The Chosen Ones Phone Shop Idol


The Chosen Ones

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There are 24,000 mobile phone sales reps in the UK.

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This programme contains some strong language.

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And every year, the industry holds a competition to find the best one.

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It's the Oscar for the mobile phone industry.

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CHEERING

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Get in there! Go on!

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It's the same as it would be for a journalist to win the Pulitzer,

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or for a writer to win the Booker.

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It scares me about what my potential is.

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From across the country, top sellers from all the major phone retailers

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face a gruelling series of challenges...

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What are the camera resolutions for the Samsung Galaxy A5?

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13 megapixel camera on the back and a five megapixel on the front.

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..in front of expert judges.

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We are expecting to see people who could sell anything.

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So, here we have a flotation device...

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-BELL DINGS

-Uh...

-Oh, God...

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I've written down one word and it says, "Painful".

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They've been given the power of being judges

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and I feel that it's really gone to their head.

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After six months of intensive tests,

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only the very best will win a place in the grand final...

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I'd like you to line them up in decreasing battery size.

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I'm not going to get my guns out just yet.

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..and with it, the chance to change their lives for ever.

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I'm proud of him and I'm proud of him... And, uh...

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it seems like, you know, we've done a good job.

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I'm emotional cos I'm passionate, not because I'm soft.

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It's just so difficult. It's just so tough.

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If stress is for you, sell mobile phones.

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-ANNOUNCER:

-And the winner of Shop Idol 2015 is...

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Christ on a raft.

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Welcome to the world

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of mobile phone sales staff.

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Morning!

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Where 18 million smartphones are sold every year.

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And this locks me in to a two-year contract?

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That locks you into two years, like always. It's always been like that.

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Oh, God. I think that should be illegal.

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Starting out in a mobile phone store is a tough gig

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and you have to know a lot of product...

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Doesn't want to play ball.

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There are a few birds up there on those phone masts today.

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..as well as being great at customer service.

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-I need to log in...

-I've been here about an hour,

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you've got customers walking out the shop.

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The competition is about to begin

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to find the best phone sales person in Britain.

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LAUGHTER

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A lot of these guys are working, not earning a lot of money,

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but if they do this competition, it can be life-changing.

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The whole thing starts with each retailer

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having the honour of choosing their so-called "chosen ones".

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The chosen ones are the very best in that company

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that represents that particular brand,

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represents what they think a good salesman should look like.

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As Britain's biggest network, EE has over 3,000 sales advisers,

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or as they like to call them, "High Street Heroes".

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Top management have searched over 500 stores to select their best.

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All I can say is, it definitely works for longer...

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Meet Jonny Brown. MUSIC PLAYS IN CAR

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# You're the best...around!

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# Nothing's ever gonna keep you down

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# You're the best...around... #

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Jonny's been selling phones for over a decade,

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currently out of the Golden Square shopping centre, Warrington.

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I've worked with a lot of sales advisers

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and I've never come across anyone who was like Jonny.

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There's one that's really good - I don't know if you've heard about it - Shazam.

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-I've got that.

-Have you already got it?

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-It's really good, isn't it? Do you use it quite a lot?

-No.

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Do you not?

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If we had a shop full of Jonnys...

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All right then, take care.

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..imagine what the place would be like.

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See ya.

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EE are hoping Jonny's impressive technical knowledge

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will win him the competition.

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I know my stuff. I can mix it up with the best of them.

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You can connect your laptop to your phone

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using it as a personal hot spot. You wouldn't need to have your dongle then.

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Jonny dedicated himself to his career after the break-up

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of his relationship with the mother of his two kids.

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We were together for a long time,

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so it was the hardest time of my life, it was...it was horrendous.

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It wasn't great.

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Jonny's dedication has paid off.

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He has already won the award for EE's Best Sales Associate of the Year.

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He polishes it.

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Now he's going to try and become the best of all the retailers,

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the Shop Idol.

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-INTERVIEWER:

-Do you think you can do it?

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Without a shadow of a doubt.

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Well, I've got the pedigree, haven't I?

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I've won the EE award, the best sales adviser in the company,

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so if anyone can win it, it's me.

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While Jonny has been chosen to represent the industry giants...

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Andy has been chosen to represent the little guy.

