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Shazia Wahab is the second to be fired from The Apprentice |
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Written by Telly Addict
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Wednesday, 02 April 2008 |
Few would argue that Shazia Wahab was the scapegoat when she was fired in tonight's episode of the Apprentice
The second episode of the current series of the Apprentice once more saw the teams as boys versus girls. This week Sir Alan Sugar challenged the teams to try their hand in the laundry business.
In this episode, the project managers were Jenny Celerier for Alpha (the girls) and Raef Bjayou for Renaissance (the boys).
At the start of the challenge, a pair of industrial laundry units sit empty, and it is up to Alpha and Renaissance to bring in the business, load the laundry, ensure it is all washed and ironed and then deliver all of the goods back to the customers in pristine condition.
As always in The Apprentice, the team that makes the most money will be the winner, but both teams are pressed for time.....They only have the use of the business premises for one day...
Renaissance (the boys) find it easy to appoint team members to tasks while Alpha (the girls) indulge in a sales talk. Unfortunately for the girls, while Jenny Celerier is spouting selling techniques to them, the boys make off with all the ironing equipment from the Apprentice mansion.
Keen to see what both teams can do, Sir Alan has set up some appointments for them to pitch for business with key client groups. Hotel manager Scott is dumbstruck at the girls flat rate of £4.99 per item. With 1000 items to wash, the overall charge would be almost £5000. "Is that your best price?" he asks incredulously. The boys start negotiations at £556 and end up settling for £200 but at least they win the business.
The girls decide to abandon the corporate marketplace and instead opt for offering a door-to-door domestic service. Having massively overpriced the commercial job, they then radically under-estimate the domestic jobs, so while they take on whole loads of washing for £10 to £15, the boys find a niche in the domestic duvet market.
Fortunately for the girls, business begins to pick up in the afternoon, and so does the workload. For the girls team, Shazia gets to grips with their labelling system and gets to work.
Back at their laundry, the boys have a mountain of dirty hotel sheets and pillowcases to clear. Undaunted, Simon, Ian, Alex and Lee man the massive sheet pressing machines, and it's a tough task to get everything done before the laundries must close at 2am. The guys at the laundry call on the sales guys to help and all seven Renaissance men knuckle down to get the huge task done, despite a snide remark from Raef that he "can't stand whingers".
Over in the girls laundry, the girls realise that they are not going to get everything done without getting ironing equipment from the Apprentice house. Shazia highlights this and sets off to the house, only to find the boys have beaten her to it. The girls problems are compounded when they realise that only Shazia understands the labelling system, and her team mates have no idea whose laundry is whose.
After a confrontation between Jenny and Lucinda, the girls stuff everything into black sacks so that work can continue at the Apprentice house the next morning.
The next day's delivery runs highlight the difference between the teams; the boys deliver on time and to the customers' satisfaction. The girls, low on cash, deliver mis-matched laundry to grumbling customers... and then cheekily ask for tips.
Back in the boardroom, Sir Alan Sugar is clear. By raising only £195.55 net profit compared to the boys £328, the girls have lost the second set task. Sir Alan rewards the boys with tea at The Ritz.
Project manager Jenny chose Shazia and Lucinda to accompany her back into the boardroom.
The girls screech at each other before Sir Alan declares he has heard enough, points the fickle finger of fate at Shazia and declares "You're Fired!"
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Last Updated ( Friday, 09 May 2008 )
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