VIDEO – Undercover Boss returns with Steve Joyce of Choice Hotels

CBS’ Undercover Boss is brilliant. It gives CEOs national coverage of their brand, but also makes them taste what it feels like to be a bottom-totem-poll worker.

It’s really easy to strategerize (that word is courtesy of George W. Bush)  from your corner office; but when you’re actually scrubbing toilets, filling orders, and being verbally abused by customers maybe you realize that your employees aren’t programmable robots, but humans who need food, rest, health care, and a pat on the back.

At least we all hope that’s what the CEOs realize when they go undercover at their own businesses.

The first boss of the second Season is Steve P. Joyce, CEO and president of Choice Hotels International. Their franchise brands are in over 35 countries, including the U.S. and include Comfort Inn, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, and Rodeway Inn. Joyce joined Choice in 2008 after 25 years at Marriott.

The episodes are extremely formulaic, but it’s still hard to not get a kick out of seeing the Boss falling behind while during a seemingly menial task. Mr. Joyce is no exception.

He tells WJZ:

“There was a lot of sympathy and pity support, I think. It’s funny, I thought I was going to have a tough job. I surprised myself with how poorly I performed on some of these jobs.”

Here are the jobs Steve performed on the show:

Maintenance Worker: Steve will maintain the common areas including cleaning the pool in 100 degree weather. His other duties include unclogging toilets, repairing broken locks and trying to keep up with his energetic supervisor.
House Keeper: Steve will learn that changing sheets and cleaning bathrooms in the allotted time may be more physically demanding than he ever imagined.
Sales: Can Steve sell his product through a cold call or will he come up empty?
Front Desk Clerk: Steve receives a first-hand look at what it takes to run a hotel when you’re the only employee in the property working the night shift.