1-800-Flowers exec gets 'Undercover Boss' lesson

An "Undercover Boss" TV show performance in a 1-800-Flowers-owned candy factory was an enlightening experience for Chris McCann, the chief executive, according to an excerpt from a new book.

The Carle Place flower and gift exec said he now plans to offer more incentives to workers and listen to their insights.

McCann says it was hard work keeping up with the pressures of a Fannie May chocolates assembly line.

"With visions of the classic ‘I Love Lucy’ episode running through his head, Chris was stationed at one of the 'bulking' positions, where he'd be responsible for assembling and positioning cartons to catch the finished chocolates as they fell off the belt," says the book.

"Chris did his best to bounce between the box station and the belts of streaming product, but he barely managed to keep up," it says. "After a short while, chocolate covered pretzels were scattered across the floor at his station."

The book is: "Undercover Boss: Inside the TV Phenomenon That Is Changing Bosses and Employees Everywhere," by Stephen Lambert and Eli Holzman.