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-See the little 3G there?

-Yeah.

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When that turns off, usually that's a sign that that's...

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-When, like, that's...

-Defunct.

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Yeah, d-defunct, aye.

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29-year-old Andy works for Fonehouse,

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a small, independent chain with just 50 stores.

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-That's it.

-Thank you.

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Andy has built some of the best sales figures in the company...

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-All right?

-See you later.

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..with an almost supernatural ability to shift mobile phones.

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I just watch him and go, "How did you do that?"

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He'll just create a sale out of nowhere.

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I'll tell you what I can do with that one,

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I can get it properly all connected and I'll...

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I can drop it off for you, or something...

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When I approach someone in the shop it's just like...

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I'm trying to already predict what they want

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and predict what they're going to say.

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What's the difference in price?

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'It's just thinking two steps ahead.'

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Like a game of chess, kind of thing, do you know what I mean?

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And then it's a decision made, you know,

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you'll just feel something in the air click.

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It's a weird feeling, you know?

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You know... You know when you've done it.

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-Thanks very much.

-Nice to see yous again...

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Andy is convinced he can win Shop Idol

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and has the support of his sales colleague Danny.

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-INTERVIEWER:

-Are you like best mates?

-Aye, could say that.

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Who he's known since he was 11.

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I don't really like him at all, to be fair.

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I go to hold his hand in front of people...

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No, no. That's not the wor... You know the worst bit?

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The worst bit is in the car.

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You'll be sitting in the car with him

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and me hand will be on the gear stick and he'll go...

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-DANNY LAUGHS

-And I'll go down to... There's no-one around.

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It's not funny when it's just me and you, it's just awkward!

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-He'll put his hand on me leg...

-I find it funny.

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..and I'll go, "Will you get off us?"

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BOTH LAUGH

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No Fonehouse sales associate has ever won Shop Idol,

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and this year they are going up against

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one of Britain's retailing Goliaths.

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Tesco Mobile have four million customers, but no stand-alone shops.

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They have a pod or a section in 320 supermarkets.

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They have chosen one of their chosen ones -

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mum of two, Maria Cooper, from the Tesco Extra in Northampton South.

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To be chosen, I mean, that's fantastic.

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I'm almost expecting like a light to come down

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and sort of sit above my head

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every time someone says I'm the chosen one.

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So I'm quite humbled by it, really. But, for me, it's what I do.

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Since transferring from the checkout, Maria has focused

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on customer service and making her phone area a welcoming place.

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So, since we went for lunch,

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I've got my team to put some pancakes out,

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which has gone down really well with our customers.

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Obviously, they like the chocolate variety.

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Just a little touch that we do in the phone shop.

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Our customers are like our guests.

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The way I put it across to my team

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is think of this as their party and...

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-Thank you very much.

-Bye now.

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..and every customer that comes in is their guest.

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Hello, how are you?

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'There's no point talking jargon.'

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A very, very basic phone.

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You know, it does what it says on the tin.

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'It's not rocket science.'

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-Have you got the flip or have you got the flat one?

-The flip.

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'Right, just keeping it simple so they've got that full understanding there.'

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At 47, Maria is the oldest chosen one in the competition.

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It would be fantastic to win, it would be fantastic

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to show that actually you don't need to be that young kid out there.

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-Thank you very much for that.

-See you again, you're welcome. Bye.

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'Age is irrelevant. Who you are is irrelevant.

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'It's about being that...'

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It's about being a Shop Idol.

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Across the country, there are 32 chosen ones,

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but less than half will make it through their first test.

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Mike Dalloz became a Shop Idol judge ten years ago.

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He's a mystery shopping mogul who runs a secret shopping empire.

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We have thousands,

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literally thousands of mystery shoppers that do activity for us.

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He's about to send his team of secret shoppers in

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to examine the chosen ones.

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The camera is built into the tie.

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You can see the lens just through there. It's just there.

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Any customer who enters the shop over the next three months

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could be any chosen one's secret shopper.

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Just remember, that mystery shopper could be in any day now.

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-Everyone's a mystery shopper.

-Everyone is a mystery shopper, yeah.

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What I'm looking for in Shop Idol is the complete package.

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I'm looking for somebody who is an absolute sales star.

