Agencies - Any Complaints

**reccon** · 22 February 2005, 12:52

Its all very well compaining and reporting agencies but how would contractors feel if there was someone that the agencies could report contractors to for not turning up to interviews, walking out of contracts etc etc. Not having a go at the contractors who are professional but it seems that contractors are very quick to call all agencies parasites etc. Would be interesting to see how contractors acted if there was a "blacklist" for agencies to use!!

**thunderlizard** · 22 February 2005, 13:33

I think it would be a great idea. Lots of iffy cowboy contractors that give the game a bad name. It would have to a be a more professional setup than the mythical agency blacklist, that contractors supposedly end up on* when they refuse to take swingeing rate cuts, or call their agent quite openly and honestly a spotty conniving gimp.

("up on which contractors supposedly end" for the grammarians amongst you.)

**thom234** · 22 February 2005, 14:51

Exactly. The issue is with bad agencies, not agencies in general. The problem with industries like this is that a few bad apples spoit it for the rest.

If a few bad agencies try devious tactics to make a few extra quid, then it makes it more difficult for the better ones to act fairly but still be competitive.

So far I've been openly critical of two agencies, but complimentary about a couple of others. It does surprise me that some agencies don't seem to care what people think of them. In the absence or strong legislation, it's my form of regulation: enhance the reputation of the good ones, harm it for the bad ones.

**Viking** · 22 February 2005, 15:43

It has been said before on this board that the only people to blame when it comes to "bad contractors" are the Agencies.

The Agencies are the gatekeepers, it is they who post the jobs, get the CVs, have a spotty nosed kid on school holidays to read them and put them into their databases.

It is the Agents who are employed by the agencies who ignore the better contractors in favour of the cheapest so they can increase their margins and therefore their commissions.

If the agencies behaved in a professional manner and worked with the freelance community and clients instead of trying to rip off as much coin as possible, then you wouldn't have half the problems you have today.

So the next time you feel like venting about how poor contractors behave, remember it was the agency who put them forward and it was the client who interviewed and ultimately hired them.

**mailmannz** · 22 February 2005, 16:20

The other issue is...what is a bad agency?

Ive had an agency with hold money from me, only to roll over like a puppy dog when I finally got serious with them and then Ive had another which I think has been quite good (MSB International)...yet the same contractors here who have dealt with MSB in the past wouldnt touch them with a barge pole.

Mailman

**Razyb** · 30 March 2005, 18:51

HI,

I think it's kind of relative. I mean an agency will ask me for references (which i'll only supply when I get to interview stage) which I guess they can/should use to get more background on me as well as using as leads (sheesh!) so maybe something like using ex-contractors' testimonials would be an idea for an agency? With they permission full transparency of course

Who knows. Being one of the ex-Aristotle contractors (i guess you lot know about that fiasco) I'll be very choosy in terms of which agency I now go with and what terms they have. I'll have to figure out how to decide if an agency is worth risking myself with when my currecnt contract finishes.

Cheers

Raz

**Mordac** · 15 April 2005, 17:23

I think has been quite good (MSB International)...yet the same contractors here who have dealt with MSB in the past wouldnt touch them with a barge pole.

Everyone gets f**ked over by MSB once. Your turn will come...

**CheesyNob** · 19 April 2005, 10:54

MSB, mentioning no names, I got calls from 4 of there people within an 3hrs, Lost my temper with them, put the phone down on the chap. Then he called me back and gave me a mouth full of abuse,

1) Totally unprofessional.
2) I wouldnt touch them with a barge poll.
3) I was quite tempted to go round there office ask for the chap in question and giving him a good hidding, fecking agency scum !

**NoziParker** · 19 April 2005, 12:18

Just remember that 'agencies' are not agencies at all, they are employment businesses. Their legal position is to source candidates for hirers, NOT, as is commonly supposed, to find work for contractors deemed as a work seeker (like a permy candidate or unemployed temp).

It's time employment businesses started treated us with kid gloves - like valued customers (but only if we're worth our metal anyway by being honest about our skills and abilities and can actually deliver on the job). After all, EBs couldn't survive without a database of candidate names on which they then use to market their own business with no immediate, if any, return for us (even when not phishing for leads). If I was going to be that brutal with them, I would suggest to all of you that we should all consider charging them for leaving our CVs on their databank to market themselves in this way.

As for paying travel expenses to interviews. Forget it. No employment business has the right to impose that on any contractor although they frequently do. Although, it is up to each individual contractor to decide that for themselves and to negotiate those terms with the agent. What is wrong is when they impose this stipulation as a blanket policy - an imposed condition of using an EB, as if we're all subject to some invisible CEO who makes the rules for all of us. EBs don't run our business, we each do and I intend to control my business at every stage, not let them do it for me. In my view, hirers should pay interview costs because by using an EB to source candidates we're 'making ourselves available to the hirer' who are the main beneficiaries of our availability for interview and for taking up the role - so we're are doing the hirer a favour, not vica versa.

Agencies - Any Complaints