1 00:00:06,102 --> 00:00:09,792 male announcer: "Undercover Boss" is back. 2 00:00:09,827 --> 00:00:11,757 - Here's Bobby! - Oh, my-- 3 00:00:11,792 --> 00:00:13,034 - Gosh. 4 00:00:13,067 --> 00:00:15,205 - This is ten times harder than the boardroom. 5 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:16,931 - Ugh! - This is a disaster. 6 00:00:16,964 --> 00:00:21,172 I would never have found out if I wasn't undercover. 7 00:00:21,205 --> 00:00:23,240 announcer: The most devastating economic crisis 8 00:00:23,274 --> 00:00:24,861 for a generation 9 00:00:24,896 --> 00:00:27,620 has been tough on American business 10 00:00:27,655 --> 00:00:30,861 and even tougher on America's workforce. 11 00:00:30,896 --> 00:00:32,585 - We all had to take salary cuts. 12 00:00:32,619 --> 00:00:34,067 - My wife, my kids, and I 13 00:00:34,103 --> 00:00:35,517 were all homeless. - Whoa. 14 00:00:35,551 --> 00:00:37,171 - How many firemen you think you down? 15 00:00:37,206 --> 00:00:39,137 - 15 just because of the pandemic. 16 00:00:40,206 --> 00:00:42,344 announcer: So there's never been a more important time 17 00:00:42,378 --> 00:00:43,689 to go undercover. 18 00:00:43,723 --> 00:00:45,862 - Coming through. announcer: This season... 19 00:00:45,896 --> 00:00:47,378 - Wow! 20 00:00:47,412 --> 00:00:48,930 announcer: The toughest challenges... 21 00:00:48,965 --> 00:00:50,206 - This has gotta be the worst job 22 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:51,965 in the restaurant. - It is, ugh. 23 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,310 announcer: The biggest shocks... 24 00:00:53,344 --> 00:00:55,206 - You gotta be kidding me. 25 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,655 - We question whether you are fit for this brand. 26 00:00:57,689 --> 00:00:58,965 announcer: And the most dramatic 27 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,412 life-changing rewards... 28 00:01:00,448 --> 00:01:01,792 - Are you serious? 29 00:01:01,826 --> 00:01:03,481 This doesn't happen to people like me. 30 00:01:03,517 --> 00:01:05,585 announcer: In "Undercover Boss" history. 31 00:01:05,620 --> 00:01:07,655 - I need to break cover right now 32 00:01:07,688 --> 00:01:09,620 and shut this down. 33 00:01:13,481 --> 00:01:15,000 announcer: Tonight... 34 00:01:15,034 --> 00:01:16,275 - Oh, my goodness. 35 00:01:16,310 --> 00:01:17,620 announcer: The CEO of one of America's 36 00:01:17,655 --> 00:01:20,585 largest wireless companies 37 00:01:20,620 --> 00:01:22,275 leaves behind... 38 00:01:22,310 --> 00:01:24,033 his corporate comforts... 39 00:01:24,067 --> 00:01:25,551 - Ooh, I'm shaking. Oh, my goodness. 40 00:01:25,585 --> 00:01:26,930 announcer: To go undercover. 41 00:01:26,965 --> 00:01:29,240 - This is Matt Collin from U.S. Cellular. 42 00:01:29,275 --> 00:01:31,206 announcer: Joining his team on the front line... 43 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:32,412 - I hope I don't scare you on this one. 44 00:01:32,448 --> 00:01:33,930 - It looks a little scary. 45 00:01:33,965 --> 00:01:35,793 announcer: To discover if his drive for growth... 46 00:01:35,826 --> 00:01:37,343 - We serve all this. 47 00:01:37,378 --> 00:01:39,206 announcer: Is a roadmap to disaster. 48 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,758 - People get frustrated, could get up and leave. 49 00:01:41,793 --> 00:01:44,033 announcer: I need to rethink everything that we're doing. 50 00:01:44,067 --> 00:01:45,930 announcer: He'll uncover alarming secrets... 51 00:01:45,965 --> 00:01:47,930 - At the end of the day, we've lost customers. 52 00:01:47,965 --> 00:01:50,033 announcer: And employees at the breaking point... 53 00:01:50,067 --> 00:01:52,033 - I'm already running at max right now, 54 00:01:52,067 --> 00:01:53,896 but my workload's gonna increase. 55 00:01:53,930 --> 00:01:56,412 announcer: Before making some life-changing decisions. 56 00:01:56,448 --> 00:01:58,275 - Oh, my gosh. 57 00:01:58,310 --> 00:02:00,585 announcer: All this next on "Undercover Boss". 58 00:02:00,620 --> 00:02:03,826 - Whoo, that is amazing! 59 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,965 [steady rock music] 60 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,896 ♪ 61 00:02:12,931 --> 00:02:14,171 - My name's Laurent Therivel. 62 00:02:14,205 --> 00:02:15,655 At work, I go by LT 63 00:02:15,688 --> 00:02:17,688 and I'm the CEO of U.S. Cellular. 64 00:02:17,723 --> 00:02:19,826 We're in the business of connecting people. 65 00:02:19,861 --> 00:02:21,310 Not only do we build cell sites 66 00:02:21,343 --> 00:02:23,793 to deliver wireless and data services, 67 00:02:23,826 --> 00:02:26,378 but we also provide a variety of plans and phones 68 00:02:26,413 --> 00:02:29,586 to meet our customers' needs. 69 00:02:29,620 --> 00:02:31,896 announcer: Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, 70 00:02:31,931 --> 00:02:33,896 U.S. Cellular is the fourth largest 71 00:02:33,930 --> 00:02:36,310 wireless company in the United States 72 00:02:36,343 --> 00:02:41,171 with an annual revenue of $4 billion. 73 00:02:42,206 --> 00:02:44,171 - I love connecting people. 74 00:02:44,206 --> 00:02:46,723 I was a communications officer in the Marine Corps. 75 00:02:46,758 --> 00:02:48,343 On my first day of communications training, 76 00:02:48,378 --> 00:02:50,343 they dropped us off in the middle of nowhere 77 00:02:50,378 --> 00:02:53,516 with nothing but a battery, a spool of wire, a handset 78 00:02:53,550 --> 00:02:56,413 and a book called "The Fundamentals of Wave Theory." 79 00:02:56,448 --> 00:02:58,688 And you had to communicate with a group 80 00:02:58,723 --> 00:03:01,343 that was about 75 miles away. 81 00:03:01,378 --> 00:03:03,931 I rigged up the wire and figured out frequency. 82 00:03:03,965 --> 00:03:05,033 I'll never forget. 83 00:03:05,068 --> 00:03:06,723 Clear as a bell first time I tried. 84 00:03:06,758 --> 00:03:08,240 I just thought it was the coolest thing. 85 00:03:08,275 --> 00:03:10,516 And I've been in love with the industry ever since. 86 00:03:10,550 --> 00:03:14,033 I spent 12 years at AT&T and I've been at U.S. Cellular 87 00:03:14,068 --> 00:03:16,448 for a little bit less than a year. 88 00:03:18,516 --> 00:03:19,723 We're a family owned business 89 00:03:19,758 --> 00:03:21,413 founded by Roy Carlson 90 00:03:21,448 --> 00:03:24,000 with the vision of bringing wireless connections 91 00:03:24,033 --> 00:03:25,516 to smaller towns. 92 00:03:25,550 --> 00:03:29,826 My big competitors are T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. 93 00:03:29,861 --> 00:03:31,620 Those are focusing on the big cities 94 00:03:31,655 --> 00:03:34,000 and Roy felt that rural towns 95 00:03:34,033 --> 00:03:35,930 deserve the same level of connection. 96 00:03:37,620 --> 00:03:40,275 announcer: Since its foundation in 1983, 97 00:03:40,310 --> 00:03:43,000 the company has expanded into 23 states 98 00:03:43,033 --> 00:03:49,793 with over 5,000 employees and 5 million customers. 99 00:03:49,826 --> 00:03:51,103 - I'm a pretty competitive person. 100 00:03:51,137 --> 00:03:52,550 I like to win. 101 00:03:52,586 --> 00:03:56,000 We compete in an industry with goliaths. 102 00:03:56,033 --> 00:03:57,310 When you look at U.S. Cellular, 103 00:03:57,343 --> 00:03:58,826 it's a strong company. 104 00:03:58,861 --> 00:04:00,965 We haven't been growing at a fast enough rate 105 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:02,655 to keep up with our competition. 106 00:04:02,688 --> 00:04:04,275 Being wiped off the map in our industry 107 00:04:04,310 --> 00:04:06,171 is a real concern. 108 00:04:06,205 --> 00:04:08,550 I've been brought on to crack the growth equation. 109 00:04:08,586 --> 00:04:10,171 If we don't grow, we die. 110 00:04:10,205 --> 00:04:12,896 And I've got 5,000 employees that are counting on me. 111 00:04:15,171 --> 00:04:17,516 Since taking over, I've opened up new stores. 112 00:04:17,550 --> 00:04:20,033 I've accelerated our move to 5G. 113 00:04:20,067 --> 00:04:22,516 Most importantly, I've rebranded the company. 114 00:04:22,550 --> 00:04:25,343 We have a new catchphrase, "Locally grown wireless." 115 00:04:25,379 --> 00:04:28,793 I want our customers to feel a local connection with us. 116 00:04:28,826 --> 00:04:30,310 There's a lot of risk in this strategy. 117 00:04:30,343 --> 00:04:33,067 We're investing over $9 million a day 118 00:04:33,103 --> 00:04:34,137 behind this growth plan, 119 00:04:34,172 --> 00:04:35,274 and I need to go undercover 120 00:04:35,310 --> 00:04:37,206 to see if those changes are working. 121 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:38,896 It's make or break for U.S. Cellular. 122 00:04:38,930 --> 00:04:42,379 [upbeat music] 123 00:04:42,413 --> 00:04:44,033 - Are you going Texas accent, 124 00:04:44,067 --> 00:04:45,550 or are you gonna try one of your other ones 125 00:04:45,586 --> 00:04:47,274 that never works? - No, I'm gonna go with 126 00:04:47,310 --> 00:04:48,447 a little bit of Texas accent. 127 00:04:48,481 --> 00:04:49,793 - I think it might be a bit hard 128 00:04:49,826 --> 00:04:51,240 for you to maintain the accent 'cause, like, 129 00:04:51,274 --> 00:04:52,862 you have to do it with everything you say. 130 00:04:52,896 --> 00:04:53,896 - [in accent] Gabby, I have no idea 131 00:04:53,930 --> 00:04:54,896 what you're talking about. 132 00:04:54,930 --> 00:04:56,310 I will have no problem at all 133 00:04:56,343 --> 00:04:58,206 keeping that accent. 134 00:04:58,240 --> 00:04:59,206 All righty. 135 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:00,793 Being a former Marine, 136 00:05:00,826 --> 00:05:03,862 I know success rides on gathering intel on the ground. 137 00:05:03,896 --> 00:05:06,310 I need to leave our headquarters and go undercover 138 00:05:06,343 --> 00:05:09,033 so I can work alongside our frontline troops 139 00:05:09,067 --> 00:05:12,137 and hear their ideas direct and unfiltered. 140 00:05:12,172 --> 00:05:15,137 [dramatic music] 141 00:05:15,172 --> 00:05:18,516 ♪ 142 00:05:18,550 --> 00:05:21,689 Hey, I'm Matt Curran. [all laugh] 143 00:05:21,723 --> 00:05:22,723 How y'all doing? 144 00:05:22,757 --> 00:05:24,172 - I don't even know who you are. 145 00:05:24,206 --> 00:05:25,379 - I'm Matt Curran, how you doing? 