Undercover Boss Analysis of Rick Arquilla: COO of Roto-Rooter
Name: Rick Arquilla
Title: COO and President of Roto-Rooter
Headquarters: Cincinnati, OH
Product or Service: plumbing and drain cleaning services
Brief Overview:
In this week’s episode of “Undercover Boss”, Rick Arquilla, COO and President of Roto-Rooter, tries his luck at residential plumbing, customer service, and metal working jobs.
Analysis
Finders keepers, finders weepers.
Finders keepers, finders weepers.
Position 1: Residential Plumbing Service
Overview: “Hank” accompanies Darrell on a few house service calls, plumbing their little hearts out.
Result: Rick learns that Darrell has had some health problems, and recently spent time in the hospital. The cost was not covered by his health care.
How he made amends: Rick investigates his insurance claim, and discovers that it was filled out incorrectly. His company will now suddenly cover the expenses. Simply amazing.
He also threw in an entire home gym set for Darrell’s home. But wait – there’s more! He also provides him with all of his health food store groceries!
What he should have done: Once again we have a CEO with a decent concept, but with poor execution. He’s teaching the man how to fish instead of giving him fish. Well, technically he’s giving fish, too.
The issue here is that he could better maximize the benefit of purchasing gym equipment by instead providing a gym, or even just gym memberships, to all the employees, not just Darrell. Is he the only plump plumber at Roto-Rooter? I’m leaning towards “hell no.”
Boss Pro Tip: Healthy workers get sick less often, and cut down on health care costs.
"Ugh…milk was a bad choice…good thing I work at Roto-Rooter because the bathroom's about to hate me…"
Position 2: Call Center Dispatch Operator
Overview: Candace spends a few hours teaching “Hank” how to use the company software to answer calls, and schedule new jobs using a color-coded system.
Result: Rick, being color blind, has little success using the system (which he designed somehow). He also learns that Candace has a child with autism, and a large mortgage debt.
How he made amends: Rick decides to have the company pay to enroll her child in Chicago’s best autism program. He also provides her with $5,000 to use towards her mortgage.
What he should have done: Rick was so focused on Candace’s problems, and ends up missing another problem – his software system. They displayed a few screen shots during the clip, and I have to say, my TI-81 Graphing Calculator from high school is more advanced. Rick, ever heard of usability testing?
The crowning of King Sh!t of F*ck Mountain.
The crowning of King Sh!t of F*ck Mountain.
Position 3: Sewer Technician
Overview: Chris teaches “Hank” how to to stick his hose in the hole and spray. That’s what she said.
Result: Rick learns that Chris is battling with an alcohol addiction, much like his own father.
How he made amends: Rick is touched by Chris’ story, and asks him to travel to different Roto-Rooter sites spreading his story of alcohol addiction.
What he should have done: I understand Rick was emotionally tied to Chris’ story, but he certainly put Chris on the spot during the exit interview. He might as well have said “Chris, I’d like you to make the rest of the company painfully aware of the fact that you are just getting over a drug addiction. For no additional pay.”
Pop quiz: If your in Chris’ shoes, do you tell the COO of the company that you refuse? Or do you accept his “generous” offer? Either way, you’re wrong.
"Can you hear me now?"
"Can you hear me now?"
Position 4: Drain Technician
Overview: “Hank” is paired with Henry, and assists with running a tiny camera down a clogged pipe. Henry offers an elderly woman a deeply discounted rate.
Result: Rick notes that Henry not only provides support to the other drain technicians through his cell phone, but also supports his son’s basketball team by arranging for their transportation to the courts after work where he coaches them.
How he made amends: Rick starts by giving Henry a 15 person van to assist in the transportation of his basketball team. He tops it off with a promotion and raise.
What he should have done: At one point in this clip, Henry cuts a deal with the customer, charging under half of what they usually charge. That tell’s me two things:
- Henry is a super nice guy.
- Roto-Rooter’s prices are probably priced too high.
Rick accounted for number 1, but may want to consider investigating the proper price point for their services. It may need to be flushed out a bit more. Yep, that was a pun.
Rick looked a bit like the karate guy from Napoleon Dynamite.
Rick looked a bit like the karate guy from Napoleon Dynamite.
Position 5: Manufacturing Plant Welder
Overview: “Hank” spends the day in master welder Dan’s shoes, but winds up welding his foot on accident.
Result: Dan relays his concern over his job security to Rick, along with his love of old muscle cars.
