More than 38 million viewers tuned in to the post-Super Bowl reality series Undercover Boss on Sunday to get a lesson in cleaning portable restrooms from affable Texas technician Fred Porchia. In what turned out to be the most-watched premier of a reality television series, Porchia explained efficient restroom service to Larry O’Donnell, the president of Waste Management.
The premise of the new CBS Television show takes the head of a major corporation undercover to learn several entry-level jobs at the company. And through the magic of television, the boss – O’Donnell in the inaugural episode – learns how company policies impact workers and seeks to improve the corporate culture. Posing as a new employee, the office jockey O’Donnell had to tackle cleaning restrooms at a carnival, with Porchia as his supervisor.
The enthusiastic Porchia bowled over O’Donnell with his can-do attitude and words of encouragement as he reviewed the cleaning procedures. Porchia cheered on O’Donnell as he handled the hose and emptied a holding tank. The experienced PRO seemed unfazed while being rushed by a carnival boss to clean a bank of restrooms. With a laugh, Porchia told O’Donnell that “it ain’t just a job, it’s an adventure.’’
To wrap up the episode, O’Donnell revealed his true identity to the employees who showed him the ropes in their jobs, including the supervisor on a garbage-picking detail who fired him and told him he wasn’t cut out for the job. O’Donnell vowed to make changes in the company’s operations to help employee morale and improve efficiency. That included enlisting Porchia to motivate the workforce.
A CBS spokesperson contacted this week said Porchia left Waste Management since the show was taped and is now working at a hospital.
One thing Porchia told O’Donnell made me think of a question for others in the industry: In telling O’Donnell that he’d have to work faster, Porchia said his service goal was pumping and cleaning 15 restrooms per hour. How does that number compare to what you can achieve for groups of restrooms at a special event?
If you missed the episode on Sunday, it airs again on Friday, Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time, 8 p.m. Central time.