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They really understand the customer, they have incredible knowledge

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and they have no fear of closing sales and where appropriate,

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overcoming objections.

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But in addition to that,

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I want somebody who has a real affinity for giving great service.

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I know that person's out there.

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The secret shoppers have been unleashed.

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And so have the management.

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The companies are sending their top guns to mentor their chosen ones.

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-How are you?

-Aye, sound. Aye, sound.

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-Good.

-All happening, like, innit?

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Susie from Fonehouse management helped choose Andy as a chosen one.

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I know that you've got the talk and I know you've got that spark.

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-Mm, aye.

-You have all that. So that's the stuff you can't learn.

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But the learning stuff, from my experience -

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well, not my own experience, but from other people going through it -

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-it's very, very much the tech.

-Aye.

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-So just swot up on that, I would suggest.

-Oh, aye, aye-aye.

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I do it anyway, to be honest.

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I'm always reading about tech, you know, like a proper...

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-a proper GEEK!

-Geek! Perfect.

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Aye. You know, to a degree, to a degree.

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-An exciting geek.

-Aye. Well, aye, an exciting...

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An exciting handsome geek, you know. Aye.

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I think he's absolutely great.

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If I was a judge, that would be absolutely what I'd look for.

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Someone that grabs you immediately.

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And then he's charming and has some self-awareness.

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Obviously, a real will to succeed - that's the whole package for me.

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Andy's secret shopper is approaching his shop.

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The secret footage will be evaluated by judge Mike

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and at the offices of iSellMobile Magazine,

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the company which runs the Shop Idol competition.

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Head judge Christian was talent spotted by iSellMobile

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after coming third in this very competition himself.

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Now we really get to see them perform for the first time

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on the shop floor.

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We will find there's a lot of details -

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the thing that you missed out, the tariff that you didn't talk about,

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the service that you didn't sell or recommend.

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So it's really tough and they could be having a bad day,

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or a good day, but they're going to be judged on that shop.

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Consumer champion, Sunetra, is the editor of Mobile Choice

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and queen of technical specifications.

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Why should I be forgiving about somebody who doesn't know

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the products that they are selling?

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I'm a judge, I'm not their mum.

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If you put yourself up for a competition,

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make sure you know everything, otherwise don't do it.

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I've got to go, there's a customer here.

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Now Andy is off the phone, the secret shopper will engage.

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What smartphones have you got?

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What are you thinking of doing, like? Are you thinking of...

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Um, my granddaughter sends me pictures

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of my great-granddaughter...

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Your granddaughter sends pictures of your great-granddaughter?

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-Yes, I'm a great-grandma.

-Aye? (You don't look old.)

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-SECRET SHOPPER LAUGHS

-Thank you.

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Andrew's using a little bit of humour.

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"You're a great-grandmother?! How can that possibly be the case?"

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We're always having a bit of a game with the customer,

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but obviously, the customer, everyone loves to be complimented,

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and Andrew does it really well.

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So, this is the Galaxy Ace 4,

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it's been out about four weeks, so it's something recent for you.

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Andy's secret shopper scores his star quality at the maximum 100%.

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He will also be marked on technical knowledge.

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-Yeah.

-HTC have got their... It's called HTC Sense.

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This is called TouchWiz.

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Sony use one called... I'll find out, but, you know...

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-SUNETRA:

-I like him.

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-CHRISTIAN:

-I like that he went through it

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but he didn't know the last one, but joked about finding out...

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-I like him.

-..rather than making it up and thinking, "It's called this," and bamboozling...

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He could say anything and the customer would believe him.

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He just needs to do something about his product knowledge,

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because, you know, humour will not cut it

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-at the regionals or the finals.

-Yeah, when it comes to judging.

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If you fancy yourself as a finalist in a national competition,

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you need to know about the stuff you are selling.

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Be an all-rounder, yeah. Yeah.

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-SECRET SHOPPER:

-Thanks, bye-bye.

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So, he's a bit of a cheeky chappie,

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but actually does it with a professional veneer.

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One of the key questions we asked - do you trust their advice

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and would you buy the product

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because of how they've recommended it?

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And I think Andrew ticks a lot of those boxes.

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-INTERVIEWER:

-He's a contender?