146 00:05:25,413 --> 00:05:27,033 - How you doing? - It's nice to meet you. 147 00:05:27,067 --> 00:05:28,620 Gonna disguise my identity. 148 00:05:28,654 --> 00:05:30,137 I'm gonna be Matt Curran. 149 00:05:30,172 --> 00:05:31,689 That's right, boy. 150 00:05:31,723 --> 00:05:34,413 A failed bartender who's trying to restart his life. 151 00:05:34,447 --> 00:05:35,930 - You like the facial hair? Should I keep this? 152 00:05:35,965 --> 00:05:37,103 - Should go with this for the long term? 153 00:05:37,137 --> 00:05:38,413 - Never, never, never. - Are you sure? 154 00:05:38,447 --> 00:05:39,793 You don't want a big bushy kiss? 155 00:05:39,826 --> 00:05:40,862 - No, no! 156 00:05:40,896 --> 00:05:42,033 - Our team members 157 00:05:42,067 --> 00:05:43,689 will think they're on a documentary 158 00:05:43,723 --> 00:05:45,481 about starting over in a career. 159 00:05:45,516 --> 00:05:48,689 They'll have no idea it's "Undercover Boss." 160 00:05:48,723 --> 00:05:50,103 I love you guys. - Love you. 161 00:05:50,137 --> 00:05:51,413 - Bye. - Bye. 162 00:05:51,447 --> 00:05:54,000 - I am really passionate about what we do. 163 00:05:54,033 --> 00:05:56,000 I'm on a mission to make sure that U.S. Cellular 164 00:05:56,033 --> 00:05:58,343 not only survives but thrives. 165 00:06:00,896 --> 00:06:03,862 [upbeat music] 166 00:06:03,896 --> 00:06:05,757 ♪ 167 00:06:05,793 --> 00:06:08,723 So our stores are the first place 168 00:06:08,757 --> 00:06:10,067 that most of our customers 169 00:06:10,103 --> 00:06:12,033 experience the U.S. Cellular brand 170 00:06:12,067 --> 00:06:15,896 and so they're some of the most important parts of the company. 171 00:06:15,930 --> 00:06:18,000 Today, I'm heading to the biggest store 172 00:06:18,033 --> 00:06:19,379 in the De Moines area. 173 00:06:19,413 --> 00:06:20,793 And I'm gonna be meeting with Alina. 174 00:06:20,826 --> 00:06:22,481 And despite being only 25, 175 00:06:22,516 --> 00:06:24,343 she's one of the top sales associates. 176 00:06:24,379 --> 00:06:26,723 I'm really focused on bringing in new customers 177 00:06:26,757 --> 00:06:28,447 and we have to appeal to younger customers, 178 00:06:28,481 --> 00:06:31,757 so I'm really excited to learn from her today. 179 00:06:31,793 --> 00:06:33,654 All right, here we go. 180 00:06:33,689 --> 00:06:35,826 [sneaky music] 181 00:06:35,862 --> 00:06:37,240 Alina thinks I'm hoping to start 182 00:06:37,274 --> 00:06:39,033 a new career with U.S. Cellular 183 00:06:39,067 --> 00:06:41,620 and that I'm here for a day's training. 184 00:06:41,654 --> 00:06:43,793 - Hello. - Hey there, how are you? 185 00:06:43,826 --> 00:06:45,516 - I'm good, how are you? - I'm Matt. 186 00:06:45,550 --> 00:06:47,172 - Hi, Matt. I'm Alina. - Hey, Alina. 187 00:06:47,206 --> 00:06:48,586 - I will be working with you today. 188 00:06:48,620 --> 00:06:50,862 You will be shadowing me. 189 00:06:50,896 --> 00:06:54,103 So when Matt first walked in and I saw the facial hair, 190 00:06:54,137 --> 00:06:57,067 I feel like it's not a very modern style. 191 00:06:57,103 --> 00:06:58,481 [chuckles] 192 00:06:58,516 --> 00:07:01,206 - All right, I am changed. - All right. 193 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,896 I'm gonna show you what we do when greeting a customer. 194 00:07:03,930 --> 00:07:06,723 As they come in, you just want to welcome them to the store. 195 00:07:06,757 --> 00:07:08,413 And then we walk them over to the phones 196 00:07:08,447 --> 00:07:10,516 to find out what their need is. 197 00:07:10,550 --> 00:07:13,310 - I'm nervous. - You're gonna do great. 198 00:07:13,343 --> 00:07:14,620 - All right. - Do you want to go ahead 199 00:07:14,654 --> 00:07:15,689 and greet him? - Sure. 200 00:07:15,723 --> 00:07:17,033 How you doing, sir? I'm Matt. 201 00:07:17,067 --> 00:07:18,516 - Good. - Can I help you with anything? 202 00:07:19,481 --> 00:07:20,862 - Super. Let's have you come over here. 203 00:07:20,896 --> 00:07:22,172 - All righty. 204 00:07:22,206 --> 00:07:24,930 - So these are our latest models at the end here. 205 00:07:24,964 --> 00:07:26,550 These came out earlier this year. 206 00:07:26,586 --> 00:07:27,586 - A new customer's come in 207 00:07:27,620 --> 00:07:28,757 and we're walking through 208 00:07:28,793 --> 00:07:30,343 the different phone options. 209 00:07:30,379 --> 00:07:32,240 I pretty quickly get in over my head. 210 00:07:32,274 --> 00:07:33,481 - So your phone now probably has 211 00:07:33,516 --> 00:07:36,000 16 gigabytes of internal storage. 212 00:07:36,033 --> 00:07:38,586 This one would have 128. 213 00:07:38,620 --> 00:07:41,274 - So I just ended up waiting silently in the background 214 00:07:41,310 --> 00:07:43,447 trying not to seem too awkward. 215 00:07:43,481 --> 00:07:45,516 - This one is actually a 5G-capable device, 216 00:07:45,550 --> 00:07:46,965 so it's gonna have faster download 217 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,620 and installation speeds. 218 00:07:49,654 --> 00:07:51,000 - I'm impressed with Alina. 219 00:07:51,033 --> 00:07:52,862 She did an amazing job walking through 220 00:07:52,896 --> 00:07:54,447 all the new phones with the customer. 221 00:07:54,481 --> 00:07:55,896 - So it is their more premium side of their phone. 222 00:07:55,930 --> 00:07:57,757 So it is going to have a better processor 223 00:07:57,793 --> 00:07:58,965 and a better battery life. 224 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:00,000 - Let's go with this one. 225 00:08:00,033 --> 00:08:01,620 - She's a terrific sales associate. 226 00:08:01,654 --> 00:08:04,172 - You are on a little bit of an older plan, 227 00:08:04,206 --> 00:08:05,447 so we're going to hit select. 228 00:08:05,482 --> 00:08:06,550 - What are we doing right now? 229 00:08:06,586 --> 00:08:08,067 - Changing the plan. - Okay. 230 00:08:08,103 --> 00:08:10,033 - 'Cause we're not able to add the phone 231 00:08:10,067 --> 00:08:12,137 and change the plan at the same time, 232 00:08:12,172 --> 00:08:16,033 which does take a little bit of time. 233 00:08:16,067 --> 00:08:17,413 So this is searching for the phones 234 00:08:17,447 --> 00:08:20,103 that we actually have in the systems. 235 00:08:20,137 --> 00:08:21,620 Let me go back here and check. 236 00:08:21,654 --> 00:08:23,033 - After he selected a new phone, 237 00:08:23,067 --> 00:08:24,896 we went through the process of 238 00:08:24,930 --> 00:08:26,757 getting his line switched over, 239 00:08:26,793 --> 00:08:28,240 getting his new line activated. 240 00:08:28,274 --> 00:08:31,033 So you're having to kind of recreate his account 241 00:08:31,067 --> 00:08:32,033 on that spreadsheet? 242 00:08:32,067 --> 00:08:33,447 - Yes. - Okay. 243 00:08:33,481 --> 00:08:36,344 - And so every little drop-down has different options. 244 00:08:36,379 --> 00:08:37,481 - There's a lot of different steps. 245 00:08:37,517 --> 00:08:38,586 - Yes. 246 00:08:40,447 --> 00:08:42,136 - I could tell the customer was a little annoyed 247 00:08:42,172 --> 00:08:43,551 with how much time it was taking. 248 00:08:43,586 --> 00:08:44,826 You could see his fingers were tapping. 249 00:08:44,861 --> 00:08:46,344 He was ready to get on with his day. 250 00:08:46,379 --> 00:08:48,517 - So we're gonna hit select. - Change finance? 251 00:08:48,551 --> 00:08:50,481 - Yep. - Okay. 252 00:08:50,517 --> 00:08:52,206 The longer this transaction takes, 253 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:54,654 the more likely we are to lose other customers. 254 00:08:54,688 --> 00:08:56,895 - You have to unfortunately do it for every single one 255 00:08:56,931 --> 00:08:58,206 so we're gonna scroll down. 256 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,136 - And so far, it's taken almost an hour. 257 00:09:00,172 --> 00:09:01,895 - So we'll hit next. 258 00:09:01,931 --> 00:09:03,447 - That's unacceptable. 259 00:09:03,481 --> 00:09:04,826 announcer: Coming up... 260 00:09:04,861 --> 00:09:06,000 - Ooh, I'm shaking. 261 00:09:06,033 --> 00:09:08,033 announcer: LT confronts his fears. 262 00:09:08,067 --> 00:09:10,688 - This is M--Matt calling from U.S. Cellular. 263 00:09:10,724 --> 00:09:13,033 announcer: And faces of frontline emergency. 264 00:09:13,067 --> 00:09:15,000 [generator rumbling] 265 00:09:15,033 --> 00:09:16,758 - That's not good. - If the generator breaks, 266 00:09:16,793 --> 00:09:19,033 then the network's down. - Yeah, it's really bad. 267 00:09:28,102 --> 00:09:29,413 - It's my first day undercover 268 00:09:29,447 --> 00:09:31,413 in Des Moines, Iowa, working with Alina. 269 00:09:31,447 --> 00:09:34,861 - Everything has a six-digit little code there. 270 00:09:34,895 --> 00:09:37,379 - And I'm shocked that the sale of just one phone 271 00:09:37,413 --> 00:09:39,033 can take so much time. 272 00:09:39,067 --> 00:09:40,793 - So we're gonna scroll down. 273 00:09:40,826 --> 00:09:42,724 - As CEO, it was a little bit concerning to see 274 00:09:42,758 --> 00:09:44,447 all the different screens and steps 275 00:09:44,481 --> 00:09:46,033 she had to go through for a customer. 276 00:09:46,067 --> 00:09:47,517 - So we're gonna hit select. 277 00:09:47,551 --> 00:09:49,481 - It took a long time, too long. 278 00:09:49,517 --> 00:09:50,826 That's unacceptable. 279 00:09:50,861 --> 00:09:52,136 - Hope you have a good rest of your day. 280 00:09:52,172 --> 00:09:53,517 If you have any questions, my card's in the bag. 281 00:09:53,551 --> 00:09:54,793 - All right, thank you. 282 00:09:54,826 --> 00:09:56,102 - So how do you think that went? 283 00:09:56,136 --> 00:09:58,481 - I think that took, like, an hour or so. 284 00:09:58,517 --> 00:10:00,447 - Mm-hmm. - Is that pretty standard? 285 00:10:00,481 --> 00:10:02,309 - With existing customers. 286 00:10:02,344 --> 00:10:05,586 Newer customers can take closer to two hours. 287 00:10:05,620 --> 00:10:07,758 We could have maybe five, six people waiting. 288 00:10:07,793 --> 00:10:09,931 People get frustrated, could get up and leave. 289 00:10:09,965 --> 00:10:11,274 - Got it. - Yep. 290 00:10:11,309 --> 00:10:13,136 - I need to rethink everything that we're doing 291 00:10:13,172 --> 00:10:14,586 so that we can be faster. 292 00:10:14,620 --> 00:10:16,033 I want our sales process 293 00:10:16,067 --> 00:10:17,861 to be the fastest in the industry. 