We supported SHL to run a compliant collective consultation process, following the need to...
This week the teams are in Wales hosting tours. With 16 tickets each to sell, they have to avoid upsetting their customers (and each other) and make the most profit to win.
The teams
In team Infinity Amy shirks PM responsibility yet again, nothing seems to be her speciality. Kathryn happily steps in, having worked in events management previously. Her team opt for the zip line/slate mine experience followed by cheese tasting.
Stephanie takes the lead for Diverse and selects the railway tour, painting activity and whiskey tasting. Both teams have an opportunity to make extra sales at the end of their tasting experience, and to earn tips too.
Pricing
The teams then discuss their pricing strategies and both PMs are keen not to price too high (they clearly have little confidence in delivering stellar tours). Each team splits, with the sub teams heading off to sell tickets and the PMs taking their lackeys to secure the lowest prices possible for the tour activities.
Kathryn is unable to secure the zip line/slate mine experience for a low enough price so changes their pricing strategy, which you think would present an issue for her sales sub team, but Amy and Aaron haven’t managed to sell a single ticket yet so, every cloud!
Both sales teams sell out – unfortunately at rock bottom prices. But, if the lead teams run decent tours, and they can maximise their aftersales, they might be able to keep hold of a whisker of a profit.
Testing
Stephanie’s team have a sedate and informative time checking out the painting experience and learning how to pronounce the names of the mountains. Meanwhile, Kathryn and Hapreet change clothes to test the zipline – Akeem need only tuck his tie in and away he goes!
Time for the tours
I almost couldn’t watch – just when you thought Nick couldn’t be any more awkward, he comes out with the absolute classic line “Farming is very very important to the Welsh economy, and that is the main reason why Wales is sheeping it”.
What Nick lacks in, well, most things, Kathryn makes up for in enthusiasm. It’s as though she’s running a kids camp! Akeem balances out her pep with all his talk of death in the slate mines. He missed a trick though when asked what the miners ate. Why oh why didn’t he say cheese? Come on Akeem, you’ve got to sell a load of cheese later, perfect opportunity to whet their appetite!
The sub teams meanwhile are negotiating commission for said cheese, and whiskey. Sophie and Akshay ask the whiskey supplier what commission he’s willing to give, of course he’s going to say 1%! They end up securing 7%. Pathetic. Amy and Aaron are massively pleased with themselves, securing 17% commission….but haven’t thought through that to secure the top % they’ve agreed to sell 20 hampers to 16 people. *Facepalm*.
Tasting
Sophie drones on about the “two-process distillery process, copper metal, copper plates, double filtered process”, no wonder one of the guests fell asleep.
Amy is no better – what she’s learned about cheese is that it’s “to be looked at and smelled and really savioured to enjoy that multi-sensory experience between the smelling and the tasting and the really letting it dissolve in the mouth…”. Yep, she said savioured, nope, it’s not a word. Aaron looked so embarrassed – the double eyebrow raise said it all.
The boardroom
The moment of truth. Neither team were asked for refunds by their tour customers, and both made a profit – but it was the railway and whiskey that just pipped the zip line and cheese experience.
To his delight, Akshay is finally in a winning team – personally I put it down to sheer luck rather than anything he did right (he didn’t).
Aaron and Amy blame Kathryn for not securing the tour for a low enough price, Kathryn blames the sales team for not selling the tickets for enough money.
The sacking
Ultimately, annoying Amy has shirked responsibility for too long and Lord Sugar decides to send her home. Good.
With just nine candidates left, we’re approaching the home run. Next week they’re designing driverless vehicles.
The lesson
So, there didn’t actually seem to be any issues raised by the tour customers, but I couldn’t help thinking that the teams didn’t give a lot of thought to equal opportunities.
The zip line and slate mine may have caused issues for those with physical disabilities, and whiskey tasting wouldn’t have been suitable for those with certain religious beliefs. Even the cheese tasting had the potential to disadvantage vegans (who can be covered under the Equality Act).
It might be the case that all of those things had been thought about, and there were contingency plans and adjustments at the ready should they be needed. But it’s a helpful reminder to employers. For example, when planning an event for staff, or sourcing Christmas gifts, don’t forget to be inclusive. Alcohol and chocolates won’t be suitable for everyone, and at worst you could unintentionally find yourself discriminating against your employees.
You might have awareness of which individuals you need to make adjustments for but, if in doubt, go for the option that runs the least risk of offending or alienating someone on the basis of a characteristic that attracts protection under the Equality Act.
When food, drink and activities are involved some key issues to bear in mind are around religious and other protected beliefs (certain foods and alcohol may be out of the question, even certain days of the week could be prohibitive for holding an event) and disabilities that might restrict participation in certain activities.