-I think so.

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The contenders have a lot to live up to.

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-ANNOUNCER:

-John Sherwood...

-CHEERING AND WHISTLING

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I'll show you the trophy, it's fantastic.

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A really good weight to it as well.

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It took a while to get all the fingerprints off.

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There's the bad boy. Nice and heavy. Stands for the phone signal.

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A lot of people didn't know that.

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I remember lifting it like this, wasn't it? I said, "Come on!"

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-HE LAUGHS

-That was the real best feeling ever.

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-Don't tell the wife that cos the wedding day was quite similar.

-HE LAUGHS

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When John Sherwood won Shop Idol, he worked in Great Yarmouth

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in a small independent mobile phone company.

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I think John's a great example of somebody who is a hard grafter.

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He's got great product knowledge, he's a nice person

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and he wanted to take his career to the next level.

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That's what we are looking for.

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Within months of being crowned, John's life was transformed.

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He was headhunted by the electronic giant Sony

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and offered a job as an area development manager.

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I got a company car, so I sold my old car,

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so I used that bit of money for our holiday, which was fantastic.

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I've got a company fuel card, I get all the gadgets, which is amazing.

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Suddenly the postman's gone, I go to the post office,

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pick up a new smartwatch.

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I pick up a new tablet and things like that.

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Well, obviously, it's for demo purposes as well,

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but it's just fantastic having this as well.

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100% it's changed my life. Shop Idol's been brilliant for me, yeah.

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Now I'm doing the job that I love

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and sometimes I may stop here to do a bit of admin,

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so this is my office.

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There's lots of space here, which is cool. So...

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Oh, look! I left my trophy in here as well!

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What's the chance of that being in there?!

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If you win this award, you've got to follow your dreams, yeah?

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You've got to push on. Cos if you don't, you've just wasted such a good opportunity.

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What is remarkable about John is that he wasn't even a chosen one.

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He was a different sort of contestant.

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He was a self-nominator, and now, there are lots of sales associates

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who want to follow the John Sherwood path.

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What you can do is, if you haven't been chosen by your company

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and you think, "Actually, I'm a good salesperson, I can do this,

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"I can do this competition and I want to stand out,"

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you can then enter yourself into the competition.

0:14:590:15:02

I find, personally,

0:15:020:15:04

that challengers who put themselves forward have a little bit more

0:15:040:15:07

drive and determination and passion to do well in the competition

0:15:070:15:10

because they're really putting themselves out there.

0:15:100:15:13

Hundreds have applied but only the most popular will get to join

0:15:130:15:17

the chosen ones in the competition.

0:15:170:15:19

They have to persuade people to vote for them.

0:15:190:15:21

You will see my picture. There will be a Samsung background there.

0:15:210:15:24

And there will be a guy with a beard, OK?

0:15:240:15:27

And a baseball cap like this, smile like this, like I'm winning,

0:15:270:15:30

you know, obviously!

0:15:300:15:32

The whole thing is for me to move forward within my career,

0:15:340:15:39

like catapulting my career.

0:15:390:15:42

And that's the right word,

0:15:420:15:44

because catapulting means you're from somewhere, there.

0:15:440:15:47

You don't go within, you're from there to there.

0:15:470:15:51

Hungarian Roland Ratval moved to Britain seven years ago

0:15:510:15:54

in search of a better life.

0:15:540:15:57

He started out by cleaning toilets at Butlins before becoming a Three

0:15:570:16:01

sales associate in Norwich, where he lives with his wife

0:16:010:16:04

and their baby son.

0:16:040:16:07

Phone Shop Idol!

0:16:070:16:09

ALL: Phone Shop Idol!

0:16:090:16:11

INDISTINCT

0:16:110:16:13

CHEERING

0:16:130:16:14

HE SPEAKS HUNGARIAN

0:16:140:16:16

'I'm always buzzing and people can feel it.

0:16:160:16:18

'Even on the shop floor they can feel the vibration.'

0:16:180:16:21

The customer leaves with a smile, you know?

0:16:210:16:23

And they say to manager, "That was an amazing service.

0:16:230:16:26

"Thank you so much. Thank you."

0:16:260:16:28

This is Roland Rat. Actually, my name is the same - Roland Ratval.