294 00:10:17,895 --> 00:10:20,688 [upbeat music] 295 00:10:20,724 --> 00:10:24,033 - So what we are going to be doing now 296 00:10:24,067 --> 00:10:26,861 is what we call calling campaigns. 297 00:10:26,895 --> 00:10:28,586 - All right. - To let any of the customers 298 00:10:28,620 --> 00:10:30,517 that we currently have know the offers 299 00:10:30,551 --> 00:10:31,758 that we have going on at the moment. 300 00:10:31,793 --> 00:10:34,309 - Okay. - So I will start. 301 00:10:34,344 --> 00:10:35,861 - Okay. - And then I will turn it over 302 00:10:35,895 --> 00:10:37,206 to you and let you make a few calls 303 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:38,861 if you feel comfortable with that. 304 00:10:39,895 --> 00:10:41,654 - I know all about this calling campaign. 305 00:10:41,688 --> 00:10:43,136 This was my idea. 306 00:10:43,172 --> 00:10:45,447 But this is the first time I've really seen it in action. 307 00:10:45,481 --> 00:10:47,551 - Hi, James, this is Alina from U.S. Cellular. 308 00:10:47,586 --> 00:10:49,481 How are you? I'm good. 309 00:10:49,517 --> 00:10:52,481 So I'm just reaching out to let you know you can add a line 310 00:10:52,517 --> 00:10:55,447 with the iPhone SE or $150 off an Android. 311 00:10:55,481 --> 00:10:58,172 Is that something you'd be interested in? 312 00:10:58,206 --> 00:10:59,861 All right, hope you have a good rest of your day. 313 00:10:59,895 --> 00:11:02,000 Bye-bye. 314 00:11:02,033 --> 00:11:03,826 Not interested. 315 00:11:03,861 --> 00:11:07,240 Do you want to try this next one? 316 00:11:07,274 --> 00:11:09,000 - [exhales] All right, here we go. 317 00:11:11,826 --> 00:11:13,965 Ooh, I'm shaking. Oh, my goodness, all right. 318 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,620 I meet with other CEOs. 319 00:11:15,654 --> 00:11:17,758 I meet with senators and congressmen. 320 00:11:17,793 --> 00:11:20,309 I've given speeches to thousands of people. 321 00:11:20,344 --> 00:11:22,136 But making these calls, I'm pretty nervous. 322 00:11:22,172 --> 00:11:25,172 [line ringing] 323 00:11:26,309 --> 00:11:27,654 Hi Lyle. 324 00:11:27,688 --> 00:11:30,447 This is Matt calling from U.S. Cellular. 325 00:11:30,481 --> 00:11:31,931 I just wanted to call and let you know 326 00:11:31,965 --> 00:11:36,793 that you can add any one of our Android phones for $150. 327 00:11:36,826 --> 00:11:39,102 - He definitely did make some mistakes. 328 00:11:39,136 --> 00:11:40,551 - Thanks, hope you have a great day. 329 00:11:40,586 --> 00:11:42,379 - He told somebody that they could get 330 00:11:42,413 --> 00:11:48,413 a new Android phone for $150, which is not a thing. 331 00:11:48,447 --> 00:11:49,965 It's 150 off. 332 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:51,033 - Off an Android. - Yes. 333 00:11:51,067 --> 00:11:52,826 - Whoops. - [laughs] 334 00:11:52,861 --> 00:11:54,965 - I may be setting a customer up for some disappointment 335 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,517 when they come into our store. 336 00:11:57,551 --> 00:12:00,033 - Hi, Corinne, this is Matt calling from U.S. Cellular. 337 00:12:00,067 --> 00:12:03,000 I think it's good to reach out to customers. 338 00:12:03,033 --> 00:12:04,309 Hi, Chris. 339 00:12:04,344 --> 00:12:05,344 But it's a little bit frustrating for me 340 00:12:05,379 --> 00:12:06,447 to have my phone calls 341 00:12:06,481 --> 00:12:08,481 always go to voicemail. 342 00:12:08,517 --> 00:12:09,758 Hey, Alyssa. 343 00:12:09,793 --> 00:12:11,481 Hi, Jolly. 344 00:12:11,517 --> 00:12:13,379 Hi, Kenneth. 345 00:12:15,102 --> 00:12:16,895 Well, they've all gone to voicemail. 346 00:12:16,931 --> 00:12:19,413 Is this kinda how it usually goes? 347 00:12:19,447 --> 00:12:21,067 - Yeah, and then the majority of time 348 00:12:21,102 --> 00:12:23,724 when they answer the call, they're not interested in it. 349 00:12:23,758 --> 00:12:27,654 People will even end up, like, blocking the number. 350 00:12:27,688 --> 00:12:29,758 - That's kinda counterproductive. 351 00:12:29,793 --> 00:12:31,551 Have you told anybody about this? 352 00:12:31,586 --> 00:12:34,309 - Yeah, so I have reached out to my manager 353 00:12:34,344 --> 00:12:35,654 and then my manager has actually 354 00:12:35,688 --> 00:12:36,931 reached out to her higher ups, 355 00:12:36,965 --> 00:12:39,826 but it hasn't really gotten anywhere. 356 00:12:39,861 --> 00:12:42,033 - I mean, you think there's a better way to go at this? 357 00:12:42,067 --> 00:12:43,654 - A lot of younger people, my age, 358 00:12:43,688 --> 00:12:46,481 we could target a lot more through social media, 359 00:12:46,517 --> 00:12:48,067 more through the streaming services 360 00:12:48,102 --> 00:12:49,586 to have commercials and stuff on that. 361 00:12:49,620 --> 00:12:51,931 I think that that would be a much better approach. 362 00:12:51,965 --> 00:12:53,000 - Yeah, it makes sense 363 00:12:53,033 --> 00:12:54,136 if you're trying to target younger folks. 364 00:12:54,172 --> 00:12:55,620 - Mm-hmm. - Okay. 365 00:12:55,654 --> 00:12:57,240 I think Alina's ideas are terrific. 366 00:12:57,274 --> 00:12:58,931 If we're gonna grow, we have to do it 367 00:12:58,965 --> 00:13:00,586 with a younger demographic. 368 00:13:00,620 --> 00:13:02,067 And to hear a younger employee 369 00:13:02,102 --> 00:13:04,136 has these great ideas for how to grow our business 370 00:13:04,172 --> 00:13:07,136 and they're not going anywhere, it's really disappointing. 371 00:13:08,688 --> 00:13:10,136 How long have you been here? 372 00:13:10,172 --> 00:13:11,826 - For about a year and a half. - Okay. 373 00:13:11,861 --> 00:13:14,447 - So when I did start here, I was just part-time 374 00:13:14,481 --> 00:13:17,102 but the stability was not there. 375 00:13:17,136 --> 00:13:19,447 And that's something I really strive for. 376 00:13:19,481 --> 00:13:22,413 And that's why I begged so hard to be full-time. 377 00:13:22,447 --> 00:13:23,931 - Sounds like that job stability 378 00:13:23,965 --> 00:13:25,620 is pretty important. - Mm-hmm. 379 00:13:25,654 --> 00:13:28,724 I need that stability because I've never had that. 380 00:13:28,758 --> 00:13:31,033 Growing up, people being in prison 381 00:13:31,067 --> 00:13:32,931 or people being addicted to drugs 382 00:13:32,965 --> 00:13:35,517 was pretty common in my life. 383 00:13:35,551 --> 00:13:37,724 So actually, when I was 16, 384 00:13:37,758 --> 00:13:42,067 I ended up emancipating myself and going out on my own. 385 00:13:42,102 --> 00:13:43,965 There was an incident that happened and 386 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,620 I was just like, "I'm done." I called my grandparents. 387 00:13:46,654 --> 00:13:48,000 I was like, "I don't know what to do anymore." 388 00:13:48,033 --> 00:13:49,586 Thankfully, my grandparents were actually 389 00:13:49,620 --> 00:13:51,033 willing to take me in. 390 00:13:51,067 --> 00:13:53,931 That next day, they had a lawyer come to my school. 391 00:13:53,965 --> 00:13:56,688 I signed the papers, they came and picked me up, 392 00:13:56,724 --> 00:13:59,033 I got all my stuff, and I left. 393 00:13:59,067 --> 00:14:00,344 - My goodness. 394 00:14:00,379 --> 00:14:03,758 - And I think if I didn't have them in my life-- 395 00:14:03,793 --> 00:14:05,931 sorry, I get a little emotional about it, 396 00:14:05,965 --> 00:14:08,102 but, like, if I didn't have them, 397 00:14:08,136 --> 00:14:10,067 I probably wouldn't be where I am. 398 00:14:10,102 --> 00:14:11,172 - I haven't heard stories like that before. 399 00:14:11,206 --> 00:14:13,000 It's really cool. - To work past it, 400 00:14:13,033 --> 00:14:14,793 you do have to be able to talk about it. 401 00:14:14,826 --> 00:14:17,758 - Yeah, you do. I mean, I think a lot of people 402 00:14:17,793 --> 00:14:19,551 close it off though, you know? - Mm-hmm. 403 00:14:19,586 --> 00:14:21,447 - And they keep it inside. 404 00:14:21,481 --> 00:14:23,136 I just think you're super brave for sharing it. 405 00:14:23,172 --> 00:14:24,965 - Thank you. I really appreciate it. 406 00:14:26,688 --> 00:14:29,379 - So I'm a father of two 14-year-old girls 407 00:14:29,413 --> 00:14:31,931 and it breaks my heart to think about 408 00:14:31,965 --> 00:14:33,758 what she was going through at 14. 409 00:14:33,793 --> 00:14:35,240 - All right. - All righty. 410 00:14:35,274 --> 00:14:38,136 The decisions that she's made at such a young age, 411 00:14:38,172 --> 00:14:40,724 now she's brought stability to her life. 412 00:14:40,758 --> 00:14:42,067 It's amazing. 413 00:14:42,102 --> 00:14:44,033 Alina, thanks so much for letting me shadow you today. 414 00:14:44,067 --> 00:14:45,033 I learned a ton. - Yeah. 415 00:14:45,067 --> 00:14:46,067 Thank you so much. Any time. 416 00:14:46,102 --> 00:14:48,240 - All right, take care. 417 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:50,861 I found out today that we have some opportunities 418 00:14:50,895 --> 00:14:53,758 to make our sales process work a lot more quickly. 419 00:14:53,793 --> 00:14:56,413 That we've got some work to do in our calling campaign. 420 00:14:56,447 --> 00:14:58,758 And we've got to improve our communications processes 421 00:14:58,793 --> 00:15:00,620 so that great people like Alina 422 00:15:00,654 --> 00:15:03,102 can get their voice heard at the top of the organization. 423 00:15:04,274 --> 00:15:07,240 [gentle music] 424 00:15:07,274 --> 00:15:08,758 ♪ 425 00:15:08,793 --> 00:15:11,758 [upbeat music] 426 00:15:11,793 --> 00:15:13,274 ♪ 427 00:15:13,309 --> 00:15:14,620 [alarm beeping] 428 00:15:14,654 --> 00:15:16,379 - I am not used to waking up this early, 429 00:15:16,413 --> 00:15:19,240 but you gotta do what you gotta do. 430 00:15:19,274 --> 00:15:21,895 So far, I've discovered that our in-store operations 431 00:15:21,931 --> 00:15:23,517 could still use improvement. 432 00:15:23,551 --> 00:15:24,654 But that's not the only area 433 00:15:24,688 --> 00:15:25,654 where I've made changes 434 00:15:25,688 --> 00:15:27,758 in the past year. 435 00:15:27,793 --> 00:15:30,067 I've put a lot of focus into expanding 5G 436 00:15:30,102 --> 00:15:31,586 and improving our network. 437 00:15:31,620 --> 00:15:33,654 I want to find out if our frontline workers 438 00:15:33,688 --> 00:15:35,826 are ready for this expansion. 439 00:15:35,861 --> 00:15:38,793 So today, I'm gonna be shadowing Kyron. 440 00:15:38,826 --> 00:15:40,758 Kyron's one of our network engineers. 