How much £/day should i leave the agent?

**BrilloPad** · 19 March 2012, 12:37

Don't you have a contract saying you can only work at that client via that agent for 6 months or a year?

Also remember that alot of what agents pay is funding. They will pay you before they get paid by the client. So isn't a percentage more realistic?

**Scrag Meister** · 19 March 2012, 12:51

Depends what has been supplied to you by the agent.

1. Found you the contract, gotta be grateful for that.
2. Pay you before they get paid by the client?
3. Regularly pay for lunches checking how you're getting on?
4. Chasing renewal

Getting the full service then I would think that 10-15% is acceptable.

My agent didn't find me my job, doesn't pay me before the client pays them and has never taken me out for lunch, and I had to chase for my own renewal.

Sorting auto-bill invoice once a month, transfer me the money when it arrives. How can this be worth say 5% per month? Around the £400 per month. For an email and a direct bank transfer.

For £400 a month I'd be happy to issue my own invoices and check I received the money.

**northernladuk** · 19 March 2012, 12:54

If the agent is on a fixed margin agreement with his client I think the consensus is that the minimum they will take is down to around 12% of the rate. If he isn't it could be up to 20% of the rate so I think you still have to go on percentage value to come up with the number you want to knock him down to.

Remember that no one is invaluable and I would be very surprised if you can take the agent over barrell however irreplaceable you think you are.

It is great you are in a position to demand more but do not over estimate your position or under estimate what the agent will do if it isn't worth it for him.

You threat of going to another agent will seriously backfire on you if you have got it wrong. The agent will realise you are being a numpty and any respect on the transaction could evaporate if he realises you are just full of it. Also if you start agents fighting amongst themselves the client could possible just can the lot of you. He uses agents to cut down on the time he spends dealing with contractors. The last thing he wants is having to mediate between them.

**Fandango** · 19 March 2012, 14:03

Sorry i should have been a bit clearer

Yeah i'm not saying i'm completely irreplacable, but we're in a position where there are no permie staff to hand our knowledge to and we're running a system we've designed worth 50k/month in income to the client and so trying to get someone new into pick up everything we know of the system we've built in the couple of weeks left before renewal time would take a motnh or 2 at least.

Also sorry i wasn't implying i would work via another agency, i was trying to say that if i were to leave (i need a holiday and coincidently the renewal date falls right at the start of the Easter holidays) then they wouldn't be guaranteed the income as another agent could get a candidate in there as a replacement, so it's better for them to have a smaller percentage of something than a larger percentage of **** All

In terms of what the agent has done during the 9 months i've been here so far, pretty much bugger all, apart for one £10 lunch! I've chased/arranged the previous extensions, they've done nothing. So i think £800/month (based on £40/day) for paying me my money is more than enough after 9 months of taking considerably more!

I'm on good terms with the ClientCo and have let them know that i will be negotiating the agents % with them and to expect the agent to try and pass it onto them, but that any rate increase can easily be absorbed by the agents current cut.

**Wanderer** · 19 March 2012, 20:49

My agent takes 7% of what the client pays. They are a preferred supplier with a fair few people onsite so I guess this is at the lower end of what they would take.

Don't take any bulltulip from the agency. If you've been there 9 months then they've had their money so they can cut their margin and give you some of it. If they are a preferred supplier then their cut should be pretty low, if they are not a preferred supplier and you leave the job then the chances are that they will end up with nothing because some other agency will get someone in there.

**topper** · 19 March 2012, 21:18

Interested in this thread, I have been offered a 3 month extension and I am only 7 weeks into an initial 3 month contract anyway!!

Found out my agent taking 28%, and as a newbie I just feel naive and gullible!

I would be happy with dropping him to 17% giving me a nice little extra per day! Got to get my game head on.

**kingcook** · 19 March 2012, 21:31

Originally posted by topper View Post

Interested in this thread, I have been offered a 3 month extension and I am only 7 weeks into an initial 3 month contract anyway!!

Found out my agent taking 28%, and as a newbie I just feel naive and gullible!

I would be happy with dropping him to 17% giving me a nice little extra per day! Got to get my game head on.

The best thing to do (when looking for a rate rise) is leave any renewals until the last minute (when it's too late for the agent/client to find someone else to replace you. Accept the renewal now would mean the agent has 6 weeks to find someone else (either actively or passively). Leave it until a few days before the contract end date, doesn't leave them with much time

**topper** · 19 March 2012, 21:35

Makes sense I guess!!

My "Nervous Newbie" title is bang on though, not at the stage where I have a decent warchest to rely on (working on it!), but I suppose they can end my contract anytime so makes little difference to any "security" I guess!

Don't flame me on Security! I know the score.

**Fandango** · 30 March 2012, 14:57

Boom!!

2 month extension £60/day increase

Happy days! Roll on the weekend!

How much £/day should i leave the agent?