Undercover Boss , CBS , CEO of Churchill Downs

[rastajenk]

Right or wrong, the guys that help jockeys have always been val-lets as long as I can remember. So if that's what he called them, then he's more tied on than he's getting credit for.

[GameTheory]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Right or wrong, the guys that help jockeys have always been val-lets as long as I can remember. So if that's what he called them, then he's more tied on than he's getting credit for.

British people in old movies always say val-let when speaking of their personal assistant-type person. I only hear val-lay for people that park cars in America.

[GaryG]

The jocks asistant has always ben a VAL-et. Anybody that used the word val-lay inthe jock's room would be laughed out of town.

[Grits]

What I found the most troublesome--and what I'd consider the most embarrassing for CDI was the disconnect between upper management and employees was so great it overshadowed any previous episode of the show. And the disconnect remained, if not more obvious, when Carstarjen returned to CDI to speak with his peeps, who all sat around their lush mahogany boardroom table looking, and sounding, as they could've given a tinker's damn in their perfunctory comments.

I've never been to Arlington Park. And this was the first time I have ever seen its interior. And from the footage, it truly is everything, and more, that Miesque has described in the past. Beautiful . . . it looks like a Five Star Resort Hotel. I hope, at some point in time, to go there.

Still, what bothered me the most as far as each worker featured--was watching a young woman clean--by herself each night, an entire floor, or was it two floors, of suites, which are possibly reserved rooms for heavy players/whales? I'm not sure.

Anyway, she travels 40 miles round trip each night to her job And after she is done at 11:30 pm, she has to walk to her car, alone, with no security present, across an empty, unlit, parking lot to drive the 20 miles home.

ALL of this for minimum wage. It made me sick knowing how wealthy MrD is, and what the suits at CDI are paid.

At the end of the episode, I believe she was told she'd be given a raise, and that security would be available to her if she needed it.

The other young lady bathing horses on the backside in the am, then changing clothes to work frontside in the pressbox in the pm was offered a position at Churchill in the Marketing Department up to, and through the Derby. Good luck, sweetheart, Monday morning, after its running.

[Horseplayersbet.com]

[yt=valets]P2GLDb1frTI[/yt]


val·et
   /væˈleɪ, ˈvælɪt, ˈvæleɪ/ Show Spelled [va-ley, val-it, val-ey] Show IPA noun, verb,-et·ed, -et·ing.
–noun
1.
a male servant who attends to the personal needs of his employer, as by taking care of clothing or the like; manservant.
2.
a man who is employed for cleaning and pressing, laundering, and similar services for patrons of a hotel, passengers on a ship, etc.
3.
an attendant who parks cars for patrons at a hotel, restaurant, etc.
4.
a stand or rack for holding coats, hats, etc.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
5.
to serve as a valet.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/valet

According to dictionary.com it is pronounced Va Lay

[joanied]

It is the only segment of this show I've seen...and probably won't see any others...
I thought it was pretty good...and a very humble experience for this guy...
those of you that are saying he didn't do anything around the customer theme...this show is for employees...so you really can't get mad he didn't address the customers...although, rather than trying to play the call to post, it would have been better if they'd put him behind the betting windows...
Grits, I think the 'heads' at the big mahogony desk were too aware of the camera crew and just didn't know how to 'act' ...
I also was horrified at the pay scale of the cleaning gal...glad she got that raise...he did do good for the folks that were in the show...and even my husband got a little choked up when they named the race for the valets daughter.

Anyway...I did like the show.

[CryingForTheHorses]

Originally Posted by TommyCh

It was a classic example of corporate disconnect with a guy who really didn't even know the business of his company. The gestures at the end of the show were condescending and insulting. Except for naming the race for the daughter, and you know that wasn't his idea. If that's what the show is every week, it's pretty sick.

What makes you think naming a race for the guys daughter wasnt his idea?? I dont think his gestures were insulting at all...Please tell me what was so sick ?The guy didnt have to give anything to any of them.He should make all of his stiff shirt employees do the same thing that he did so they also can see and learn about whats going on.Glad he understood how a small trainer struggles to keep his stalls from the big outfits.Amazing how dedicated that cleaning lady was.All the people on the show last night shows just how good the American people are..I think he did a great job

[Horseplayersbet.com]

Originally Posted by BillW

The part that got left on the cutting room floor ...

http://blog.horseplayersassociation....tor.html#links

Nothing about the different saddle cloth colors between thoroughbreds and harness?