441 00:15:40,793 --> 00:15:42,758 ♪ 442 00:15:42,793 --> 00:15:44,379 U.S. Cellular prides itself 443 00:15:44,413 --> 00:15:46,758 on serving out-of-the-way places. 444 00:15:46,793 --> 00:15:48,793 And so, Kyron's got a tough job. 445 00:15:48,826 --> 00:15:50,793 I know it isn't easy, but I want to find out 446 00:15:50,826 --> 00:15:52,758 the real challenges of the job. 447 00:15:58,136 --> 00:15:59,895 How you doing? - Hey, how's it going? 448 00:15:59,931 --> 00:16:01,931 - I'm good. I'm Matt. - Matt, Kyron. 449 00:16:01,965 --> 00:16:03,413 Nice to meet you, man. - Great to meet you as well. 450 00:16:03,447 --> 00:16:04,793 Thanks for letting me shadow you today. 451 00:16:04,826 --> 00:16:06,379 - What made you want to-- want to do this, man? 452 00:16:06,413 --> 00:16:07,931 - I'm going through a couple of different jobs 453 00:16:07,965 --> 00:16:09,136 to see what they're like, so-- 454 00:16:09,172 --> 00:16:10,688 - You done anything like this before? 455 00:16:10,724 --> 00:16:11,826 - Never. - No? 456 00:16:11,861 --> 00:16:13,481 - No, this is gonna be brand new for me. 457 00:16:13,517 --> 00:16:15,102 - You're gonna love it, man. - What are we gonna do? 458 00:16:15,136 --> 00:16:16,861 - We're gonna go up here to the cell site 459 00:16:16,895 --> 00:16:18,206 up this mountain 460 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,931 on this ATV right here. 461 00:16:22,826 --> 00:16:24,895 Hopefully, we'll be able to make it all the way up safely. 462 00:16:24,931 --> 00:16:26,102 I hope I don't scare you on this one. 463 00:16:26,136 --> 00:16:27,447 - Well, definitely, this looks a little-- 464 00:16:27,481 --> 00:16:28,826 it looks a little scary. 465 00:16:28,861 --> 00:16:30,206 - When I told him that we were gonna go up 466 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:31,413 to the top of the mountain and he looked up, 467 00:16:31,447 --> 00:16:33,586 I think he dropped a deuce. 468 00:16:33,620 --> 00:16:34,861 It's kinda funny. 469 00:16:34,895 --> 00:16:36,688 You ever been on one of these? - Nope. 470 00:16:36,724 --> 00:16:39,136 - Don't scream in my ear. - I swear I will not. 471 00:16:39,172 --> 00:16:40,586 - All right, let's do it. 472 00:16:40,620 --> 00:16:43,586 [upbeat rock music] 473 00:16:43,620 --> 00:16:47,379 ♪ 474 00:16:47,413 --> 00:16:49,379 Big dip. - Okay. 475 00:16:49,413 --> 00:16:51,517 - Oh, you good? 476 00:16:51,551 --> 00:16:52,861 All right, here's where it gets rough. 477 00:16:52,895 --> 00:16:54,000 - Yeah. 478 00:16:54,033 --> 00:16:56,379 ♪ 479 00:16:56,413 --> 00:16:57,895 - Going up this mountain is pretty tricky. 480 00:16:57,931 --> 00:17:00,620 I had to grab on a few times. 481 00:17:00,654 --> 00:17:02,481 - Whoo! 482 00:17:02,517 --> 00:17:05,931 ♪ 483 00:17:05,964 --> 00:17:09,964 We made it. - Man, look at this! 484 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:11,344 This is gorgeous up here. 485 00:17:11,378 --> 00:17:13,309 - You know, we serve all this. 486 00:17:13,344 --> 00:17:14,654 And you see that house way over there? 487 00:17:14,689 --> 00:17:15,758 - Sure. - Without us, 488 00:17:15,792 --> 00:17:17,103 without this tower being up, 489 00:17:17,136 --> 00:17:18,448 that house doesn't have service. 490 00:17:18,481 --> 00:17:20,034 It means something to me 'cause it's bringing service 491 00:17:20,067 --> 00:17:23,000 to someone who otherwise wouldn't have it. 492 00:17:23,034 --> 00:17:25,586 Time to get to work. - Let's do it. 493 00:17:27,067 --> 00:17:29,654 - So what we're gonna do today is to make sure that 494 00:17:29,689 --> 00:17:31,172 the site is up and running 495 00:17:31,205 --> 00:17:33,689 and that there's no issues within the site. 496 00:17:33,723 --> 00:17:35,413 There's something that we got to check 497 00:17:35,448 --> 00:17:36,654 and that's the generator right here. 498 00:17:36,689 --> 00:17:37,931 - All right. 499 00:17:37,964 --> 00:17:40,067 - So this generator is super important 500 00:17:40,103 --> 00:17:42,895 because when we lose power, the generators kick on. 501 00:17:42,931 --> 00:17:44,240 It's probably like three days 502 00:17:44,275 --> 00:17:45,413 that it could keep the site running. 503 00:17:45,448 --> 00:17:46,550 - So if the generator breaks, 504 00:17:46,586 --> 00:17:48,378 none of that works now. - For sure. 505 00:17:48,413 --> 00:17:49,413 If there's no power to the equipment, 506 00:17:49,448 --> 00:17:51,103 this tower goes down, the people, 507 00:17:51,136 --> 00:17:52,619 they don't have any lines of communication. 508 00:17:52,654 --> 00:17:53,723 - Sure. - Yep. 509 00:17:53,758 --> 00:17:55,240 So we wanna make sure this is running. 510 00:17:55,275 --> 00:17:57,619 To start real simple, we hit this run. 511 00:17:57,654 --> 00:18:01,000 - All right, run. [engine rumbling] 512 00:18:02,448 --> 00:18:05,103 - When you turn it on, you hear clink, clink, clink, 513 00:18:05,136 --> 00:18:06,275 and that's not good. 514 00:18:06,309 --> 00:18:09,413 [engine struggling to start] 515 00:18:12,792 --> 00:18:16,067 - Power cuts in remote areas like this are not uncommon, 516 00:18:16,103 --> 00:18:19,240 so this backup generator needs to be working. 517 00:18:21,550 --> 00:18:24,448 - So right now, well, I gotta be honest, 518 00:18:24,481 --> 00:18:25,550 it's really bad. 519 00:18:25,586 --> 00:18:27,000 Hit that. 520 00:18:27,034 --> 00:18:29,550 - I came here today to see how this site runs. 521 00:18:29,586 --> 00:18:30,758 - We gotta take care of this. 522 00:18:30,792 --> 00:18:32,034 - I didn't expect to find myself 523 00:18:32,067 --> 00:18:34,586 in the middle of a technical emergency. 524 00:18:34,619 --> 00:18:35,964 - Come on. 525 00:18:45,172 --> 00:18:47,481 [tense music] 526 00:18:47,517 --> 00:18:49,172 - It's my second day undercover. 527 00:18:49,205 --> 00:18:51,309 I'm working with Kyron in rural Maine. 528 00:18:51,344 --> 00:18:52,586 - All right. 529 00:18:52,619 --> 00:18:53,826 - And a critical generator 530 00:18:53,862 --> 00:18:54,895 at one of our cell towers 531 00:18:54,931 --> 00:18:56,103 is failing to start. 532 00:18:56,136 --> 00:19:00,000 [engine rumbling] 533 00:19:00,034 --> 00:19:01,931 - What happens is sometimes 534 00:19:01,964 --> 00:19:04,034 it gets real cold and that's not good. 535 00:19:04,067 --> 00:19:05,964 - All right, here we go. 536 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,481 [engine struggling to start] 537 00:19:09,517 --> 00:19:12,136 - It's cold, it's cold. 538 00:19:12,172 --> 00:19:14,413 - It's thinking about it. - It's thinking. 539 00:19:14,448 --> 00:19:15,826 - All right. - Oh, oh, there it goes. 540 00:19:15,862 --> 00:19:18,205 Whoo! - Hey! 541 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:19,378 - There it is! 542 00:19:19,413 --> 00:19:20,758 So now we know it's running. 543 00:19:20,792 --> 00:19:22,964 We usually let it heat up for 15 minutes. 544 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:24,586 - All right. 545 00:19:24,619 --> 00:19:25,826 - Right, we're good. 546 00:19:25,862 --> 00:19:28,000 You don't see any lights flashing, you're good. 547 00:19:28,034 --> 00:19:31,240 - You're all done, all right. - Yep, we close this up. 548 00:19:31,275 --> 00:19:33,309 Let's go. 549 00:19:33,344 --> 00:19:34,619 So we're gonna make sure that we do 550 00:19:34,654 --> 00:19:35,964 the maintenance stuff right now, 551 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:37,931 and we're gonna start with some battery testing. 552 00:19:37,964 --> 00:19:39,309 - Let's get to work. - Okay. 553 00:19:39,344 --> 00:19:42,413 Take those plastic covers off. 554 00:19:42,448 --> 00:19:44,067 - All of 'em? - Yes. 555 00:19:44,103 --> 00:19:45,758 Let's do it. Grab this one. - Yeah. 556 00:19:45,792 --> 00:19:47,550 - And grabbed this one and all you do 557 00:19:47,586 --> 00:19:49,275 is just push down and hold it. 558 00:19:49,309 --> 00:19:51,517 - Right there? - Yep. 559 00:19:51,550 --> 00:19:53,136 And now you can take it off. 560 00:19:53,172 --> 00:19:55,240 109%, that's good. 561 00:19:55,275 --> 00:19:57,826 - I'm impressed by Kyron. He knows his stuff. 562 00:19:57,862 --> 00:20:00,103 - So you gotta do the same for each one. 563 00:20:00,136 --> 00:20:02,344 - He's a very knowledgeable engineer. 564 00:20:02,378 --> 00:20:04,240 - 2-1-1-1. 565 00:20:04,275 --> 00:20:05,723 Look at that, you don't even need me. 566 00:20:05,758 --> 00:20:07,895 - I don't know about that. 567 00:20:07,931 --> 00:20:09,654 - "Test complete," perfect. 568 00:20:09,689 --> 00:20:12,481 So the next thing right here is the CDMA. 569 00:20:12,517 --> 00:20:15,758 It handles the high-speed data but it's the old 3G. 570 00:20:15,792 --> 00:20:17,481 And now, everyone wants 5G. 571 00:20:17,517 --> 00:20:19,205 - There's no 5G here yet. 572 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,240 - Right now, this site hasn't been modernized yet. 573 00:20:21,275 --> 00:20:22,792 - Got it. - But it will be 574 00:20:22,826 --> 00:20:24,689 coming this year. When that all happens, 575 00:20:24,723 --> 00:20:28,034 my workload is gonna increase a ton. 576 00:20:28,067 --> 00:20:32,103 Right now, my workload is 635 sites. 577 00:20:32,136 --> 00:20:35,309 When 5G comes, my workload can go to 578 00:20:35,344 --> 00:20:37,550 2,635 sites. 579 00:20:37,586 --> 00:20:39,275 - Wow. 580 00:20:39,309 --> 00:20:41,275 - Over three states. - Wow. 581 00:20:41,309 --> 00:20:42,723 - I don't even want to think about the number 582 00:20:42,758 --> 00:20:44,034 'cause it hurts my head. 583 00:20:44,067 --> 00:20:46,758 More sites, it's obviously just gonna make me 584 00:20:46,792 --> 00:20:48,378 have to work faster, 585 00:20:48,413 --> 00:20:49,931 try and put more time in. 586 00:20:49,964 --> 00:20:52,723 But I'm already at-- running at max right now. 587 00:20:52,758 --> 00:20:53,826 - This is a worry. 588 00:20:53,862 --> 00:20:56,172 5G is a huge positive for our company. 589 00:20:56,205 --> 00:20:58,413 It's a huge positive for our customers. 