Written references

[handsfree]

Do you try and get written references from your clients before they leave?

[expat]

Do you try and get written references from your clients before they leave?

"Oh, I make it a point never to give references. A very old-fashioned idea to my mind."
-- Mary Poppins.

[mcquiggd]

In the past an email usually suffices.. I usually find contracts are 'hyper urgent - we need to get it sorted today or the contracts off' ... yawn! Of course, people have jobs to do / lives to live, and they cant just drop everything to get an agent a reference for little old me.

So, I tend to use friends who I have worked for / with .... they have given me references via email which I can forward, and then the agent can call them for a quick telephone conversation to confirm.

I tend not to trust managers who have vaguely known me over a short period of time, whereas my usual references are people I have worked with for several years.

[DimPrawn]

I never get asked for references when the contract is real and live.

The only time references are ever mentioned (and it's ALWAYS agents and not clients), is when the dirty slimey agent ***** are looking to scam you with bulltulip opportunities.

HTH.

[privateeye]

I never get asked for references when the contract is real and live.

The only time references are ever mentioned (and it's ALWAYS agents and not clients), is when the dirty slimey agent ***** are looking to scam you with bulltulip opportunities.

HTH.

Every contract I've been accepted for over 10 years has not asked for references - but all the ones that wanted them I never had feedback from but know the referees were contacted for sales leads as they are people I still keep in touch with.

[Scaroth of the Jagaroth]

Last time I had to give a reference was in 1992 and that was for a permie position. A client has never required me to provide a reference in 13 years of contracting.

[malvolio]

I've had to scare up a couple, but only rarely and usually for HMG clients. I've never managed to get one from the client at the end of a contract though - although if you had a letterheaded statement to the effect that "We are sure Mr Volio will bring the same level of care and professionalism to your organisation as he did to ours", would you put it in front of a prosective client?

[AlfredJPruffock]

No, never had to obtain a reference and would only give one if I were to receive a commission in cash for doing so.

Remember references can cause Litigations hence why people rarely bother issuing them these days , even less so given typically you are not in the direct employment of the client.

[malvolio]

You're all missing the point here. Assymetric notice preriods of this nature means no Mutuality of Obligation which is a strong outside-IR35 pointer. So stop pretending you're some sort of employee with equal rights, file it for future use, and get on with the contract.

[The Master]

Wrong thread, Mr Malvolio.