Undercover Boss - CEO of Best Western, David ClarkeThe new programme on Channel 4, Undercover Boss, sees high-flying executives take extraordinary measures to ensure that their companies are fighting fit by infiltrating their own businesses.
Last week, David Clarke, CEO of hotel chain Best Western, went undercover as a new recruit ‘Andy Green’ and discovered a mixture of results. It was the front line facing staff that showed extreme dedication to the hotels, which often went unnoticed and unrewarded. After seeing how much his staff worked for the love of their jobs he realised that his most important assets are his front line people.
Having allocated over a million pounds into their first ever TV campaign under the slogan ‘Hotels with Personality’ – it became apparent that it had little impact on brand awareness for the staff who work in the hotels. By standing on the front line, David noticed how some of the team praised the hotel and also gave impeccable service and had shining personalities, but the messages were not simultaneously portrayed to demonstrate the new company branding.
The underlying message to come from this programme was that hotel owners should be treating their staff in the same way they wish their staff to treat customers. With some hotel owners’ imperceptible presence and giving little credit and reward for outstanding performance, it is inevitable that staff themselves will scrimp at work, but it’s rarely their fault, it’s often the orders from above.
In a brave move David Clarke reveals his company’s flaws on air and in front of an audience of 3m, not scared of showing that his business wants to improve. Back in the boardroom he is keen to capitalise on the company’s best assets, its people. As we all know, in this business, people buy from people. Back to News Stories |