Caveated Boomed - form of words?

[pjclarke]

I always try to be as polite as possible, hardball tactics rarely work especially when, as NLUK says, there is not really any lead in your pencil.

Something along the lines of "I took this contract because I was interested in working with you despite the rate which, realistically, was fairly low. I would be very interested in a renewal, espcially now I have good experience of <whatever_the_****_you_do>, but it would have to be at a more realistic day rate"

I would have this discussion with the client but not discuss actual figures. Get an agrement in principle and then discuss numbers with the intermediary.

Well, thanks for all the advice, a spectrum of views there. Bacchus is closest to what I've actually done, but at the agency's request I have given them an actual figure, 12.5% higher than my current rate, which would bring it up to mid-market. Management here can't be bothered and simply refer me to the agency (tho' its not really an agency, more a consultancy with 99% contract staff), contracts are pretty much automatically rolled over as long as there is work and you haven't done anything grossly incompetent.

Now I wait.

[pjclarke]

It will go like this: she'll come back with 'Sorry, no more on the table: X is our best offer', I'll counter with 'OK, I was hoping for X+A so I'm outta here', she'll come back with 'OK we can stretch to (X+B) where B<A' and I'll accept or she'll say 'X' - and I'll accept.

All a bit ritualistic, but that's how the game goes.

Called It. The penultimate day of the contract she offers 50% of what I asked for and I said yes. A few hundred extra a month headed into the pension pot ...

[mudskipper]

Called It. The penultimate day of the contract she offers 50% of what I asked for and I said yes. A few hundred extra a month headed into the pension pot ...

Nice one

[Old Greg]

Called It. The penultimate day of the contract she offers 50% of what I asked for and I said yes. A few hundred extra a month headed into the pension pot ...

X + (50% of A) or 50% of (X+A)?

[pjclarke]

X + (50% of A) or 50% of (X+A)?

The former. My request would have been +12.5%, They've offered +6.25%.