Tossers.

Before assigning this week's task, Stewart addresses the candidates in an impromptu meeting. "This is what we'd do here at Martha Stewart Living if a team wasn't working, we would re-shuffle, we would bring in different blood..." says Stewart, after four consecutive losses for Matchstick. "Without a sense of teamwork I think it's really hard to build a great business."

Then Martha re-organizes the teams.

Candidates must create a Limited Edition salad dressing for Wish-Bone®.  The task surrounds the teams' ability to sell a new food product they developed -- from product formulation, to packaging, to marketing and selling it at two Stew Leonard's locations.

The team who sells the most of the product wins. Two of Stew Leonard's stores (Norwalk, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y.) were selected for the task, and the team could select any location in the store for maximum customer traffic to build their product display and demo the product.

Stew Leonard's three-ton customer service rock that stands at the front of each store's entrance states, "Rule #1 -- The Customer is Always Right"; Rule #2 – If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Re-Read Rule #1."  The candidates discover how seriously the company stands by these rules.

One team gets pushy, while the other gets reprimanded for foul sales tactics. Find out what happens when one of the candidates learns the meaning of "the customer is always right!"

Back in the conference room, Martha Stewart, alongside Charles Koppelman and Alexis Stewart, reminds them, "this is not a game, this is a job interview...remember that."

Following the episode, Alexis Stewart confesses her love of Wish-Bone® to Charles Koppelman. They encourage viewers to go to www.wish-bone.com to vote for the next Limited Edition dressing to be created and sold in stores in Spring 2006.

The winning product will be available for purchase at Stew Leonard's beginning on Thursday, October 20 while supplies last.

Comments

[vernie]

Jennifer was a total waste. I agree with Martha. I never want to hire that asian chick to work for me. At least uncontrollable Jim is a figher. It was an easy call.

[Tall_Texan]

This was the classic case of the out-of-control employee versus the can't-control-him manager. Who do you blame? In the real world, the out-of-control employee gets bounced 95% of the time. The manager normally gets bounced only if there is a full-scale mutiny beneath them.

But this is a *management* job interview so the manager goes. Psycho Jim has to stay around so the show has some conflict going. Otherwise, it becomes dull dull dull.

But soon Jim's track record of always being on the losing team and creating undue stress is going to catch up with him. I think if I were PM on Jim's team, I would slip some heavy barbituates into his morning coffee.

And it was good to see Marcela have a win finally. I think she's at a serious disadvantage here and getting her into the kitchen at least let her shine in her own element.

[reposted here too - lex]

[Jack Sprat]

The antics of Jim were just a small factor.

He designed the label and he sold 20% of the product (as much as the others, even while (admittedly so) being offensive.

What did JenniferL do? Nothing.

No selling. No designing. No reprimanding. No leadership.

And no rebuttal in the boardroom.

Bye, JenniferL

[deb]

I was sad to see Bethanny's team lost by only $20, it was a difference of selling 6 more bottles! Just by judging people's faces, it looked like her recipe was delicious. Anybody got a clue on the ingredients to make this?

[francis]

I think Martha was too quick at being Martha there. She showed her mean side. She should have given Jennifer a second chance. Jim had too many second chances already.

Jennifer did a decent job, but she just blew it by not marginalizing Jim in the sales task. She'd have to bitch-up her attitude to satisfy Martha's demands. And besides would you want to work with that cigar-sucking Koppelman. Wouldn't it be funny if Martha and Alexis join in and all three sport the cigar-sucking image in the board room? Now, that's a show to watch. Cigar-sucking Koppelman times three. It'd be hilarious!

[screwed_up]

Jen deserved to be fired. As far as Jim goes, apart from his abusive language, hyper attitude and habit of making threats he overall is a hard worker and knows his job well. At the same time making threats and being abusive hinders team work.

[Anita]

I was glad to see Matchstick to win for once.

I can understand why Martha fired Jenn. She was completely ineffective as a project manager. She hardly sold anything and she cannot handle Jim. I agree that Jim is completely out of control and would have been locked up if it was the early part of the twentieth century or earlier. And the key would have been thrown away. But project managers have to know how to handle all different personalities. I doubt he will last much longer but then Martha surprises us and she seems to be keep him to get the ratings up since she seems to think he is "entertaining and creative". At least she knows he has a loose screw.

Leslie's days should be numbered too since she mishandled last week's task and since when do sales personnel put items in a customer's shopping cart??? She should know better and I know she does.

The fight between Howie and Jim "slaying the dragon", I have no clue where that comes from and Howie should not have dignified Jim with an answer. Then that scene would have been avoided. This just shows that Jim can be the master manipulator and I hope I am wrong since Jim is very intellectual and has a lot of potential but he needs serious work on his mind from a staff of professionals. It is sad since he displays a lot of talent.