Hartmann comes in from the cold

The former FBI agent and current CEO of Chicago-based True Value Company went undercover on the CBS TV show "Undercover Boss" broadcast Sunday night. 

After driving a forklift, working a cash register and helping customers on the floor, John Hartmann uncovered himself as president and CEO during a reveal that packed an emotional punch. 

[See 10 moments from the CBS episode here.]

The episode's biggest drama involved Brad, the womanizing store employee from Boston who showed promising flashes of solid customer service. But it was Lexi, the cheerful Glenview, Illinois, cashier, who stole the show with her moving response to Hartmann's generosity. 

The show was a platform for True Value to describe its general views on the home improvement industry. "Competition is intense and it's never going to get easier," Hartmann said in the show's introduction. He added that understanding the younger generation will be critical to success. "You can't be granddaddy's hardware store anymore," he said. 

Other retail tips came from Lexi: the cashier must greet the incoming customer, even if it means multitasking with an existing customer. 

Terrell, a stocking associate in the Springfield, Oregon distribution center, had this to say about the forklift driving skills of Louis Lapresi (a.k.a. Hartmann): "Just because you're old, does not mean you got an excuse or a pass to go slow."

At the show's conclusion, all four employees featured in the episode received a variety of gifts from True Value, including money to continue their education, and the education of their chlidren. 

The show generated major traffic on Twitter, including the following observations:

• "I have yet to watch an episode of Undercover Boss that hasn't made me cry."

• "The True Value CEO trying to run the register brings back horrible memories."

• "How are there still people who don't know they are on "Undercover Boss."

• "The CEO of True Value, John Hartmann, just did some amazing things."