Rich McClure, president and CEO of United Van Lines, the biggest moving and relocation company in the United States, had an experience no Undercover Boss has ever had before: He felt compelled to ask his wife to pinch-hit for him when he feared that his secret identity would be blown! It worked out fine, and McClure gained a new understanding of not just the physical demands of United Van Lines' front-line workers, but also of the emotional impact that moving can have on people. McClure recounted his time on the trucks for BNET's Matthew DeBord.
United Van Lines' CEO Does Some Heavy Lifting
Seeing the Unvarnished Truth
BNET: So what made you decide to go on the show?
McClure: The producers approached us. I had seen the show before, but I didn't know much about it. So we did some due diligence, and the signals came back positively. Then our marketing team did some research. I've served on the front line before, but you don't always get the unvarnished truth when people know you're the CEO. Also, I wanted to experience what our agents experience.
BNET: What was your disguise?
McClure: The biggest issue was with growing a beard, so that I could have a goatee for the show. People were asking me why I was growing one, so I had to come up with a ruse. I said I had lost a bet with my local United Way chairman. But it was a real beard, so I didn't have the paste-on thing going on. Putting the disguise was a laborious process. I dyed my hair, got rid of my glasses, and wore blue contact lenses. When she first saw me, my wife, Sharon, was shocked.
BNET: Were you ever worried that you'd be found out?
McClure: No one recognized me. And I went to several locations I had been to before. All but one was a location where I had been in meetings and people had seen me before.
United Van Lines' CEO Does Some Heavy Lifting
A Little Old for This
BNET: In an Undercover Boss first, you asked your wife to fill in for you at one location.
McClure: That's right. We've been married 32 years, and our marriage is very much a partnership. But it was very unusual for me to ask her to do something like this. But one, she said Okay, if it would help with the show. And two, she knows these environments. [McClure actually met his wife when he came to work for her anoher company in 1995.]
BNET: So what kinds of jobs did you have to do?
McClure: The first job was moving a three bedroom house, using a 53-foot trailer. This was a customer who'd moved with United Van Lines seven times before. As we were loading and padding the furniture, I think the driver was worried that he would overtax me. I could imagine him saying, "Gosh, he's a little old for this." But I did okay.
United Van Lines' CEO Does Some Heavy Lifting
Getting a Not-So-Great Nickname
BNET: What happened with your interactions with employees?
McClure: On the second job, I worked on a packing crew, and I was downgraded by one of the employees, who was concerned about my talkativeness. She said it wasn't professional and didn't give me high marks. She also gave me a nickname, "Walkie Talkie."
United Van Lines' CEO Does Some Heavy Lifting
Part Mover, Part Counselor
BNET: Did you learn anything specific about working for United Van Lines?
McClure: I learned that front-line jobs are even more physically demanding than I knew. It's a combination of that and the length of the days that makes it very tough. But I also learned that the driver and crew are counselors. Moving is one of the most stressful experiences you can go through. Sometimes, people aren't happy about having to go through it. Our workers have to deal with all that in addition to the physical part.
United Van Lines' CEO Does Some Heavy Lifting
Everyone Has a Story
BNET: Has this experience changed the way that you'll manage the company?
McClure: We will be doing three things. First, we want our home office team to be spend more time on the front line. We're calling it the "Walk a Mile" program, and we see it as an opportunity for our people to learn, but also as a teaching opportunity. Second, seeing drivers away from their families for long periods reminded me that I miss my family when I'm away, so we're going to support video chat capability. Finally, we're going to develop more accurate estimating. And as CEO, I'm going to work harder on the relationships that drive our business. Every one of our front-line people has a story.
