Help needed please

**Bluebird** · 5 September 2008, 11:31

Stall on the 4pm deadline - say you are having the contract checked over from an IR35 perspective - regardless of what they say thats what you are doing.

Other candidates waiting for feedback - well if you say no, then they'll hire the next best person for the job.

I would push for the rate of £350 - afterall the agent has a margin which can accomodate that, if they don't they stand to lose everything.
A margin of £55 per day is not as good as £75 per day - but better than sod all - they should be able to do this without consultation with the client.

**pmeswani** · 5 September 2008, 11:34

Originally posted by LadyChatterley View Post

Just been offered a contract verbally yesterday followed up by this email today. I Cut a long story she said I'd agreed at 330, I said I'd agreed nothing, she said look in the documentation we sent you, I did and in the body of a skeleton shell general contract, it was there. Now I didn't bother looking at this at this stage cos I though whats the point. I'll only scrutinise and go over t&cs if I get a personal contract offer. So, as the original agent i dealt with was off on holiday this day, they said go along for the facetoface interview and then if theres an offer we shall discuss rate. Today I recieve this email: Originally agreed rate was £330 per day. Please let us know if you are accepting the offer .

Tell the agency that if they are not prepared to wait, then they are most welcomed to offer the role to someone else. At the end of the day, why should they hold you to ransom? Judging by the sound of things, they don't want you to take the role (not sure why though).

But there again, how desparate / keen are you to take the role? Would it be better than the other one?

Also, have you signed and / or formally accepted the contract conditions? If not, change it to 350, print it, sign it and send it back. If they refuse to accept the 350 rate, tell them to offer it to someone else.

A guess at the recruiting agency... erm... One of the S3 agencies (or whatever they are called)?

**LadyChatterley** · 5 September 2008, 11:37

Thanks Bluebird. I have not given them a decision as yet (stalling) therefore I have not got the personal contractual offer document (the one they send after you accept), the one they sent me was just (I think) to show me what their contract t&c's etc would look like.

**LadyChatterley** · 5 September 2008, 11:38

Originally posted by pmeswani View Post

A guess at the recruiting agency... erm... One of the S3 agencies (or whatever they are called)?

.....

**TykeMerc** · 5 September 2008, 11:43

Well it's a matter of how much you want the gig and how much risk you're willing to take.

[Granny sucking eggs mode]
You tell them clearly that you have never agreed to a £XXX a day rate and £YYY is your minimum as told to agent named X.

They will bitch and moan and give it to you at £YYY, OR negotiate and you will agree a compromise OR they will tell you there's no contract at a penny over £XXX.

Odds aren't that high that the client gave them a list of people to say yes to, it's rather uncommon in my experience of hiring to have multiple people you would take if your preferred candidate refuses.

In reality there's nothing to stop the agent from telling the client that you've refused to take up the contract for whatever reason they care to fabricate and if the client had a close second candidate they will offer it to that person.
[/Granny sucking eggs mode]

In this situation I would hold firm on my rate demands, but I'm on the bench from choice at the moment with a fair war chest set aside and I can afford to be picky.

**NotAllThere** · 5 September 2008, 11:48

I always ignore such blatant attempts at pressure. Stall 'em, and under no circumstances take the contract for less than £350 per day.

If the offer gets withdrawn, write a letter to the client, thanking them for their time etc. and expressing your disappointment that they didn't choose you this time. This prevents the agent from say "Lady Chatterley decided that she didn't want the gig after all".

I know people who've done this and a day or so later, got a call that the offer had been remade, at a higher rate.

**LadyChatterley** · 5 September 2008, 11:51

...

**Ruprect** · 5 September 2008, 11:52

Your first mistake was giving them a bottom line. My tactic (which has worked for the last 5 years and 3 contracts) is to answer that question with a question: "what is the rate the client is offering?" At that point they will give you a range, and you put yourself in at the top end of that range. If the range is 350 - 400 the client is obviously willing to pay 400, so providing they like you they'll pay it anyway.

In answer to your current dilemma, if you can afford to not take the contract I would definately say that I had never agreed to the 330. sounds like the agent trying it on to me, and if they sense that they are about to lose the deal then they should offer the originally agreed 350, but of course, they *may* say no...so you should be willing to lose the gig if it came to that.

**LadyChatterley** · 5 September 2008, 12:03

Ruprect, that was my first question to her, to which she replied 'what are you looking for'. (I always ask that first if I can).
Then she said 'I'll see what I can do, so can we put you forward.

Help needed please