590 00:20:58,448 --> 00:21:01,862 What concerns me is that when we move to 5G, 591 00:21:01,895 --> 00:21:04,654 he's gonna have so many more sites to take care of. 592 00:21:04,689 --> 00:21:07,240 We've already been working on plans to ease the load, 593 00:21:07,275 --> 00:21:08,792 but after meeting Kyron, 594 00:21:08,826 --> 00:21:10,378 I realize we need to do more. 595 00:21:10,413 --> 00:21:12,136 - I got some computer work to do, 596 00:21:12,172 --> 00:21:13,344 but I got a job for you. 597 00:21:13,378 --> 00:21:15,550 You're gonna take this filter 598 00:21:15,586 --> 00:21:17,758 and swap it out with this old filter that's in here 599 00:21:17,792 --> 00:21:20,550 because over time, it gets dirty. 600 00:21:21,689 --> 00:21:23,240 - Ugh! - Okay. 601 00:21:23,275 --> 00:21:24,826 - That's a lot of flies. 602 00:21:24,862 --> 00:21:27,758 - Yeah, flies get stuck in all sorts of places. 603 00:21:27,792 --> 00:21:29,481 - Oh, God! 604 00:21:29,517 --> 00:21:30,895 So I'm opening the vent 605 00:21:30,931 --> 00:21:33,792 and a whole bunch of flies come popping out of there. 606 00:21:33,826 --> 00:21:35,103 - And you're gonna want to pull this out. 607 00:21:35,136 --> 00:21:37,000 Because if there's flies here-- 608 00:21:37,034 --> 00:21:39,103 both: There's gonna be a lot flies in there. 609 00:21:39,136 --> 00:21:40,205 - Probably the most flies I've seen 610 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,136 in one place in a long time. 611 00:21:42,172 --> 00:21:44,413 - Get 'em all out, get 'em all out. 612 00:21:44,448 --> 00:21:45,619 You know how to work a broom? 613 00:21:45,654 --> 00:21:47,172 - I know how to work a broom. - Awesome. 614 00:21:47,205 --> 00:21:48,792 Let's go, Cinderella. - Let's--[chuckles] 615 00:21:48,826 --> 00:21:51,136 Let's do it. [laughs] 616 00:21:51,172 --> 00:21:52,931 As the CEO of a company, it's been a little while 617 00:21:52,964 --> 00:21:54,517 since I've been sweeping up dead flies. 618 00:21:54,550 --> 00:21:57,931 Good reminder about what really goes on in the field. 619 00:21:57,964 --> 00:21:59,758 - You know I usually work alone, 620 00:21:59,792 --> 00:22:01,172 but I feel I can get used to this. 621 00:22:01,205 --> 00:22:02,895 - [chuckles] 622 00:22:02,931 --> 00:22:05,136 - We'll wrap up, pack up, and we're out of here. 623 00:22:05,172 --> 00:22:07,792 - Let's head down. 624 00:22:09,067 --> 00:22:10,275 These remote sites, 625 00:22:10,309 --> 00:22:11,895 they require a huge amount of time, 626 00:22:11,931 --> 00:22:13,931 a huge amount of effort to maintain. 627 00:22:13,964 --> 00:22:15,309 I don't think I fully appreciated that 628 00:22:15,344 --> 00:22:17,895 until I spent some time with Kyron today. 629 00:22:20,205 --> 00:22:22,205 - All right, well, here you go. 630 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,034 - Appreciate you. - Yeah. 631 00:22:24,067 --> 00:22:25,895 Awesome. - That was a good day. 632 00:22:25,931 --> 00:22:27,205 - It was a good day, man. 633 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:28,758 So where are you from? 634 00:22:28,792 --> 00:22:29,931 - I grew up in Texas. 635 00:22:29,964 --> 00:22:31,378 - I like this, I like this. 636 00:22:31,413 --> 00:22:33,448 'Cause I was born in Texas. Cowboys fan? 637 00:22:33,481 --> 00:22:35,586 - I am a Cowboys fan. - Oh, I love you, man. 638 00:22:35,619 --> 00:22:37,136 - Yeah, I am a Cowboys fan. 639 00:22:37,172 --> 00:22:38,413 - Oh, I knew there was something about you. 640 00:22:38,448 --> 00:22:40,826 - It was really cool to learn about the job. 641 00:22:40,862 --> 00:22:42,378 It must be a lot of time on the road. 642 00:22:42,413 --> 00:22:45,758 - This job is, like, a week, a month away from the family. 643 00:22:45,792 --> 00:22:48,586 - Do you think that that 5G expansion 644 00:22:48,619 --> 00:22:50,826 we talked about is gonna require 645 00:22:50,862 --> 00:22:52,344 more time away from home? - Without a doubt. 646 00:22:52,378 --> 00:22:54,448 It's definitely gonna be a lot more time away. 647 00:22:54,481 --> 00:22:57,067 But the thing is I have seven kids, man. 648 00:22:57,103 --> 00:22:58,931 - You have seven kids. - Yes, I do. 649 00:22:58,964 --> 00:23:00,448 I have four kids with my first wife 650 00:23:00,481 --> 00:23:01,689 and then my wife that I married 651 00:23:01,723 --> 00:23:04,172 had a son so that's the fifth. 652 00:23:04,205 --> 00:23:05,758 And then my wife and I 653 00:23:05,792 --> 00:23:09,103 became foster parents to my niece and nephew. 654 00:23:09,136 --> 00:23:11,344 - You became foster parents after having five kids? 655 00:23:11,378 --> 00:23:14,309 - Yeah, yeah, my wife's sister and 656 00:23:14,344 --> 00:23:17,103 her--her husband just-- they--they had a lot of issues 657 00:23:17,136 --> 00:23:21,034 and they ended up losing custody of my niece and nephew. 658 00:23:21,067 --> 00:23:23,723 And so, we were like, "You know, we'll take 'em 659 00:23:23,758 --> 00:23:25,344 and, you know, we'll raise 'em over here. 660 00:23:25,378 --> 00:23:26,723 - My goodness, man. - Yeah. 661 00:23:26,758 --> 00:23:28,517 - That's a lot to take on. - It is, it is. 662 00:23:28,550 --> 00:23:30,619 But like I said, it's--it's your family. 663 00:23:30,654 --> 00:23:33,000 - So a bunch of time on the road, 664 00:23:33,034 --> 00:23:34,689 week gone from the family. 665 00:23:34,723 --> 00:23:36,413 When you do have spare time, like, 666 00:23:36,448 --> 00:23:37,689 what do you do in your spare time? 667 00:23:37,723 --> 00:23:38,862 - I volunteer time 668 00:23:38,895 --> 00:23:41,586 at a foundation for wounded warriors. 669 00:23:41,619 --> 00:23:44,034 It's called the Travis Mills Foundations. 670 00:23:44,067 --> 00:23:47,448 It's a resort and what they do is they have the families come 671 00:23:47,481 --> 00:23:49,448 and they do all these activities for the kids. 672 00:23:49,481 --> 00:23:51,103 For me, it's--I mean, it's a great thing, like, 673 00:23:51,136 --> 00:23:54,964 to give back to people who serve is--is amazing. 674 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,378 - I served in the Marine Corps for five years 675 00:23:57,413 --> 00:24:00,034 so the fact that Kyron takes time to serve wounded warriors 676 00:24:00,067 --> 00:24:01,619 is just absolutely amazing, 677 00:24:01,654 --> 00:24:04,034 especially given the amount of time he spends with his family 678 00:24:04,067 --> 00:24:05,862 and the time he has to spend professionally. 679 00:24:05,895 --> 00:24:07,172 I don't know how he juggles it all. 680 00:24:07,205 --> 00:24:09,550 - Hey, you did a great job and I really wish you 681 00:24:09,586 --> 00:24:11,034 the best of luck on your journey. 682 00:24:11,067 --> 00:24:12,413 - Thank you so much, my friend. - For sure. 683 00:24:12,448 --> 00:24:14,309 - Take care. - Take care. 684 00:24:14,344 --> 00:24:16,034 - Learned a lot from Kyron today. 685 00:24:16,067 --> 00:24:19,136 It's frustrating to me that our focus on 5G 686 00:24:19,172 --> 00:24:20,826 makes him worry that he might have to 687 00:24:20,862 --> 00:24:22,240 spend more time away from his family. 688 00:24:22,275 --> 00:24:23,826 It makes me worry we might lose him 689 00:24:23,862 --> 00:24:25,136 or people like him. 690 00:24:25,172 --> 00:24:26,448 I don't want that. 691 00:24:26,481 --> 00:24:28,413 We need to keep that workload manageable, 692 00:24:28,448 --> 00:24:30,067 and I've got some work to do on that. 693 00:24:35,448 --> 00:24:36,413 announcer: Coming up. 694 00:24:36,448 --> 00:24:37,931 The boss faces a roadblock 695 00:24:37,964 --> 00:24:39,172 in his growth plans. 696 00:24:39,205 --> 00:24:41,172 - We've run out of stock several times 697 00:24:41,205 --> 00:24:42,723 so we have lost customers. 698 00:24:42,758 --> 00:24:43,931 - It was tough to hear 699 00:24:43,964 --> 00:24:45,723 that we've lost sales to the competition 700 00:24:45,758 --> 00:24:47,550 because we didn't have the right phones in inventory. 701 00:24:56,275 --> 00:24:58,758 [upbeat music] 702 00:24:58,792 --> 00:25:00,619 - I've been disappointed to find out that 703 00:25:00,654 --> 00:25:02,586 some of my recent changes to the business 704 00:25:02,619 --> 00:25:04,000 still need work. 705 00:25:04,034 --> 00:25:05,862 But I will always strive to find new ways 706 00:25:05,895 --> 00:25:08,654 for us to grow. 707 00:25:08,689 --> 00:25:09,964 Now I'm in Oklahoma City 708 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,240 to check out one of our prepaid stores. 709 00:25:12,275 --> 00:25:14,586 Prepaid acts as a pay-as-you-go service. 710 00:25:14,619 --> 00:25:16,103 It doesn't require the customer to commit 711 00:25:16,136 --> 00:25:17,792 to a regular contract 712 00:25:17,826 --> 00:25:20,517 so it can be a more flexible or affordable option. 713 00:25:20,550 --> 00:25:22,792 These stores are a new venture for U.S. Cellular 714 00:25:22,826 --> 00:25:24,792 and it's in a trial phase right now. 715 00:25:24,826 --> 00:25:26,034 So I'm meeting Marco, the manager 716 00:25:26,067 --> 00:25:27,723 of three prepaid stores. 717 00:25:27,758 --> 00:25:29,654 I want to see if this trial has a future. 718 00:25:35,448 --> 00:25:36,964 How's it going? 719 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,481 - Hey, what's up? I'm Marco. 720 00:25:38,517 --> 00:25:40,378 - Hey, Marco, I'm Matt. - What's up? 721 00:25:40,413 --> 00:25:41,964 So I'm gonna be training you today. 722 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,448 - Sounds great. - Got your stuff in the back. 723 00:25:43,481 --> 00:25:45,654 - Let's go. 724 00:25:47,689 --> 00:25:49,136 All right, I'm ready. - All right. 725 00:25:49,172 --> 00:25:51,550 So how we typically start our day 726 00:25:51,586 --> 00:25:53,931 is we want to make sure we check inventory. 727 00:25:53,964 --> 00:25:55,619 Obviously, if we're running a special, 728 00:25:55,654 --> 00:25:57,034 we don't want to tell our customers, 729 00:25:57,067 --> 00:25:59,034 "Hey, you know, we have a great deal on this device" 730 00:25:59,067 --> 00:26:00,517 and have us not have any. 731 00:26:00,550 --> 00:26:02,517 - So have you ever run out of one of these phones? 732 00:26:02,550 --> 00:26:05,309 - Yeah, we've run out of stock several different times. 733 00:26:05,344 --> 00:26:07,723 - Like what happens if you don't have the phone in stock? 734 00:26:07,758 --> 00:26:09,344 - We have lost customers 735 00:26:09,378 --> 00:26:10,619 because we didn't have the device 736 00:26:10,654 --> 00:26:13,275 that they were looking at. 737 00:26:13,309 --> 00:26:14,758 The main challenge with it is 738 00:26:14,792 --> 00:26:16,689 that we don't have a direct person to contact 739 00:26:16,723 --> 00:26:19,103 on the inventory side for prepaid. 