[sandpit]

Originally Posted by Grits

What I found the most troublesome--and what I'd consider the most embarrassing for CDI was the disconnect between upper management and employees was so great it overshadowed any previous episode of the show. And the disconnect remained, if not more obvious, when Carstarjen returned to CDI to speak with his peeps, who all sat around their lush mahogany boardroom table looking, and sounding, as they could've given a tinker's damn in their perfunctory comments.

I've never been to Arlington Park. And this was the first time I have ever seen its interior. And from the footage, it truly is everything, and more, that Miesque has described in the past. Beautiful . . . it looks like a Five Star Resort Hotel. I hope, at some point in time, to go there.

Still, what bothered me the most as far as each worker featured--was watching a young woman clean--by herself each night, an entire floor, or was it two floors, of suites, which are possibly reserved rooms for heavy players/whales? I'm not sure.

Anyway, she travels 40 miles round trip each night to her job And after she is done at 11:30 pm, she has to walk to her car, alone, with no security present, across an empty, unlit, parking lot to drive the 20 miles home.

ALL of this for minimum wage. It made me sick knowing how wealthy MrD is, and what the suits at CDI are paid.

At the end of the episode, I believe she was told she'd be given a raise, and that security would be available to her if she needed it.

The other young lady bathing horses on the backside in the am, then changing clothes to work frontside in the pressbox in the pm was offered a position at Churchill in the Marketing Department up to, and through the Derby. Good luck, sweetheart, Monday morning, after its running.

Grits, you bring up some good points. Since I've already said that I worked for many of those "peeps" in the past, I can give a little insight. In fairness to the people sitting around the mahogany table, most of them have never been in front of the camera, so that's why they looked uncomfortable. Other than Bob Evans, who has all the personality of a sheet of plywood.

You're spot on about Arlington, the prettiest facility in racing. Too bad its product is second rate.

You're right about the cleaning lady's dedication too. Where she works, in the suites, is reserved for people that either have annual leases on them, or groups that rent them out for the day. Not the type of people you would see wandering the grandstand.

At CD, they used to have a very dedicated cleaning crew that took care of all the offices, both racetrack and corporate. They were truly great people that loved their jobs and where they worked, even though they got paid about like the lady in the show. Well, some bean counter got the idea that they were costing the company too much money because they had benefits, being full-time employees. So they fired them all. It was horribly sad, they came around and said goodbye to everybody. The replacement crew was some contract service that had no clue, and then things started disappearing from offices. This type of thing is one reason why moral absolutely sucked at a place where it should be very good.

Ditto on the gal that runs the Arlington Press Box. CD hires plenty of people pre-derby and then cans them afterwards. That gal will be filling media credentials and making copies like an intern for the next couple of months.

[rrpic6]

Did they show any names for the people in the Board Room? I missed the beginning of the show. I thought I knew one of the guys, John Marshall. He used to be with Ladbroke's/Meadows in Pittsburgh. Now he's the GM at Calder, I think..
RR

[kingfin66]

Originally Posted by McSchell_Racing

What makes you think naming a race for the guys daughter wasnt his idea?? I dont think his gestures were insulting at all...Please tell me what was so sick ?The guy didnt have to give anything to any of them.He should make all of his stiff shirt employees do the same thing that he did so they also can see and learn about whats going on.Glad he understood how a small trainer struggles to keep his stalls from the big outfits.Amazing how dedicated that cleaning lady was.All the people on the show last night shows just how good the American people are..I think he did a great job

I was actually thinking of you when he gave more stalls to the trainer. Wouldn't it be nice if more of you could be allotted additional stalls? The part of the show where he tried to be the track bugler was useless, the balance was pretty good. It was interesting when he discussed how horse racing is steeped in tradition, but that the tradition often gets in the way of business.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by GaryG

The jocks asistant has always ben a VAL-et. Anybody that used the word val-lay inthe jock's room would be laughed out of town.

Yup, GaryG and the Churchill COO has it right. It's VAL-et here in NY too...

[Igeteven]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Yup, GaryG and the Churchill COO has it right. It's VAL-et here in NY too...

Out here in the West, there are many names, I can't say some, but Assistant is one.

[Horseplayersbet.com]

In Canada it is Va Lay

[illinoisbred]

Originally Posted by Horseplayersbet.com

In Canada it is Va Lay

That's why I thought the COO was incorrect. Va Lay is how I've always heard it strangely enough, at Arlington.