Adi on Edge: Interview with Undercover Boss Andy Edge

Last summer Andy Edge, marketing manager at Park Resorts, went undercover at two Park Resorts camps to discover what really happened on their parks as part of a Channel 4 series called The Undercover Boss.  I caught up with Andy to see how he found the experience and how it's changed things at the company.

Adi: Hi Andy and welcome to the CMI.

Andy: Hi Adi, it's a pleasure to be here.

Adi: How's the reaction been to your appearance on The Undercover Boss?

Andy: The reaction has been great, extremely positive. Internally there has been a real sense of pride in the company from staff, both that it showed the resorts in a good light and also that the management were brave enough to do something like this.  Externally I've received lots of emails from customers saying how pleased they were that we were listening to the 'grass roots' of the business.

Adi: What inspired you to go on the show?

Andy: We were approached by our PR company about the possibility of doing the show.  It was debated at board level where we mulled over the pros and cons, and it was decided to go ahead with it.  Customer service is a big thing at the company so if there were things we could do to improve things then we wanted to try.  We’ve tried mystery shopping in the past but we wanted to see things first hand, warts and all.

Adi: How powerful has the show been in driving through change?

Andy: The show was filmed last August, at which point we had a 'cluster management' structure in place, ie one manager dealing with a few parks.  The show revealed that this was too much for them so we reverted back to one manager managing one park.  The cleaning model was also changed significantly as a result of the show with the approach taken at Lower Hyde rolled out across all parks.  We're hoping this process will be complete by the end of this season.  A few of the staff from the show were also reassigned to new roles more suited to their skills or given coaching to bring up their performance.  So in many ways it's been really useful to drive through change at the company.

Adi: Has the story of Sean, the chef in the show, encouraged a more aggressive approach to training staff?

Andy: Training is something we take very seriously.  Unfortunately Sean managed to slip through the net because he joined halfway through the season and therefore missed the induction that all newcomers get at the start of the season.  Seeing his difficulties first hand however has forced change in that now employees get that induction regardless of when they join.

Adi: Does the promotion of Jean, the cleaning manager, signify a policy of promoting from within?

Andy: Whenever we can we try to recruit from within.  Internally is always the preferred method although of course if the skills aren't there internally then we go outside the company.  There’s a talent management system in place where people are identified at an early stage and groomed through the ranks and really develop people over the course of their careers.  Several members of the management board have risen through the ranks like this.

Adi: Do you think other businesses can go undercover?

Andy: One of the main reasons I was able to do this was because I was relatively new to the company, so was relatively unknown at that point.  We also have over 30 parks throughout the company so it's a big operation.  If you have a similar size business however I certainly see no reason why you couldn't go back to the floor and learn what happens at the grass roots. I certainly wouldn't advocate lying though.  If anyone had asked who I was during the show I would have told them I was Andy Edge, the marketing director.  Honesty is very important to maintain trust.

Adi: For those companies unable (or unwilling) to do this, what alternatives would you suggest?

Andy: Even if you don’t go undercover you can still go around your business and talk to people.  Will they tell you the absolute truth?  Maybe not but you have to try.  That’s the beauty of the show. I could see the exactly what was going on at the coal face and people were honest to me with their feelings.

Adi: Will there be a follow up to show how the process has changed Park Resorts?

Andy: There are no plans for a follow up show, but we will certainly follow things up internally and I’ve personally kept a close eye on the individuals mentioned in the show to see how they’re going.  As with any process you have to measure to determine effectiveness and this is no different.

Adi: Thanks for your time Andy, obviously there's another show on tonight, will you be tuning in?

Andy: I certainly will.  I plan to grab some dinner and then sit down in front of the telly with the rest of you.  Thanks Adi, all the best.