Negotiating with agencies

[socialworker]

apologies

I do apologise if people think I have been rude.

[SarahL2012]

Agree with this.......

1. As hard as you can. They are pretty thick skinned though. DON'T go arguing the point with your first contact, get it escalated to someone like the finance director or someone like that and you will find that things start moving.

2. Definitely speak to the client manager if you know them personally and get them to push from their side. It's completely unreasonable for the agency to refuse to work with a non-preferred umbrella.

3. The nuclear option is to threaten to use a different agency. Put this to the agency and it will shake them up a bit. It's clear that they aren't a sole supplier to the client, you are already registered with other agencies and you can say you found the other job through contacts at the client so ask the client which agency they would prefer you to use.

Agents do this sort of crap all day every day, don't take any bulltulip from them.

Once the client wants you in, the agency isn't going to do anything to risk that.

[socialworker]

End result.

Decided to play it tough with the agency. Told her if they didnt accept my umbrella I could not take the job. She toldme it "wasn't that simple" butpromised to to what she could - the agency has an "exception process" that could take 3 weeks. Told her I couldnt wait 3 week, needed to know today and I was sure some one senior could just make a decision. She asked me to get my brolly person to ring her.

At this point I actually had to go and do some work - phoned back in the afternoon and she still hadnt been in touch with my brolly person - he had tried to ring her - she apparently didnt think to google them and ring.

Exchanges of emails about looking for solutions. By 5pm I was fed up and phoned another agent who guess what? happened to have the same job on their books but were prepared to pay a higher rate. At this point I should ssay Agency 1 rate was rubbish and agent had said there was no room for negotiation and some gobbledegook about set rates.

Today rang Agency 2 and said go for it - decided to wait until Agency 2 had agreed with client that they would take me under Agency 2. All agreed so emailed Agency 1 and said sorry have had a better offer.

So have ended up with an agency that will accept my brolly and a higher rate. I claim my banana

So I have learned a thing or two on here, but have I learned too much? Have I been horrible to Agency 1? Mind you I am pretty sure she failed to put me forward for a job once but told me she had ....

[kingcook]

Decided to play it tough with the agency. Told her if they didnt accept my umbrella I could not take the job. She toldme it "wasn't that simple" butpromised to to what she could - the agency has an "exception process" that could take 3 weeks. Told her I couldnt wait 3 week, needed to know today and I was sure some one senior could just make a decision. She asked me to get my brolly person to ring her.

At this point I actually had to go and do some work - phoned back in the afternoon and she still hadnt been in touch with my brolly person - he had tried to ring her - she apparently didnt think to google them and ring.

Exchanges of emails about looking for solutions. By 5pm I was fed up and phoned another agent who guess what? happened to have the same job on their books but were prepared to pay a higher rate. At this point I should ssay Agency 1 rate was rubbish and agent had said there was no room for negotiation and some gobbledegook about set rates.

Today rang Agency 2 and said go for it - decided to wait until Agency 2 had agreed with client that they would take me under Agency 2. All agreed so emailed Agency 1 and said sorry have had a better offer.

So have ended up with an agency that will accept my brolly and a higher rate. I claim my banana

So I have learned a thing or two on here, but have I learned too much? Have I been horrible to Agency 1? Mind you I am pretty sure she failed to put me forward for a job once but told me she had ....

Let's hope agency 1 don't find out that you took a better offer for the same gig via a different agency

[socialworker]

Let's hope agency 1 don't find out that you took a better offer for the same gig via a different agency

Why?? No contracts signed, and they still hadnt accepted my brolly in my timescale, I had alrady given notice to current gig so needed a definite job for next Monday.

[kingcook]

Why?? No contracts signed, and they still hadnt accepted my brolly in my timescale, I had alrady given notice to current gig so needed a definite job for next Monday.

Hopefully the client hasn't already signed some agreement with the agency to say that anyone introduced via them cannot go via someone else.

I'd be interested to hear how this one pans out!

[socialworker]

Hopefully the client hasn't already signed some agreement with the agency to say that anyone introduced via them cannot go via someone else.

I'd be interested to hear how this one pans out!

I did wonder about that. But Agency 2 took advice from her seniors and swore blind it would be ok. It wasnt just the higher rate - though that is a bonus of course. I wanted to stay with my brolly for a second gig for the obvious reasons and this way I was assured of it rather than some vague promise. Of course I do realise Agency 1 wont be very happy with me. If Agency 1 insists on bullying client into not going with agency 2 I will walk away, unless they pay me an even higher rate. There are other jobs around. Not wishing to sound arrogant but the client wants me as she knows me, not that I am irreplaceable or anything but client will be very miffed off if this happens.

PS email from agent 1 saying she is very disappointed etc, she had approval for my brolly ( so it didnt take 3 weeks) and she can now discuss the rate - ! which she adamantly refused to move on before.

[kingcook]

I did wonder about that. But Agency 2 took advice from her seniors and swore blind it would be ok. It wasnt just the higher rate - though that is a bonus of course. I wanted to stay with my brolly for a second gig for the obvious reasons and this way I was assured of it rather than some vague promise. Of course I do realise Agency 1 wont be very happy with me. If Agency 1 insists on bullying client into not going with agency 2 I will walk away, unless they pay me an even higher rate. There are other jobs around. Not wishing to sound arrogant but the client wants me as she knows me, not that I am irreplaceable or anything but client will be very miffed off if this happens.

Best thing to do (IMO) is ignore all phonecalls/emails from agency 1.

[eek]

Best thing to do (IMO) is ignore all phonecalls/emails from agency 1.

+1

[northernladuk]

I did wonder about that. But Agency 2 took advice from her seniors and swore blind it would be ok.

Were her lips moving when this was said? If so don't believe it.