740 00:26:19,136 --> 00:26:21,309 So we do our best to send out emails 741 00:26:21,344 --> 00:26:23,034 to whoever we think can help us, 742 00:26:23,067 --> 00:26:26,964 maybe a generic device analyst, and request some phones. 743 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,344 That could take a couple of days 744 00:26:28,378 --> 00:26:30,034 and then they'd replied back say, 745 00:26:30,067 --> 00:26:31,448 "Hey, what phones do you need?" 746 00:26:31,481 --> 00:26:34,826 And the whole process could take a week, maybe two. 747 00:26:34,862 --> 00:26:36,517 - It was tough to hear that we've lost sales 748 00:26:36,550 --> 00:26:38,034 to the competition because we didn't have 749 00:26:38,067 --> 00:26:39,378 the right phones in inventory. 750 00:26:39,413 --> 00:26:40,619 All right. 751 00:26:40,654 --> 00:26:42,309 We can't expect this expansion 752 00:26:42,344 --> 00:26:44,895 into prepaid-only locations to work 753 00:26:44,931 --> 00:26:46,619 if customers are coming into the store 754 00:26:46,654 --> 00:26:48,689 and the phones they want aren't there. 755 00:26:48,723 --> 00:26:50,205 - All right. So I'm gonna tell you 756 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,067 a little bit about our accessories. 757 00:26:52,103 --> 00:26:54,344 So the wall does look really pretty, 758 00:26:54,378 --> 00:26:55,895 however, a lot of these cases 759 00:26:55,931 --> 00:26:59,758 don't actually fit the devices we carry. 760 00:26:59,792 --> 00:27:01,758 We do have this device in stock. 761 00:27:01,792 --> 00:27:03,689 However, all these other cases that you see, 762 00:27:03,723 --> 00:27:06,586 they do not fit any devices. 763 00:27:06,619 --> 00:27:08,619 - Do you get paid for selling accessories? 764 00:27:08,654 --> 00:27:10,654 - You get 15% off the total amount 765 00:27:10,689 --> 00:27:12,895 on top of your hourly wage. - Okay. 766 00:27:12,931 --> 00:27:14,481 - So it has been a struggle and a challenge 767 00:27:14,517 --> 00:27:16,378 just because we're very limited on 768 00:27:16,413 --> 00:27:18,550 what we do actually have in stock. 769 00:27:18,586 --> 00:27:20,172 - For our team, selling accessories 770 00:27:20,205 --> 00:27:22,000 is a key part of how they get paid. 771 00:27:22,034 --> 00:27:23,309 It was difficult to hear that 772 00:27:23,344 --> 00:27:24,723 a lot of times they don't have 773 00:27:24,758 --> 00:27:26,586 the right accessories for the right phone. 774 00:27:26,619 --> 00:27:27,964 That means you can't make a sale. 775 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,689 These prepaid-only stores are still in a trial period, 776 00:27:30,723 --> 00:27:32,240 but I can tell they need some more attention. 777 00:27:35,034 --> 00:27:37,309 - As you notice, it is a little bit slow out there. 778 00:27:37,344 --> 00:27:39,034 I would like to go out into the community 779 00:27:39,067 --> 00:27:40,964 to try and drive business, if you don't mind. 780 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:42,619 - Sounds great to me. - Awesome, let's go. 781 00:27:42,654 --> 00:27:43,895 - Let's do it. 782 00:27:43,931 --> 00:27:46,826 [upbeat rock music] 783 00:27:46,862 --> 00:27:50,481 ♪ 784 00:27:50,517 --> 00:27:53,000 - A lot of our customers use the bus system 785 00:27:53,034 --> 00:27:55,758 as their only means of transportation. 786 00:27:55,792 --> 00:27:58,275 So we're heading to local bus stops 787 00:27:58,309 --> 00:28:00,344 to pass out some goodie bags. 788 00:28:00,378 --> 00:28:02,103 These are things that I thought would be really helpful. 789 00:28:02,136 --> 00:28:03,895 Some hand sanitizer, 790 00:28:03,931 --> 00:28:06,344 a couple of snacks for the bus ride. 791 00:28:06,378 --> 00:28:07,517 - That's smart, man. 792 00:28:07,550 --> 00:28:09,654 - The coolest part inside those bags 793 00:28:09,689 --> 00:28:11,136 is a U.S. Cellular flyer. 794 00:28:11,172 --> 00:28:12,448 So if you bring it back into the store, 795 00:28:12,481 --> 00:28:14,067 we do give you a discount. 796 00:28:14,103 --> 00:28:15,517 So it's just more of an incentive 797 00:28:15,550 --> 00:28:17,448 to get customers back into the store. 798 00:28:17,481 --> 00:28:20,550 - You just dream this up? - Yeah, I always try and 799 00:28:20,586 --> 00:28:22,240 give something to the community. 800 00:28:22,275 --> 00:28:23,378 - Right on. 801 00:28:23,413 --> 00:28:25,550 I was blown away with Marco's initiative 802 00:28:25,586 --> 00:28:26,689 to grow the business. 803 00:28:26,723 --> 00:28:27,826 It's a great idea, I love it. 804 00:28:27,862 --> 00:28:29,240 Getting out in the community, 805 00:28:29,275 --> 00:28:31,172 drumming up enthusiasm and awareness 806 00:28:31,205 --> 00:28:32,723 for U.S. Cellular, 807 00:28:32,758 --> 00:28:35,034 that's how you grow a business locally. 808 00:28:35,067 --> 00:28:38,205 - You got the cooler? - I'll get it. 809 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:39,205 Let's do it. - All right, let's go. 810 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,931 - All right. 811 00:28:41,964 --> 00:28:43,000 Hey there. How you doing? 812 00:28:43,034 --> 00:28:44,344 - Hey! - Good, how are you doing? 813 00:28:44,378 --> 00:28:45,723 - We're from U.S. Cellular. We're just handing out 814 00:28:45,758 --> 00:28:47,103 some goodie bags. Would you like one? 815 00:28:47,136 --> 00:28:48,895 - Yes. 816 00:28:48,931 --> 00:28:50,275 - How about a drink? Would you like a drink? 817 00:28:50,309 --> 00:28:52,067 - Yeah, if you got one. - I sure do. 818 00:28:52,103 --> 00:28:53,378 Take your pick. 819 00:28:53,413 --> 00:28:55,034 - Thank you, sir. - You ever need any service, 820 00:28:55,067 --> 00:28:56,517 come see us. - Okay, good. 821 00:28:56,550 --> 00:28:58,586 - When it came to approaching people at the bus stop, 822 00:28:58,619 --> 00:29:00,619 he did phenomenal, honestly. 823 00:29:00,654 --> 00:29:02,413 He hit the ground running. 824 00:29:02,448 --> 00:29:03,413 Hey, what's up, man? 825 00:29:03,448 --> 00:29:04,550 - Hey, we're from U.S. Cellular. 826 00:29:04,586 --> 00:29:05,792 We're just handed out some goodie bags. 827 00:29:05,826 --> 00:29:06,964 Would you like one? - Yeah. 828 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:08,586 - All right, here you go. 829 00:29:08,619 --> 00:29:12,000 When I rebranded U.S. Cellular as "locally grown wireless," 830 00:29:12,034 --> 00:29:14,000 my goal was giving people on the ground floor 831 00:29:14,034 --> 00:29:16,034 that are closest to the customer 832 00:29:16,067 --> 00:29:18,275 the power to make decisions on how to grow the business. 833 00:29:18,309 --> 00:29:19,550 Hey, we're from U.S. Cellular. 834 00:29:19,586 --> 00:29:20,826 We're just handing out some goodie bags 835 00:29:20,862 --> 00:29:22,000 for folks on their bus ride today. 836 00:29:22,034 --> 00:29:23,689 Can I give you one? - Sure. 837 00:29:23,723 --> 00:29:24,895 - I can't think of a better person 838 00:29:24,931 --> 00:29:27,000 to represent our rebranding efforts, 839 00:29:27,034 --> 00:29:29,931 "locally grown wireless," than Marco. 840 00:29:29,964 --> 00:29:32,172 He lives and breathes it. 841 00:29:32,205 --> 00:29:33,413 - That--that was nice. - Thanks, brother. 842 00:29:33,448 --> 00:29:35,689 - That's exactly what we're looking for. 843 00:29:36,517 --> 00:29:38,619 All right, so I am pretty hungry. 844 00:29:38,654 --> 00:29:40,309 Do you want to get dinner with me and my girlfriend? 845 00:29:40,344 --> 00:29:43,067 - I don't wanna, like, interrupt romantic time, man. 846 00:29:43,103 --> 00:29:44,862 - No, not at all. - I'd be honored to, man. 847 00:29:44,895 --> 00:29:47,034 Thank you for the invite. - Awesome, sweet. 848 00:29:47,067 --> 00:29:49,689 [gentle music] 849 00:29:49,723 --> 00:29:50,862 - Hey there. - Hi. 850 00:29:50,895 --> 00:29:52,000 - How are you? - Good, how are you? 851 00:29:52,034 --> 00:29:53,034 - I'm Matt. - I'm Paige. 852 00:29:53,067 --> 00:29:54,862 - Hey, Paige, great to meet you. 853 00:29:54,895 --> 00:29:56,481 So how do you think I did today? Was it all right? 854 00:29:56,517 --> 00:29:57,931 - Yeah, I mean, you killed it. 855 00:29:57,964 --> 00:29:59,136 - He was a great coach today. 856 00:29:59,172 --> 00:30:00,792 You'd have been proud of him. 857 00:30:00,826 --> 00:30:01,931 So how long you been together? 858 00:30:01,964 --> 00:30:03,619 - About two years. - Right on. 859 00:30:03,654 --> 00:30:05,309 - So I don't know if you noticed, 860 00:30:05,344 --> 00:30:07,654 but we are expecting our baby. 861 00:30:07,689 --> 00:30:09,723 - Oh, my gosh, congratulations! - Thank you. 862 00:30:09,758 --> 00:30:11,103 -In June. - June's exciting. 863 00:30:11,136 --> 00:30:12,205 - June 1st. - Yeah. 864 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:13,895 - Do you know if it's a boy or a girl? 865 00:30:13,931 --> 00:30:15,517 - A boy, yeah. - A boy? 866 00:30:15,550 --> 00:30:17,067 - He's gonna be pretty fortunate. 867 00:30:17,103 --> 00:30:19,103 You know, when I was growing up, 868 00:30:19,136 --> 00:30:20,689 we actually didn't have running water 869 00:30:20,723 --> 00:30:21,862 but we had a well. 870 00:30:21,895 --> 00:30:23,172 And we didn't have an indoor bathroom, 871 00:30:23,205 --> 00:30:24,481 we had an outhouse. 872 00:30:24,517 --> 00:30:26,792 - Were you in-- growing up in Oklahoma there? 873 00:30:26,826 --> 00:30:28,895 - No, so this was actually in Mexico. 874 00:30:28,931 --> 00:30:30,103 I was born in Mexico. 875 00:30:30,136 --> 00:30:31,689 - How was it coming here from Mexico? 876 00:30:31,723 --> 00:30:33,240 - Well, I came here when I was five. 877 00:30:33,275 --> 00:30:35,481 I mean, I definitely had a lot of obstacles. 878 00:30:35,517 --> 00:30:37,275 My parents also worked a lot. 879 00:30:37,309 --> 00:30:40,000 Like my mom used to work from 5:00 in the morning 880 00:30:40,034 --> 00:30:41,344 till about 12:00 at night. 881 00:30:41,378 --> 00:30:43,275 - Wow. - It was a struggle. 882 00:30:43,309 --> 00:30:44,550 - Oh, that's so hard. 883 00:30:44,586 --> 00:30:46,067 - Despite all that, we were really fortunate. 884 00:30:46,103 --> 00:30:48,240 I mean, we always had food on the table. 