Pareto meets the Easter Bunny

Once again Pareto has been hitting the phones on another legendary cold calling day. This time the Chiswick office got up close and personal with bunnies and chicks in homage to Easter. Bunting and hidden treasures littered the office and the promise of chocolate hung in the air. The troops divided into two groups and prepared for a fight to the death. Death by chocolate, that is.

Leading Team Bunny into battle, and sporting a rabbit-inspired onesie (ears and all), was MDE Katie Walker. Team Chicken was headed up by fellow-MDE Tom Gillespie who of course wore a giant head-to-toe chicken suit! The rest of the Paretoees supported their respective team by donning chicken-themed face masks and getting out the face-paints: once daubing had ceased, and bunny faces were vaguely recognisable, the competition began.

The aim of the day was to collect the most eggs for their team’s basket. Eggs were awarded for the winning of challenges and the booking of appointments. A golden egg, worth 3 normal eggs, was up for grabs for anyone managing to book a ‘special appointment’. The stakes were high!

First off was, of course, a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt. 40 tempting chocolate eggs were scattered around the office and it was down to Team Bunny and Team Chicken to locate the hidden goods. The team who found the most chocolate eggs would win a coveted golden egg for their team’s basket. Feeling the heat and the pressure of competition, some contestants resorted to dirty tactics; noticing Kurtis Ayton’s secret egg stash under his desk, Chris McQue couldn’t resist temptation and pocketed one of the eggs, prompting a heated debate. Despite controversial attempts to hinder their lead, Team Chicken managed to pull through and took the win, securing the sought-after golden egg for their basket.

Next up saw the teams compete in a traditional egg and spoon race in an attempt to land another golden egg for their baskets. In order to do so, all entrants from the team needed to cross the line with their egg in tact. Any broken eggs meant a return to the start line for the clumsy perpetrator. Team Chicken immediately took the lead and glory was in sight. Just metres from the finish line tragedy struck and Liberty Nogueria dropped her egg. Consequently she had to return to the start therefore sacrificing a second win for the team. After such a close call it was decided that another race was needed, but this time it was every man for himself. Stepping up to the starting line, contestants zoned in on the prize on offer: another golden egg! After demonstrating extreme balance, speed and a steady hand, Chris McQue was first to cross the line therefore winning the precious egg - and managing to redeem himself slightly from his earlier cheating scandal.

After a successful session on the phones, Team Bunny and Team Chicken were challenged to a one-on-one Easter egg eat-off. Stepping up to the plate, quite literally, for Team Bunny was the notorious Chris McQue while Team Chicken nominated Stephen Bainbridge. Two large chocolate eggs were placed in front of the contestants, as they each stared down the competition, and then they were off! Chris immediately stormed ahead, promptly devouring the chocolaty Everest that lay before him. However, following the underhand tactics of the day, once again Chris attempted foul play by hiding chocolate under his tongue! Caught red handed, Chris forfeited the lead and Stephen went on to win the title.

The day ended with a finger-biting decider. A large jar crammed with mini eggs took pride of place in the office and the two teams were asked to guess the exact number of eggs it in. In a turn of events that no one could have predicted, it was Chris McQue who came closest with his guess of 300 – just 11 off the correct figure of 289. In a gentlemanly gesture, Chris donated the jar to Regional Director Sarah Skelton – although the motive behind the motion is still up in the air with rumours flying that it could be a sign of a guilty conscience!

After a day clouded in controversy deciding the winner wasn’t an easy task. But after a triumphant effort on the phones, the winning title went to Team Bunny who finished the day with the most eggs in their basket – although no one is totally confident about how many of these are stolen goods!

Well done to all involved, the day generated fantastic results and was a (wait for it) eggcellent success!