0:16:280:16:32

So Rat and V-A-L. Roland Rat! Cool! I'm loving it!

0:16:320:16:37

Roland Rat Superstar.

0:16:370:16:40

There you go - it's happening.

0:16:400:16:43

Rat rapping. Oh, rat rapping - that could be good.

0:16:430:16:46

TINNY RAP MUSIC

0:16:460:16:48

For Roland, success in the Shop Idol competition would mean

0:16:480:16:51

recognition in his adopted home.

0:16:510:16:54

I'm very passionate about this whole thing

0:16:540:16:56

and I'm very curious where is the limit, how far can I go?

0:16:560:17:01

'I'm very driven. Feel the passion, you know?'

0:17:010:17:03

Yeah!

0:17:030:17:04

I'm feeling like... I can reach everything I want at the moment.

0:17:040:17:09

I'm feeling really high.

0:17:090:17:10

Roland's not the only one

0:17:130:17:14

who's hoping Shop Idol can transform his career.

0:17:140:17:18

Friday is here but it's actually a Saturday.

0:17:180:17:20

Every day is a Saturday - we know this.

0:17:200:17:22

I want legendary performances.

0:17:220:17:24

Your numbers will answer that for me at the end of the day.

0:17:240:17:27

Rookie sales reps Kiet

0:17:270:17:29

and Ayyub are also entered in the self-nominee category.

0:17:290:17:32

Give me some star jumps! I want to feel your energy! Come on, guys!

0:17:320:17:35

Their boss Jason runs the most successful Three store

0:17:350:17:37

in the whole of England.

0:17:370:17:39

Let's get you outside on the shop floor.

0:17:390:17:41

Go, go, go, go! Yeah!

0:17:410:17:43

He trains his staff to follow his own approach to selling.

0:17:430:17:46

Go, Kiet, go! Yeah!

0:17:460:17:48

Yeah, I'm crazy.

0:17:480:17:50

Passionate about being the best

0:17:500:17:51

and just not being the same as every other fucking robot out there.

0:17:510:17:55

'Have some fun, be crazy, get customers to remember you,

0:17:560:18:00

'and remember you for the right reasons.

0:18:000:18:02

'It's all about the theatre.'

0:18:020:18:03

All I need to do is take my top off!

0:18:030:18:05

'Bring that handset to life.

0:18:050:18:06

'To get the best experience from the handset, it's a two-year contract.'

0:18:060:18:09

It's not as long as my marriage lasted, but...it's a long time.

0:18:090:18:14

Jason recruited Kiet and Ayyub via a charity for unemployed youngsters

0:18:140:18:19

and he's turned them into the top salesmen in the store.

0:18:190:18:22

Going for the Note 4 is like going for a Ferrari.

0:18:220:18:25

I call him my second dad.

0:18:250:18:27

My first dad wouldn't love to hear that, but...

0:18:270:18:30

Yeah, he is, literally, he's...

0:18:300:18:32

It's got an optical processor. That means it's got eight brains inside.

0:18:320:18:36

'He's been a big help.

0:18:360:18:37

'Before I started working at Three, I never had much confidence.

0:18:370:18:41

'Now I'm that kind of person where'

0:18:410:18:43

people like me for who I am.

0:18:430:18:46

'People deserve a chance,

0:18:460:18:47

'and I think with my guys going forward for Shop Idol,

0:18:470:18:51

'it will help them

0:18:510:18:52

'not just to achieve great things in their work life, but it will help'

0:18:520:18:55

them achieve great things in their personal life, as well.

0:18:550:18:59

As a chosen one, Maria, from Tesco Mobile,

0:19:000:19:04

is already through to the first test.

0:19:040:19:06

She is determined to be ready to meet the secret shopper.

0:19:060:19:10

-Good morning!

-Hi, there!

0:19:100:19:13

What kind of makes you more...unique?

0:19:130:19:16

I don't know, I'm just me, really.

0:19:170:19:20

'Most of the people who work in our phone shops'

0:19:200:19:23

have come from another part of Tesco,

0:19:230:19:24

so they're used to working on the tills, working in bakery.

0:19:240:19:27

So they come at phone selling like they come at anything,

0:19:270:19:29

which is, "How do I help the customer?"

