About this title: Curious to know just what happens behind the "employees only" doors of big companies, journalist Alex Frankel embarked on an undercover reporting project to find out how some of America's well-known companies win the hearts and minds of their retail and service employees. Frankel knew the only way to find answers was to go native. During a two-year urban adventure through the world of commerce, Frankel applied for and was hired by a half-dozen companies: he proudly wore the brown uniform of the UPS driver, folded endless stacks of T-shirts at Gap, brewed espressos for the hordes at Starbucks, ...
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Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Like New. 2007-Hardcover-May contain minor shelf-wear. Otherwise, volume un-read and in "As-New" condition. -Used-Like New-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Description: Good. 2007-Hardcover---may contain minor shelf-wear-Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Collins Business
Date Published: 2007-11-20
ISBN-13:9780060849665ISBN:0060849665
Description: New. New, unread, unused & in perfect condition with no damaged or missing pages. This is a paperback with plain cover and pre-release stickers. This book is the same isbn, but is a paperback. Great Copy. Ships Lightning Fast. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperBusiness
Date Published: 11/20/2007
ISBN-13:9780060849665ISBN:0060849665
Description: New. 0060849665 New & Unread Book that Have Remainder Mark/ May Have Slight Handling Wear From Bookstore Shelf. IN-STOCK Now For Immediate Secure Packaging & Delivery. read more
Description: New. A Brand New Copy. Never Read. Buy with confidence from an Independent Bookstore where the owners, a husband and wife team, have over 30 years of combined bookselling experience. read more
Binding: softcover
Publisher: Collins
Date Published: 2007
Description: Very good clean pages (no highlights, pen, etc); minimal general wear; cover in great shape; nice sound binding; this copy is an uncorrected proof copy. read more
Description: Satisfaction Guaranteed. Shipped quickly. 2007. Hardcover. Used, very good. Very good overall with light to moderate wear. Includes dust jacket. read more
Description: Satisfaction Guaranteed. Shipped quickly. 2007. Hardcover. Used, very good. Very good overall with light to moderate wear. No dust jacket. read more
Description: Satisfaction Guaranteed. Shipped quickly. 2007. Hardcover. Used, very good. Very good overall with light to moderate wear. Includes dust jacket. read more
Description: Satisfaction Guaranteed. Shipped quickly. 2007. Hardcover. Used, very good. Very good overall with light to moderate wear. No dust jacket. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Collins
Date Published: 01/12/2007
ISBN-13:9780060849665ISBN:0060849665
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
"Nothing seemed very groundbreaking in this book. The author spent some time (how much, he never really explains) working on the front lines of retail jobs like Starbucks, the Gap, and UPS to see what it's like. And it's pretty much exactly as you would expect. The people who work at the Gap on the salesfloor spend a lot of time folding. The drinks at Starbucks are complicated to make. UPS is a complex network of integrated systems ensuring your packages get to where they need to go, with an emphasis on the human front-line interaction. The Apple store is staffed by enthusiastic people with technology interests outside of work who feel pressure to sell you accessories. There you go... I wouldn't expect it to be anything different.
Basically the author seems kind of entitled and surprised that the people who work in retail are actually human. I think he may have been laboring under the misapprehension that retail is staffed by robots. He seemed surprised every time work got busy or tough or he had to field complaints. It made him sound entitled. Also, he never really explained how he ended up doing this; it sounds like he started off focusing on UPS and then it blossomed into a major project. For each new job he set us down in the middle of his workday and then worked backwards, then forwards. Very distracting.
The most interesting stuff was about the little behavioral tests a lot of companies stick into their applications, but he didn't go far enough with it as I had hoped. An entire book could be written about that, and, I hope, will."
"Ugh, the only reason I finished this book was because the font was so big and I was done it in a day. It took the author 2 years of working in retail to realize that not everyone who works at Starbucks/UPS/Gap is a corporate zombie. They are real people! Um, yeah. He also somehow thinks that he is "undercover" and spends half the book worried that he might "blow his cover." He comes up with complicated fake backstories and secretly jots down notes while on break. If you have never worked retail, or never considered that there are people who just do a job _because it's a job_ than you might find this interesting."
"You will never look at a UPS delivery driver, Gap salesperson, or Starbucks barista again after reading this insightful book about various service jobs. The author is able to penetrate and observe several corporate cultures in a short amount of time. A nice study of employee/corporation relationships. The book ends oddly because the author has very little to say about his last job (Apple Store), unlike the others, and the narrative just seems to run out quickly. Frankel is likable, however, and he keeps the reader's interest elevated with his humor and keen observations."
"In this book, the author recounts his experiences as an "undercover" front-line employee. Basically, he decided to work in some of America's most well-known and loved corporations to see what life is like for the front-line employee and how that varies from the corporate message. The companies he is able to get jobs for include UPS, the Gap, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the Container Store, amongst others. Because these are all companies I am familiar with, it was doubly interesting to me to get an insider's view inside companies I use or shop in on a regular basis. You certainly won't think the same about your UPS driver again after reading this book!"
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