885 00:30:48,275 --> 00:30:51,481 So I mean, I do appreciate everything that I do have now. 886 00:30:51,517 --> 00:30:55,344 And I'm gonna make sure that my son does as well. 887 00:30:55,378 --> 00:30:56,344 - You guys thinking about marriage? 888 00:30:56,378 --> 00:30:57,481 - Absolutely. 889 00:30:57,517 --> 00:30:58,550 - You gonna hold him to this, Paige? 890 00:30:58,586 --> 00:30:59,862 - Yeah, yeah. - All right, good. 891 00:30:59,895 --> 00:31:02,654 - It's a matter of when not if. 892 00:31:02,689 --> 00:31:04,654 - But has he proposed yet? - No. 893 00:31:04,689 --> 00:31:06,309 - All right, I'm not putting any pressure on you, man. 894 00:31:06,344 --> 00:31:09,136 But okay. - No, I'm just kidding. 895 00:31:09,172 --> 00:31:10,826 - I'm sure that's exactly the venue 896 00:31:10,862 --> 00:31:12,931 she was looking for, right? Yeah. 897 00:31:12,964 --> 00:31:14,689 That's fantastic, guys. Congratulations. 898 00:31:14,723 --> 00:31:15,931 - Thank you. - That's awesome. 899 00:31:15,964 --> 00:31:17,964 I don't want to crash your dinner anymore. 900 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,067 You guys enjoy. 901 00:31:19,103 --> 00:31:20,378 - Anytime you want to come shadow me, 902 00:31:20,413 --> 00:31:21,723 you know where my stores are at. 903 00:31:21,758 --> 00:31:23,240 - I appreciate it, man. You guys take care. 904 00:31:23,275 --> 00:31:25,344 - All right. Bye, man. 905 00:31:25,378 --> 00:31:26,792 Came here today to learn a little bit more 906 00:31:26,826 --> 00:31:29,448 about our prepaid stores in Oklahoma City. 907 00:31:29,481 --> 00:31:31,654 And it was terrific to see Marco's initiative. 908 00:31:31,689 --> 00:31:32,826 Some of the ideas that he has 909 00:31:32,862 --> 00:31:34,240 about getting out in the community 910 00:31:34,275 --> 00:31:37,862 and bringing in customers made me feel proud as the CEO. 911 00:31:37,895 --> 00:31:39,826 But I learned that we have issues with inventory. 912 00:31:39,862 --> 00:31:41,103 We need to have the right phones, 913 00:31:41,136 --> 00:31:42,378 we need to have the right cases, 914 00:31:42,413 --> 00:31:45,309 and the cases have to match the phones. 915 00:31:45,344 --> 00:31:47,136 There's no point in Marco working so hard 916 00:31:47,172 --> 00:31:48,309 to bring in new customers 917 00:31:48,344 --> 00:31:49,550 if he doesn't have the products 918 00:31:49,586 --> 00:31:51,309 that they want in the store, 919 00:31:51,344 --> 00:31:53,586 so I've got some work to do to fix this. 920 00:31:58,344 --> 00:31:59,964 I finished my last job. 921 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,240 Now it's time for me to get to work as CEO. 922 00:32:03,275 --> 00:32:05,586 Going undercover has been an amazing experience. 923 00:32:05,619 --> 00:32:07,378 I've learned we need to rethink the way 924 00:32:07,413 --> 00:32:09,413 that we do customer outreach. 925 00:32:09,448 --> 00:32:10,619 We need to improve our focus 926 00:32:10,654 --> 00:32:12,758 on the prepaid side of our business, 927 00:32:12,792 --> 00:32:14,931 and we need to improve our 5G communications 928 00:32:14,964 --> 00:32:18,654 so our whole team is excited about the new launch of 5G. 929 00:32:18,689 --> 00:32:20,481 I also went undercover to get to know our team 930 00:32:20,517 --> 00:32:22,172 a little bit better. 931 00:32:22,205 --> 00:32:24,067 They're passionate about this company, 932 00:32:24,103 --> 00:32:26,103 they're passionate about taking care of customers, 933 00:32:26,136 --> 00:32:28,034 they know how to grow this business. 934 00:32:28,067 --> 00:32:29,964 We just have to listen to 'em. 935 00:32:31,862 --> 00:32:34,172 [determined music] 936 00:32:34,205 --> 00:32:36,240 Today, all the associates think they're coming 937 00:32:36,275 --> 00:32:37,413 to meet with producers 938 00:32:37,448 --> 00:32:39,619 to discuss the filming of the show. 939 00:32:39,654 --> 00:32:42,378 But actually, I'm gonna reveal my true identity. 940 00:32:42,413 --> 00:32:43,964 - I don't know what's going on, man. 941 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,448 Everything's a secret. 942 00:32:45,481 --> 00:32:49,136 - They have no idea they're on "Undercover Boss." 943 00:32:49,172 --> 00:32:54,378 ♪ 944 00:32:54,413 --> 00:32:57,378 [mischievous music] 945 00:32:57,413 --> 00:32:59,240 ♪ 946 00:32:59,275 --> 00:33:02,550 You recognize me at all? - You look really familiar. 947 00:33:02,586 --> 00:33:04,481 - Who do I look like? - Matt. 948 00:33:04,517 --> 00:33:07,103 - I am Matt. Do you know who else I am? 949 00:33:07,136 --> 00:33:08,378 So I'm LT, 950 00:33:08,413 --> 00:33:10,275 I'm the CEO of U.S. Cellular. 951 00:33:10,309 --> 00:33:12,723 - No, dude, no! 952 00:33:12,758 --> 00:33:14,448 - You, my friend, 953 00:33:14,481 --> 00:33:15,931 are on "Undercover Boss." 954 00:33:15,964 --> 00:33:17,309 - No way. 955 00:33:17,344 --> 00:33:20,136 - Why am I tearing up? [chuckles] 956 00:33:20,172 --> 00:33:23,205 - Hope I'm not getting fired. - [laughs] 957 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:24,205 announcer: Coming up... 958 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,034 - Whoo! No you're not, man. 959 00:33:26,067 --> 00:33:28,792 announcer: The boss delivers life-changing news. 960 00:33:28,826 --> 00:33:30,034 - Oh, my gosh. 961 00:33:30,067 --> 00:33:32,550 - Stuff like this isn't supposed to happen 962 00:33:32,586 --> 00:33:34,378 to people in my place. 963 00:33:43,136 --> 00:33:44,448 - Alina, you are amazing. 964 00:33:44,481 --> 00:33:45,550 I had such a great time 965 00:33:45,586 --> 00:33:47,136 shadowing with you. - Oh, thank you. 966 00:33:47,172 --> 00:33:49,378 - And I learned so much. - Thank you. 967 00:33:49,413 --> 00:33:51,758 - What I want to do is just talk about 968 00:33:51,792 --> 00:33:53,654 a couple of the things I learned. 969 00:33:53,689 --> 00:33:57,103 We did this customer outreach calling campaign. 970 00:33:57,136 --> 00:33:58,619 - Right. - It didn't feel effective. 971 00:33:58,654 --> 00:33:59,826 - Yeah. 972 00:33:59,862 --> 00:34:01,136 - Almost all of them were going to voicemail. 973 00:34:01,172 --> 00:34:02,723 - Mm-hmm. - The other thing, 974 00:34:02,758 --> 00:34:05,481 the customer that you and I served together-- 975 00:34:05,517 --> 00:34:07,619 - Yes. - That took a while. 976 00:34:07,654 --> 00:34:08,757 - Yes. 977 00:34:08,793 --> 00:34:10,757 - So the first thing I'm gonna do is 978 00:34:10,793 --> 00:34:12,724 we're going to create a team to fix those problems. 979 00:34:12,757 --> 00:34:14,516 - Okay. - What I'd like to do 980 00:34:14,550 --> 00:34:16,034 is have you join the team 981 00:34:16,068 --> 00:34:17,309 because they're gonna learn 982 00:34:17,344 --> 00:34:19,068 from your experience. - Oh, my goodness. 983 00:34:19,103 --> 00:34:20,655 - I know it's gonna take a little bit of time away 984 00:34:20,688 --> 00:34:21,931 from selling. - Right. 985 00:34:21,965 --> 00:34:24,034 - So I'm gonna give you a $10,000 raise. 986 00:34:24,068 --> 00:34:26,103 - Seriously? - I am serious. 987 00:34:26,137 --> 00:34:27,619 - Oh, my gosh. 988 00:34:27,655 --> 00:34:29,688 For real? [laughs] 989 00:34:32,344 --> 00:34:34,862 Thanks. [chuckles] That's awesome. 990 00:34:34,896 --> 00:34:36,516 - I want you to build a future with us. 991 00:34:36,550 --> 00:34:38,619 - I would love to. That means the world to me. 992 00:34:38,655 --> 00:34:40,172 - I'm honored to do it. 993 00:34:40,206 --> 00:34:41,757 But I want to talk a little bit about you. 994 00:34:41,793 --> 00:34:43,447 - Mm-hmm. - So you shared with me that 995 00:34:43,481 --> 00:34:46,378 the desire to find stability is really big for you. 996 00:34:46,413 --> 00:34:49,516 - Basically, I've just kind of never really had a stable life 997 00:34:49,550 --> 00:34:51,619 and that's kind of what I'm striving for. 998 00:34:51,655 --> 00:34:54,481 I emancipated myself at the age of 16. 999 00:34:54,516 --> 00:34:56,172 I was like, "I can't do this anymore. 1000 00:34:56,206 --> 00:34:58,275 I can't live like that." 1001 00:34:58,309 --> 00:35:01,034 Like who would want to stay in that? 1002 00:35:01,068 --> 00:35:02,655 - Feels like you've still got a little bit 1003 00:35:02,688 --> 00:35:04,655 of financial uncertainty, right? 1004 00:35:04,688 --> 00:35:06,655 I want to give you a safety net. 1005 00:35:06,688 --> 00:35:08,481 I'm going to give you 1006 00:35:08,516 --> 00:35:12,724 $50,000. 1007 00:35:12,757 --> 00:35:14,896 - Oh, my gosh. 1008 00:35:14,931 --> 00:35:16,724 That's crazy. 1009 00:35:16,757 --> 00:35:19,481 Are you serious? - I am serious. 1010 00:35:19,516 --> 00:35:21,655 - I don't even know what to think. 1011 00:35:21,688 --> 00:35:23,275 - Will it help? 1012 00:35:23,309 --> 00:35:26,103 - Yeah, more than you can even think. 1013 00:35:26,137 --> 00:35:29,344 - You've made brave choices, courageous choices. 1014 00:35:29,378 --> 00:35:32,000 And, you know, you deserve some help along the way too. 1015 00:35:32,034 --> 00:35:33,896 - Thank you. The way you approached it 1016 00:35:33,931 --> 00:35:36,309 meant so much to me 'cause, I mean, 1017 00:35:36,344 --> 00:35:39,413 I don't get told that very often, like, "That's so brave. 1018 00:35:39,447 --> 00:35:41,516 That's so awesome." You know, I don't hear that. 1019 00:35:41,550 --> 00:35:44,034 So I really appreciate it. 1020 00:35:44,068 --> 00:35:45,585 - It was an honor 1021 00:35:45,619 --> 00:35:48,103 to meet someone like you. - Oh, thank you. 1022 00:35:48,137 --> 00:35:49,793 - I don't get a chance to do that very often. 1023 00:35:49,827 --> 00:35:51,619 - Mm-hmm. - So thank you. 1024 00:35:51,655 --> 00:35:53,103 - Thank you. 1025 00:35:53,137 --> 00:35:55,240 50,000 is just crazy. 1026 00:35:55,275 --> 00:36:00,068 This is gonna help more than I can even imagine. 1027 00:36:01,965 --> 00:36:03,481 - Kyron, meeting you was amazing 1028 00:36:03,516 --> 00:36:05,413 but you called me Cinderella. 1029 00:36:05,447 --> 00:36:07,793 - [laughs] Can I take that back? 1030 00:36:07,827 --> 00:36:10,137 - No, no. - Oh, man. 1031 00:36:10,172 --> 00:36:11,481 - It's all good. 1032 00:36:11,516 --> 00:36:15,896 You shared with me that as we transition to 5G-- 1033 00:36:15,931 --> 00:36:17,896 - Yeah. - One of the concerns 1034 00:36:17,931 --> 00:36:19,896 that you have is that 1035 00:36:19,931 --> 00:36:22,965 you're gonna have a lot more sites to take care of. 1036 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,034 - Yeah, it could be thousands. 