0:19:290:19:32

I've got a job in a nursery but I needed an extra income

0:19:320:19:35

and I got a job direct selling through a very well-known, um...

0:19:350:19:39

..lingerie/marital aid company...

0:19:430:19:48

If you can sell there, you can sell absolutely anything.

0:19:490:19:53

It's about understanding your customer,

0:19:530:19:56

exploring their needs and finding them the right product.

0:19:560:20:01

The secret shopper is on the move.

0:20:020:20:04

Let's have a look at Maria Cooper from Tesco.

0:20:050:20:09

-Hello, there!

-Hiya.

-How are you?

-Very well, thanks.

-Good.

0:20:090:20:11

-How can I help?

-I'm after a phone for my daughter.

-OK. So, um...

0:20:110:20:15

-How old is your daughter?

-15.

-Oh, OK.

0:20:150:20:17

What sort of budget do you have in mind?

0:20:190:20:22

'It's good that she asked me about the budget, does she have a phone?'

0:20:220:20:25

OK, we do a capped contract for your daughter,

0:20:250:20:28

which gives you the peace of mind...

0:20:280:20:30

He hasn't shown him any phones yet!

0:20:300:20:33

She has, like, three leaflets about iPhones.

0:20:330:20:35

She just needs to say, "These are the five phones within your budget.

0:20:350:20:39

"This is what each of them do. Which one would you like?" Quite simple.

0:20:390:20:43

Mm.

0:20:430:20:45

£20 on credit, and then we would triple that,

0:20:450:20:47

-so she'd have an extra £40, so she'd have £60 to use.

-OK.

0:20:470:20:51

But that's not actually going to go very far.

0:20:510:20:53

What?!

0:20:530:20:55

SHE LAUGHS

0:20:550:20:57

£60 won't go far?!

0:20:570:21:00

-That's a lot of money!

-£60!

0:21:000:21:02

I've got a magazine brochure here.

0:21:020:21:04

'She's more comfortable now.'

0:21:040:21:06

She's sitting down, she seems a little bit more together.

0:21:060:21:08

She doesn't look like a salesperson. She's acting like a shrink.

0:21:080:21:11

"How can I help you? Sit down. Would you like a leaflet?"

0:21:110:21:16

Although Sunetra dislikes Maria's performance,

0:21:160:21:19

the secret shopper may save her.

0:21:190:21:21

-Have I answered everything for you?

-Yeah, very helpful, thank you.

0:21:210:21:24

He was won over by her star quality

0:21:240:21:27

and wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.

0:21:270:21:30

If I could just get you to vote -

0:21:300:21:32

it takes two minutes - story of my life!

0:21:320:21:34

-In the...

-No, it's on the tablet.

0:21:340:21:36

Can you vote for me?

0:21:360:21:37

Time is running out for the self-nominees.

0:21:370:21:40

They are doing everything they can to get votes.

0:21:400:21:44

-CHEERLEADERS:

-..Phone Shop Idol He intends to stay

0:21:440:21:46

He'll make it to the top

0:21:460:21:48

And blow the rest away!

0:21:480:21:50

WHOOPING

0:21:500:21:52

That's the guy, with the big smile!

0:21:520:21:55

High-five! Great!

0:21:550:21:57

Getting a new voter!

0:21:570:22:00

Whoever walks into the shop, basically, we'll get them voting,

0:22:000:22:02

and then, that... I'm getting ruthless with it. Ruthless!

0:22:020:22:05

He's on it today.

0:22:050:22:06

No prisoners.

0:22:060:22:08

-I'll make it free, so you pay nothing.

-OK.

0:22:080:22:10

Yeah? But I just need one vote.

0:22:100:22:11

The Lewisham team have just taken the lead from Roland.

0:22:110:22:15

LOUD YAWN

0:22:150:22:17

I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't handle the stress.

0:22:180:22:21

-I can't handle it.

-HE LAUGHS

0:22:210:22:24

At the moment, I've got 351 votes, which is not bad.

0:22:240:22:30

The other guy, from Three... Oh, my God!

0:22:300:22:34

It's too much now for me, you know, to follow!

0:22:350:22:39

So, you know, let's just shut this off, yeah, I think.