How he made amends: Rick promises that Dan and the other manufacturing jobs at his plant are there to stay, and will not be outsourced. His also buys them a car garage to work on their rides.
What he should have done: Clearly the manufacturing employees are concerned about their future at Roto-Rooter. Rick’s promise is a start, but we all know promises can be broken.
How can the employees prove that they are worth keeping around? One option is to learn how to do more than just weld. Rick can assist with this one, by providing training and resources. Pay for them to take a night school course or two.
Grade:
Might be worth a courtesy flush. That's about it.
For the COO of one of the world’s biggest plumbing companies, Rick sure let a few opportunities slip down the drain. The job scheduling software, the gym, the outsourcing…
We’re not sure if he’s color blind, or just plain blind.
Don’t like our grade? Drop us a rebuttal, and leave a comment below.
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Roto Rooter Caught Committing Consumer Fraud in Massachusetts and Breaking Labor Laws in Other States
Massachusetts Plumbers Get in Line Behind Several Other Lawsuits Against Chemed Corporation
Publish Date: 09/24/2011
Unable or unwilling to comment Rick aquilla COO of Roto Rooter apparently isnt getting any heat From Kevin McNamara Ceo of Chemed. The rumor circulated In April 2010 that Chemed may be selling Roto Rooter inc. and that would have been reason to keep Aquilla employed had it been the case. However it didnt materialize and as a result Chemed is stuck with several Legal battles that seem to put its future and stock price in grave danger.
One federal Class action that has made its way past discovery threatens to take a pretty large Bite out of profits. Claiming that the company forced its employees to carry the business expenses of Roto Rooter,forced them to work unrecorded hours, failed to pay them over time and took illegal paycheck deductions or kickbacks. One Roto rooter employee from Massachusetts stated “at the end of the week we werent even making minimum wage and after all of our expenses we were actuall paying to work for them”.
This past year a sex bias suit was filed against Roto Rooter. The suit claims that Roto Rooter has a pattern of promoting men over women and one employee who was past up for a promtion by a male less qualified decided to take them to court. There is No new status to report on this case.
In Massachusetts the press has Picked up on the story of a Mr. Kristian Pedersen. He was a licensed Plumber working for Roto Rooter out of Stoughton Mass. He and 2 co-planttiffs claim that Roto Rooter was committing consumer fraud when they sent unlicensed People posing as Licensed plumbers throughout the state. He said “The company put good salesmen above good tradesmen” and put the Public health at risk.He also claims that after he began complaining about the situation his workload was taken away from him and shortly after he joined the federal class action mentioned above he was terminated. “First they tried to starve me out, then they made up a reason to fire me”,he said. Mr. Pedersen has since gone on to try and educate the consumers of the state using social networks as well the Press. He stated “we are on a Mission to get this message out to the consumers who have been substantiating our claims..not just to have More evidence but also make sure they are not in any danger. “The Paper trail is pretty damning he claimed They keep maticulous records of their fraud” Pedersen says. “The General Manager was recorded admitting under oath and at an unemployment hearing that they do in fact do use an unlicensed work force to do plumbing work that state law requires a licnense for” The Public relations specialist Paul abrams has given 3 seperate reasons forPedersen’s termination in 3 different newspapers and that seems to have added fuel to Pedersen’s fire.” I Think its disgusting that Roto Rooter 1, used me and my license to hire these apprentices and then sent them work that should have been sent to me. 2, took money that i earned out of my checks at will 3, slander me in the press. I had to file bankruptcy because of what they did to me, anyone else would have settled for less but i personally asked for One Million dollars which after the lawyers,taxes and my bankruptcy estate i’d still be left with nearly nothing and have no credit for ten years and be a whistleblower without a job”He says. Plus i believe what happenend to me is a national corporate policy so im spreading the news.The case currently sits on a motion to compell arbitration in Plymouth superior court.
Vistas has had its fair share of complicated suits for overbilling medicare and other issues. Theres a patient abuse claim in California claiming a patient was neglected at a hospice center , Maggots in open wounds …ill leave it at that. The Nurse stated its their job to prepare the patients for death,not life. Apparently if insects start the process of decompostion before the heart stops it just death preparation?
Regardless neither Arquilla or McNamara seem to find any of these things to be a concern to them. Calls were not returned or messages never reached them. A Roto Rooter employee Refered to Arquilla as the Under cover Arse and Mcnamara as just a figurehead and nothing more. Who ever truly is in charge has a lot of questions to answer about the future of Chemed thats for sure..