1037 00:36:25,068 --> 00:36:26,206 - So we're gonna be doing two things. 1038 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:27,206 We're going to spend about 1039 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:29,481 $17 million on automation. 1040 00:36:29,516 --> 00:36:31,240 It's gonna make the amount of time 1041 00:36:31,275 --> 00:36:33,757 that you have to spend at each site 1042 00:36:33,793 --> 00:36:35,447 way less. - Nice. 1043 00:36:35,481 --> 00:36:36,688 - The second thing that we're gonna do 1044 00:36:36,724 --> 00:36:39,000 is we're gonna redraw the geographic area. 1045 00:36:39,034 --> 00:36:40,965 They're gonna be a lot closer together. 1046 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:42,172 And so it should mean 1047 00:36:42,206 --> 00:36:43,757 more time with your family 1048 00:36:43,793 --> 00:36:45,413 as opposed to less. 1049 00:36:45,447 --> 00:36:47,240 Do you think that will help? - Oh, for sure. 1050 00:36:47,275 --> 00:36:49,000 I feel like you're kicking the weight off right now. 1051 00:36:49,034 --> 00:36:50,827 That's--I mean, that's awesome. 1052 00:36:50,862 --> 00:36:52,000 - I want to talk a little bit about 1053 00:36:52,034 --> 00:36:53,206 the Travis Mills Foundation. 1054 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:55,240 It's a fantastic organization 1055 00:36:55,275 --> 00:36:57,103 that you're supporting for wounded veterans. 1056 00:36:57,137 --> 00:36:59,275 - For me, it's me giving back, you know what I mean? 1057 00:36:59,309 --> 00:37:00,619 - I was actually in the Marine Corps 1058 00:37:00,655 --> 00:37:01,724 for five years. 1059 00:37:01,757 --> 00:37:03,757 I personally have a lot of friends 1060 00:37:03,793 --> 00:37:06,309 that have come back that struggled. 1061 00:37:06,344 --> 00:37:09,516 And I think about what you have on your plate 1062 00:37:09,550 --> 00:37:12,550 and the fact that you still take that time 1063 00:37:12,585 --> 00:37:15,137 to give back to wounded veterans, it's fantastic. 1064 00:37:15,172 --> 00:37:18,516 What I'm going to do is we're gonna donate $20,000 1065 00:37:18,550 --> 00:37:21,447 to the Travis Mills Foundation. - Whoo! 1066 00:37:21,481 --> 00:37:22,516 - And we're gonna do it in your name. 1067 00:37:22,550 --> 00:37:26,309 - Oh, man. 1068 00:37:26,344 --> 00:37:27,413 That's awesome. 1069 00:37:27,447 --> 00:37:29,275 That is so awesome, man. It really is. 1070 00:37:29,309 --> 00:37:32,068 That is--that means a lot to me. 1071 00:37:32,103 --> 00:37:33,550 - You shared that you were passionate 1072 00:37:33,585 --> 00:37:34,827 about something else. 1073 00:37:34,862 --> 00:37:36,931 - I am a diehard Cowboys fan, first of all. 1074 00:37:36,965 --> 00:37:38,862 There's no if, ands, or buts about it. 1075 00:37:38,896 --> 00:37:40,827 - You been to a game? - I haven't been to a game 1076 00:37:40,862 --> 00:37:41,896 in Dallas Cowboys Stadium. 1077 00:37:41,931 --> 00:37:43,137 No, no, no, no. - Okay. 1078 00:37:43,172 --> 00:37:44,550 Well, I'd like to address that. 1079 00:37:44,585 --> 00:37:46,793 So we're gonna send you and your wife on-- 1080 00:37:46,827 --> 00:37:51,137 - Oh, no, you're not! - Oh, yeah. 1081 00:37:51,172 --> 00:37:53,275 - Whoo! No, you're not, man. 1082 00:37:53,309 --> 00:37:54,965 No, you're not. Don't say it, don't say it! 1083 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,172 - You're gonna get to tour the stadium, 1084 00:37:57,206 --> 00:37:59,275 you're gonna get to meet some of the players, 1085 00:37:59,309 --> 00:38:01,757 you're gonna get some really great seats to watch that game. 1086 00:38:01,793 --> 00:38:03,103 - Oh, man. 1087 00:38:03,137 --> 00:38:06,516 Ah. [sniffles] 1088 00:38:06,550 --> 00:38:08,413 Dude, that is amazing. 1089 00:38:08,447 --> 00:38:12,309 Oh, my goodness. 1090 00:38:12,344 --> 00:38:13,896 - I want to talk a bit personal. 1091 00:38:13,931 --> 00:38:17,240 - Yeah. - So you had five kids. 1092 00:38:17,275 --> 00:38:18,757 - Yeah, yeah. - And then you added 1093 00:38:18,793 --> 00:38:19,827 two more to the mix. - Two more. 1094 00:38:19,862 --> 00:38:22,793 Yeah, we took on my wife's sister's kids. 1095 00:38:22,827 --> 00:38:23,965 - So you have nine people 1096 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:25,034 in the family. - Yeah. 1097 00:38:25,068 --> 00:38:28,034 - I watch what you do to support them, 1098 00:38:28,068 --> 00:38:31,344 and I'd like to do a little bit of supporting of you. 1099 00:38:31,378 --> 00:38:35,172 And so, we're gonna give you $40,000. 1100 00:38:35,206 --> 00:38:36,757 - What? - I want you to try 1101 00:38:36,793 --> 00:38:38,275 to take a vacation with your family. 1102 00:38:38,309 --> 00:38:40,275 - Oh! No way. 1103 00:38:40,309 --> 00:38:43,413 What's going on right now? 1104 00:38:43,447 --> 00:38:44,931 Oh! Oh, dude 1105 00:38:44,965 --> 00:38:46,585 I don't know if I have any more tears left. 1106 00:38:46,619 --> 00:38:48,206 That is amazing. 1107 00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:51,862 You don't know how much--oh. 1108 00:38:51,896 --> 00:38:54,688 You don't know how much that means, man. 1109 00:38:54,724 --> 00:38:57,827 I feel incredible right now. I--I-- 1110 00:38:57,862 --> 00:39:00,000 words can't even describe. 1111 00:39:00,034 --> 00:39:01,724 It's like a dream. It really is, man. 1112 00:39:01,757 --> 00:39:04,000 It's like, "What just happened?" 1113 00:39:04,034 --> 00:39:06,516 - Marco, it's not every day that 1114 00:39:06,550 --> 00:39:09,206 I'm passing out free drinks at bus stops, 1115 00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:10,447 but I loved it. 1116 00:39:10,481 --> 00:39:12,309 You're engaged in your community 1117 00:39:12,344 --> 00:39:14,378 and you're figuring out what you gotta do 1118 00:39:14,413 --> 00:39:16,344 on the ground to grow the business. 1119 00:39:16,378 --> 00:39:18,309 But you taught me some things 1120 00:39:18,344 --> 00:39:20,068 about our prepaid business. 1121 00:39:20,103 --> 00:39:23,413 The first thing that I saw was the work that you had to do 1122 00:39:23,447 --> 00:39:25,034 to get the right phones. 1123 00:39:25,068 --> 00:39:26,757 We were losing sales. - Yeah. 1124 00:39:26,793 --> 00:39:28,172 - That was frustrating to me. 1125 00:39:28,206 --> 00:39:31,655 And so we're gonna have a single person 1126 00:39:31,688 --> 00:39:33,688 that's gonna be responsible for supporting 1127 00:39:33,724 --> 00:39:35,413 our prepaid distribution. - Excellent. 1128 00:39:35,447 --> 00:39:37,275 - So you'll have a single place to go. 1129 00:39:37,309 --> 00:39:38,309 I want to talk about the second thing, 1130 00:39:38,344 --> 00:39:39,827 which was the accessory wall. 1131 00:39:39,862 --> 00:39:42,068 I left that discussion with you, 1132 00:39:42,103 --> 00:39:43,896 placed some phone calls immediately, 1133 00:39:43,931 --> 00:39:45,447 and we're gonna get you the right accessories 1134 00:39:45,481 --> 00:39:47,275 that match the phones. Do you think that'll help? 1135 00:39:47,309 --> 00:39:49,655 - I think--yeah. I think it will work wonders. 1136 00:39:49,688 --> 00:39:51,585 - You were kind enough to invite me to dinner 1137 00:39:51,619 --> 00:39:52,827 with your girlfriend. 1138 00:39:52,862 --> 00:39:55,206 I loved that, hey, you're gonna be a dad. 1139 00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:56,585 - I--I'm so excited. 1140 00:39:56,619 --> 00:39:58,068 It's the best thing that could've happened to me. 1141 00:39:58,103 --> 00:39:59,378 - You said in the dinner, right? 1142 00:39:59,413 --> 00:40:02,034 Getting married, it's not an if but a when. 1143 00:40:02,068 --> 00:40:05,103 - Correct. - I'm gonna give you $15,000 1144 00:40:05,137 --> 00:40:08,137 to help with any proposal that you might want to do, 1145 00:40:08,172 --> 00:40:10,309 but also a wedding and a honeymoon. 1146 00:40:10,344 --> 00:40:14,481 - Oh, my gosh. 1147 00:40:14,516 --> 00:40:15,688 I can't believe it. 1148 00:40:15,724 --> 00:40:17,068 I feel like I'm still dreaming 1149 00:40:17,103 --> 00:40:18,585 and I haven't woke up yet. 1150 00:40:18,619 --> 00:40:20,688 Thank you. Thank you so much. 1151 00:40:20,724 --> 00:40:22,309 - You also talked about 1152 00:40:22,344 --> 00:40:25,896 trying to create opportunities for your son 1153 00:40:25,931 --> 00:40:27,896 that you never had. 1154 00:40:27,931 --> 00:40:29,896 Another thing that we'd like to do for you is 1155 00:40:29,931 --> 00:40:32,344 I'm gonna take $40,000 1156 00:40:32,378 --> 00:40:35,862 and we're gonna create a college fund for your son. 1157 00:40:39,034 --> 00:40:41,550 - Thank you so much. 1158 00:40:41,585 --> 00:40:43,413 - It's an honor to do it. 1159 00:40:43,447 --> 00:40:44,724 - I don't know what to say. 1160 00:40:44,757 --> 00:40:47,688 Stuff like this isn't supposed to happen to-- 1161 00:40:47,724 --> 00:40:50,137 to people in--in my place. 1162 00:40:50,172 --> 00:40:52,688 - But sometimes it should. 1163 00:40:54,068 --> 00:40:57,034 - Oh, man, this is, like, on a whole another level. 1164 00:40:57,068 --> 00:41:01,344 Like, this is great, I'm so thankful. 1165 00:41:01,378 --> 00:41:04,344 [inspiring music] 1166 00:41:04,378 --> 00:41:05,931 - I went undercover to see if 1167 00:41:05,965 --> 00:41:07,965 the changes that I've made to this company 1168 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:09,655 are enough to grow this business 1169 00:41:09,688 --> 00:41:13,619 and compete in a highly competitive wireless industry. 1170 00:41:13,655 --> 00:41:15,206 I knew U.S. Cellular was different 1171 00:41:15,240 --> 00:41:17,034 when I took over as CEO. 1172 00:41:17,068 --> 00:41:18,619 But by going undercover, 1173 00:41:18,655 --> 00:41:21,447 I've seen firsthand the love and the passion 1174 00:41:21,481 --> 00:41:23,862 that's gonna guarantee our success. 1175 00:41:23,896 --> 00:41:25,413 U.S. Cellular is not just gonna 1176 00:41:25,447 --> 00:41:27,481 keep up with our competitors, 1177 00:41:27,516 --> 00:41:28,724 we're gonna beat them. 1178 00:41:28,757 --> 00:41:29,896 After this journey, 1179 00:41:29,931 --> 00:41:31,724 I can't wait to get started. 1180 00:41:31,757 --> 00:41:34,724 [upbeat music] 1181 00:41:34,757 --> 00:41:41,757 ♪