Finding out the rate being charged?

[moneymoney]

So you have nothing on the table, at the present time, to back up this raise?
Good luck with that



If you have a good relationship with the client then you can broach this with them.
You have to be very sure of this and provide "evidence", however.

I'm not asking for it now, I'm thinking of doing it at renewal time.

Obviously you can't just turn around and say "give me more money" without being able to justify WHY you deserve it, and if I demand it, I need to be willing to walk if they don't give it.

To repeat, as some people seem to be missing the point of this thread, I'm querying how I find out how much of a cut the agency is taking.

My view is that, they did the initial work, helped me get the role and got their cut. Let's say it was 15% for arguments sake. It was a 6 month contract, they earned that, no problem with that.
When renewal came up, they dropped the ball, and I did the leg work for them. I don't really feel they earned their 15% of that 6 month deal. So next time around, after being renewed and proving to the client that I'm valuable(otherwise they'd have shown me the door, as they have others), I'm looking to squeeze the agencies cut, hopefully without involving clientco.

From reading other threads on here, people have mentioned that they have done similar, and the agency tried to pass the increase onto the client and client got annoyed, with differing end result for the contractors (some clients got rid of contractor, some got rid of agency).

[WTFH]

To repeat, as some people seem to be missing the point of this thread, I'm querying how I find out how much of a cut the agency is taking.

To repeat:

OK, if you want the answer to your question with no useful help, it's simple...
1. Access the client's accounting software
2. Go to AP
3. Find your agent
4. Find their last invoice.
5. If you are the only contractor through that agent then take their invoice and compare it to yours.
6. If you're lucky they will have detailed how much is time and how much is expenses.
7. Compare the number of hours/days on their invoice to the number of hours/days on yours.
8. There's the difference.


Of course, if you don't know their accounting software and what it records when you log into it, then you're running the risk of being immediately dismissed - but that's advice/useful help so you won't care about that bit.

Of course, as faQQer has said, there may be a fee loaded as a separate invoice, so you would be best to examine all the invoices from your agent to the client.


I know of one consultant who was marched off site for doing this. He was direct with the client and wanted to see how much the other consultants were getting so he could negotiate. In his negotiations he started talking about what others were charging, the ClientCo checked their logs and saw his name... Goodbye.

[MrMarkyMark]

To repeat, as some people seem to be missing the point of this thread, I'm querying how I find out how much of a cut the agency is taking.

OK.

1) Ask the agent.
2) Ask the client.
3) Get access to accounting system.
4) Ask Andy W's mum.

[TheFaQQer]

To repeat, as some people seem to be missing the point of this thread, I'm querying how I find out how much of a cut the agency is taking.

Some people seem to be missing the answer to the question, which was given as far back as post number five:

The agency should tell you if you ask them. Whether that is the truth, however, you wouldn't know.
If you are on good terms with the client you could ask them too.

Or in post 15:

OK, if you want the answer to your question with no useful help, it's simple...
1. Access the client's accounting software
2. Go to AP
3. Find your agent
4. Find their last invoice.
5. If you are the only contractor through that agent then take their invoice and compare it to yours.
6. If you're lucky they will have detailed how much is time and how much is expenses.
7. Compare the number of hours/days on their invoice to the number of hours/days on yours.
8. There's the difference.


Of course, if you don't know their accounting software and what it records when you log into it, then you're running the risk of being immediately dismissed - but that's advice/useful help so you won't care about that bit.

Or even post 19:

OK - ask the agency or ask the client.

Don't expect either one to give you an answer and if you get one, don't expect it to be the truth - that way you won't be disappointed.

The only way for certain is to find the invoices that relate to you and see what they say - even a monthly / weekly invoice isn't necessarily going to be correct though. One of my clients had an over-arching agreement which had a fee attached to it, and then invoices for each contractor with about a 2% fee on them. So if they operate in this way, you'll need access to both of these to be able to work out what you are costing.

HTHBIDI

[MrMarkyMark]

Lets hope his negotiation skills are better than his reading skills

[WTFH]

4) Ask Andy W's mum.

10% if you're circumcised.

[northernladuk]

Remember it's highly likely neither the client nor the agency may appreciate you asking this when it's none of your business.

[TheFaQQer]

Remember it's highly likely neither the client nor the agency may appreciate you asking this when it's none of your business.

Stop ignoring the question!

[moneymoney]

Lets hope his negotiation skills are better than his reading skills

if you want to get childish about reading abilities, you said "So you have nothing on the table, at the present time, to back up this raise?
Good luck with that "

when in the OP I said " but when my next renewal comes up, I'd like to ask for a rate bump "

people in glass houses and all that.........

[MrMarkyMark]

if you want to get childish about reading abilities, you said "So you have nothing on the table, at the present time, to back up this raise?
Good luck with that "

when in the OP I said " but when my next renewal comes up, I'd like to ask for a rate bump "

people in glass houses and all that.........

Nothing childish about it, you have been given all the answers.

What are you on? I was responding to what you were saying.
What I said was completely true with regards to:-

I had one fall through which I wanted and would have taken and another I turned down as I didn't feel it was worth jumping ship for mid-contract

Does it matter when you plan to negotiate, at renewal, or otherwise. the following is true:-

nothing on the table, at the present time