0:22:390:22:43

EE's chosen one, Jonny, has still not been secretly shopped.

0:22:430:22:48

And this is not his secret shopper.

0:22:480:22:51

This is Deirdre, EE's director of retail.

0:22:510:22:55

Out of her 3,000 sales associates, she chose Jonny to be her chosen one.

0:22:550:23:01

Superstar status. How's the pressure?

0:23:010:23:03

-It's all right. I'm coping quite well.

-Yeah?

0:23:030:23:05

Not letting it go to my head.

0:23:050:23:06

I think Jonny is... Look, he's just such a superstar.

0:23:060:23:09

Are you keeping the old nerves? You're all right?

0:23:090:23:11

-Not getting too nervous about this?

-Not really, no.

0:23:110:23:14

Boy, can he sell! And, boy, can he attach things

0:23:140:23:16

and sell multiple sales and all that,

0:23:160:23:17

but it's always what is right for the customer.

0:23:170:23:19

-We're going to win, aren't we?

-Yeah.

-What do you think?

0:23:190:23:22

-THEY LAUGH

-Yeah?

-Definitely!

-All right!

0:23:220:23:23

I feel all pumped up, ready to go.

0:23:230:23:25

I got a fist bump off her, so that's a power bump.

0:23:250:23:29

-Jonny...

-All right, then.

-..thank you so much.

0:23:290:23:31

'They're pinning a lot of hopes on me,'

0:23:310:23:32

so, hopefully, I can do everyone proud.

0:23:320:23:35

This is Jonny's secret shopper entering the shop.

0:23:370:23:40

-Who's this - Jonny?

-Jonny, EE.

0:23:410:23:44

-WOMAN:

-Where am I best looking for something

0:23:450:23:47

with quite a decent screen? You know, for a lot of internet?

0:23:470:23:50

-Which?

-How do you mean? As in the size of screen?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

0:23:500:23:54

-'No!

-There wasn't really a meet and greet, was there?'

0:23:540:23:57

If you work in retail, you should at least be able to crack a smile.

0:23:570:24:01

So that's the 5S.

0:24:010:24:02

'But he's got a very monotonic voice.'

0:24:020:24:04

And he's not really expressive in terms of his body language.

0:24:040:24:07

You get 4GB of data and unlimited minutes of texts, then, as well.

0:24:070:24:11

'I'm not sure about him.'

0:24:110:24:12

There's no joy.

0:24:120:24:14

No happiness.

0:24:140:24:16

'It's just...'

0:24:160:24:17

..so tedious even to watch.

0:24:190:24:21

-SECRET SHOPPER:

-Right, thanks.

0:24:210:24:23

The secret shopper wasn't so harsh,

0:24:230:24:26

but did say Jonny failed to deliver a fond farewell.

0:24:260:24:29

The decision as to which of the chosen ones have been chosen

0:24:320:24:36

to go through to the next round is about to be posted online.

0:24:360:24:41

Just checking my score, see how well I've done, or how well I haven't.

0:24:410:24:45

I think you'll have done well.

0:24:450:24:48

Aw, no, I'm really nervous now. Actually, I don't know if...

0:24:480:24:51

Shall we just not bother?

0:24:510:24:52

-Shall we just leave it and wait and see?

-We should do it.

0:24:520:24:55

Andy scores 96%.

0:24:550:24:58

He's straight through to round two - the regionals!

0:24:580:25:01

What a belter! An absolute belter! Yeah, I can't believe that, like!

0:25:010:25:05

You just missed out.

0:25:060:25:08

Damn!

0:25:080:25:09

Jonny scores 87%. He's not gone through.

0:25:090:25:13

I'm a bit gutted about that.

0:25:130:25:15

And Maria?

0:25:170:25:19

Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm!

0:25:190:25:21

Maria scored 85%. She has also not gone through.

0:25:210:25:25

No.

0:25:260:25:28

Oh, here we go. "I felt that every piece of advice Andy offered

0:25:300:25:33

"was given with an altruistic desire to help and inform,"

0:25:330:25:36

which is exactly what I go for. When I wake up in the morning,

0:25:360:25:39

I always think "altruistic", you know(!)

0:25:390:25:41

-That's the first thing I think!

