Fooled by the undercover boss
SPARTA Watch Undercover Boss Friday night to see Bill Schuele, a 2009 Sparta High School graduate, teach the CEO of the Philly Soft Pretzel Factory, Dan DiZio, the tricks of being the company mascot.
Currently a junior at Stockton College, Schuele worked his way up to hourly shift manager at the Philly Pretzel Factory Absecon store.
One day Schuele answered the phone and was told he would be having a visitor. Someone was coming in to interview me for a job swap show, said Schuele. I was going to train a person, a man or a woman, on how to be the mascot. Ultimately I would go and switch jobs with them. Theyll train you on their job after you train them on being the mascot.
Part of Schueles job is to don the Philly Soft Pretzel Factory mascot costume and put on a little dance routine for passing motorists. A criminal justice major at Stockton College, Schuele had no problem with the physical part of the job. In fact he would rather be outside moving around than be trapped behind a desk.
After being introduced to the job swapping computer specialist, Schuele started the mascot lessons. He found that the man was an eager student. When he came in he grasped the concept and had fun with it, said Schuele. In my head he is some guy that just sits down at a computer. He was ready to run around and express himself rather than be behind a desk. DiZio donned the mascot costume. He is a little shorter than me, said Schuele. It actually fit him better.
Schuele felt the contrast between his active, frequently outdoor job and the mans sedentary, indoor job would make a good TV show. To me it made complete sense, said Schuele. He has desk job and I run around outside in a big costume. It would also give Schuele a taste of the white collar, corporate world. I wasnt sure how I would be behind a desk. Ill get a chance to try it.
When it came time for Schuele to take over the computer job the producers sent a limousine to take him to the corporate headquarters in Philadelphia. There he was eventually introduced to DiZio and the entire setup was revealed. Schuele never took the time to look up DiZio and due to a dramatic makeover Schuele never recognized him. I was completely taken by surprise, said Schuel. I had no idea who he was.
It was incredible said Schuele. As a kid you think, who are these people on TV? On Friday night, on channel 2, at 8 p.m., Schuele will be one of those people on TV.