The Apprentice – Week 5

This weeks task saw the candidates creating their own Coach Tour. It was a very familiar concept to those of us who are avid watchers of the series, as in season 6 the candidates created their own tour of London. Although there was considerable less arguing between the teams, the poor execution of ideas, however, was still the same.

Team Summit saw Sanjay Sood-Smith take up the mantle of PM, due to his experience in banking and therefore his grasp on the figures. His big idea – a history themed tour of Kent, based around Henry VIII and the Canterbury Tales. I’ve got to say, to a history buff like myself, that doesn’t sound too bad.

On Team Tenacity, after a tussle with a previous tour guide and fantastic salesman, Mark Wright; the Project Manager – fluffer of pitches, Daniel Lassman. With a more general concept of ‘English Experience’ in Oxford, and the locations of a castle and a river (how exciting) at the start, I know who I pegged to win.

The two teams immediately took different pricing strategies, both wanting to maximise on profit, knowing they could only sell 25 tickets; yet only one actually managed to accomplish that and sell out. Team Tenacity, at Mark’s request started at £99.50, but Team Summit, as set by PM Sanjay, start at £60. Not given them much room for negotiation there Sanjay. That price has to include entry price to two attractions, lunch, and getting back to London. Nice one, you’re really making a lot of profit there. Also considering the different attitudes to trying to negotiate entry prices, I hate to spoil the episode, but it’s pretty clear who was going to win the task. On Tenacity you have Mark Wright negotiating a drop from £21.50 to £9.50 for Blenheim Palace, an almost 60% discount; and on Summit you have James who starts trying to get 20% of the sale price, but ends up coming out with £12.25, from £15 for Hever Castle. His fellow team member Jemma Bird was right, “that is embarrassing.”

The difference between the qualities of the tours is obvious. Tenacity with Lauren doing the tour of Blenheim Castle with no notes, providing really interesting and accurate information, “I thought it was great,” said one of the customers. Summit, setting off an hour late, singing ‘Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘One Man Went to Mow’, with their victims exclaiming “this is torture!” The tour given by Jemma, “somewhere in this room is the marriage chest, so if you can find that, have a look at that.” Excellent guidance there from a tour guide. Let’s not forget though, everyone’s favourite candidate – Felipe. The outfit, synonymous of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, the facts, “there are more pigs than people in Oxford”; the awkwardness, “does anybody has any questions, any facts you would like me to go through?” Dead silence.

Now the real tough bit, the boardroom. Firstly on Team Summit, Bianca Miller was called out for her horrendous mistake of saying to a group of customers “you are our last chance”, nice, excellent negotiating skills there. Then Team Tenacity really kicked in, completely hammering their PM, Daniel. Lauren saying, “He put himself forward as an event manager, but unfortunately he didn’t either organise or run the event.” Ouch Lauren.

However, team Tenacity managed to win with a profit of £1037.99 for 20 seats, compared to Summit’s £813.70 for 25 seats. After an obvious indication from Lord Sugar that James should be brought into the boardroom, and Sanjay’s ignorance to this fact, Lord Sugar was on a slight rampage. With Bianca, Jemma and Sanjay in the boardroom; it was Jemma who was fired for her lack of contribution across the 5 weeks and this task. She’s always “the girl who nearly wins”, now that’s not even true, you can’t nearly win when you’re 7 episodes from the final.

On to next week…board games.