerned about losing their jobs during this recession. And what message does Henry’s action send when, at the close of the show, Henry is promoted to a field supervisor position. This valuable technician, who Rick admired for his knowledge and contribution to the community, may now have a chance to “give away” more work to the citizens of New Orleans. It is certainly the compassionate thing to do, but it will not make the Company financially stronger nor provide greater job security for its employees.

Rick also had the opportunity to work at the Chicago Call Center, which dispatches technicians to the customers across the U.S. What we learned is that selecting the right person for a customer service position is critical and unfortunately for Rick, he did not fit the profile. For instance, as Candice the trainer pointed out, Rick “talked at the customer” rather than listened. He also tended to sell services to the customer rather than listening and learning about the real problem. He even interrupted the customer when he gave the person a chance to speak.

Call Center personnel are critical to the business because they are the face of the company and often a customer’s first point of contact. So, a customer’s first impressions of Roto-Rooter are often based on how well that call center employee interacts with the customer. And as we learned, not everyone has the ability to do this job. Rick can be a great COO and he even designed the Call Center routing system. However, those skills did not match the requirements for the customer service job. The lesson is, hire the right person with the right skills for the job.

Roto Rooter is a great Company and will be stronger under Rick’s very compassionate leadership, but sticking to the basics regarding the pricing jobs or hiring practices will go far in achieving the goal of becoming a stronger Company.

“Uncovering the Undercover Boss” is written by Richard Reinhardt, Vice President of F&H Solutions Group LLC. You may contact Richard by email at rreinhardt@fhsolutionsgroup.com or by phone at 901.291.1546.