-LAUGHTER

0:25:410:25:43

"Had I been a genuine customer,

0:25:430:25:45

"I wouldn't have hesitated to go back or recommend her."

0:25:450:25:48

So, do you know what? 83%? Uh-uh - 100%.

0:25:480:25:52

Happy days!

0:25:530:25:55

Happy...days!

0:25:550:25:57

Touch me, baby!

0:25:570:25:59

-LAUGHTER

-I can't believe we just did that!

0:26:010:26:03

As many of the chosen ones exit the competition...

0:26:040:26:08

..it's time for the most popular of the self nominators

0:26:090:26:12

to enter the competition.

0:26:120:26:14

Christian is about to ring the self nominees to let them know

0:26:160:26:21

who has got through and will face the mystery shopper.

0:26:210:26:25

RINGING

0:26:290:26:32

TELEPHONE RINGS

0:26:320:26:34

Hello, it's Roland! Roland on the line, hello? Speak.

0:26:390:26:42

Hi, Roland, it's Christian calling from Shop Idol.

0:26:420:26:44

-'I'm just ringing to let you know...'

-Yeah?

0:26:440:26:47

'..that you've made it to the next round.'

0:26:470:26:49

LOUD CHEER

0:26:490:26:51

Yeah, high-five, yeah! Amazing, guys! I love you so much!

0:26:530:26:56

Well done, man! Well done!

0:26:560:26:58

Man! Aw!

0:26:580:27:01

Sorry, yeah, yeah, just having an emotional moment. Sorry. Yes!

0:27:010:27:04

MUSICAL RINGTONE PLAYS

0:27:060:27:09

Hello, Jason speaking.

0:27:160:27:17

It gives me great pleasure and loads of pride to say that, er,

0:27:210:27:26

-you are going through to the next round.

-Thank you very much.

-Yeah?

0:27:260:27:29

-So, a little party time tonight after work?

-Whoo, whoo, yes!

0:27:290:27:32

There's no easy way of saying this. Um...

0:27:420:27:45

But unfortunately...

0:27:460:27:49

you've made it through to the next round.

0:27:490:27:51

HE LAUGHS

0:27:510:27:53

Well done.

0:27:530:27:54

PARTY POPPERS SNAP

0:27:550:27:57

I'm going to get you back, man!

0:27:590:28:00

-When did you start working with Three?

-The 16th of June, 2014.

0:28:000:28:04

So, not even a year and you're in Shop Idol?

0:28:040:28:07

That is something to be proud of.

0:28:070:28:09

You go home tonight and you tell your friends, tell your family,

0:28:090:28:12

then you walk around with a spring in your step,

0:28:120:28:14

a smile on your face, and be proud of what we've achieved.

0:28:140:28:17

We just need to get to the final now and then win the final.

0:28:190:28:22

It gives me great pride and loads of pleasure

0:28:230:28:27

to announce that we've got two sales associates in Shop Idol

0:28:270:28:31

that have made it through to the next round.

0:28:310:28:33

POP!

0:28:330:28:34

CHEERING

0:28:340:28:37

Get in there!

0:28:370:28:38

Go on!

0:28:380:28:40

LAUGHTER

0:28:400:28:41

Boom! Two questions!

0:28:420:28:44

-Next time...

-I'm not happy! I'm not happy at all!

0:28:440:28:47

..all hell breaks loose...

0:28:470:28:49

Whose fault is that? Your fault! Sort it out, fuck off

0:28:490:28:51

and get some lunch, or breakfast, and sort yourself out!

0:28:510:28:54

..as the underdogs join the race to make the regionals.

0:28:540:28:57

We think it's been mystery shopped.

0:28:570:28:59

-But who will stand?

-Not a very good score at all, if any points.

0:28:590:29:02

-And who will fall?

-I'm nervous.

0:29:020:29:05

It's there, it's there.

0:29:050:29:07

# Do what I want cos I can and if I don't

0:29:090:29:12

# Because I wanna

0:29:120:29:14

# Be ignored by the stiff and the bored

0:29:160:29:19

# Because I'm gonna

0:29:190:29:21

-# Hate to say I told you so

-All right!

0:29:240:29:27

# Come on! #

0:29:300:29:31

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