Rate drop from one day to the next - lol

[kevpuk]

So had a call from an Agent yesterday about a role, talked through the details and agreed an acceptable daily rate (which was at the top of the advertised 'range') - all good to get put forward, although it was a little less than I would normally entertain.

Fast forward about 22hrs and Agent leaves VM saying that Client has "changed their mind and the absolute max rate" is now 10% less.....yeah, right!

Not to worry, I called back and said I would no longer be interested but enquired why the rate had dropped so soon, and stated that I believed it was more likely that the Agency wanted to retain a better %......stunned silence (very fresh pimp, I suspect).....and then a bit of "erm, no, well, no, um the client has..."

Honestly! Got to chuckle to myself, especially as I don't yet *need* a new gig......

[kevpuk]

OK, well that has to be a record!

Just had a VM left from same Agency, from a 'Senior Manager' who wanted to discuss what options may be investigatable on this. Seemingly, they would like to try to help make the contract work for me, and suggesting perhaps working from home some days or other sweeteners to compensate for the rate drop. Very keen to discuss a way to make this work...

[cojak]

So had a call from an Agent yesterday about a role, talked through the details and agreed an acceptable daily rate (which was at the top of the advertised 'range') - all good to get put forward, although it was a little less than I would normally entertain.

Fast forward about 22hrs and Agent leaves VM saying that Client has "changed their mind and the absolute max rate" is now 10% less.....yeah, right!

Not to worry, I called back and said I would no longer be interested but enquired why the rate had dropped so soon, and stated that I believed it was more likely that the Agency wanted to retain a better %......stunned silence (very fresh pimp, I suspect).....and then a bit of "erm, no, well, no, um the client has..."

Honestly! Got to chuckle to myself, especially as I don't yet *need* a new gig......

Good for you. When the agent called me about the current contract I didn't really want it, so when I found out the rate was 10% less than my usual rate I told him I wasn't interested.

He gave me the 10% without a stumble (more experienced than yours was ).

[northernladuk]

I tend to find the 10% drop is even faster than that and appears to be applied between the time it appeared on the job board to the time I rang the agent. As as already been mentioned proving you are not a push over get's this reversed pretty quickly.

[cojak]

And for all you newbies out there...

Pimp: What's your rate?

cojak: £1000 per day

Pimp: What's your range? What's the lowest rate you'll accept?

cojak: £1000 per day.

Pimp: That's not a range.

cojak: No, it isn't is it?

(The rate could be anything, btw...)

[northernladuk]

And for all you newbies out there...

Pimp: What's your rate?

cojak: £1000 per day

Pimp: What's your range? What's the lowest rate you'll accept?

cojak: £1000 per day.

Pimp: That's not a range.

cojak: No, it isn't is it?

(The rate could be anything, btw...)

But you need to be helpful Cojak. These people struggle with adversity and complexity. What about...

Pimp: What's your rate?

cojak: £1000 per day

Pimp: What's your range? What's the lowest rate you'll accept?

cojak: Range is £999 to 1001 per day.

Pimp: Great so £999 a day then.

cojak: with an extra charge of £1 a day for anything under £1000

Pimp: Great, will see what I can do....

[kevpuk]

Well, enlightening call to Mrs Senior....seems that 'when the role was uploaded it came with a lower rate'......and was 'based on a previous on-off contractor'......

Mrs S. suggested working from home perhaps once a week, but would have to square it with hiring manager, and 'there is a good chance of extension' (NB the gig is only due to run until endo of year anyway).....and 'is there anything else that we could try, as you are a great proposition'.

I said "Get the rate back to advertised, and subsequentially agreed yesterday?"

Mrs S. "Um, that is the maximum they can pay, actually they can only get to" <insert further -£20/day> "....but we should be able to get to " <agreed rate - 10%> ", although that will be 40p over Client's maximum permitted"



Oh, and "we don't control our margin on contracts, we are managed service resource for Client and rate margins are fixed"



So, how did I do

TBH, I *could* accept the rate, and at a different time perhaps I *would*. It is not woeful, and certainly the gig is reasonably interesting, if perhaps a little non-challenging (OK, so that is not necessarily a bad thing!)......but currently there are so much hotter irons in the fire

[cojak]

....

Mrs S. suggested working from home perhaps once a week, but would have to square it with hiring manager, and 'there is a good chance of extension' (NB the gig is only due to run until endo of year anyway)

Well you can bet your bottom dollar that the WFH and the 'possible' extension would disappear like a heat haze on the first morning you turn up at the client.

[kevpuk]

Well you can bet your bottom dollar that the WFH and the 'possible' extension would disappear like a heat haze on the first morning you turn up at the client.

No doubt!

TBH, WFH is all well and good, but this gig would have involved staying away during the week anyway (which I currently do, FWIW) and hence the reduced cost of WFH is one night's Spareroom/Hotel - nowhere near enough to compensate 5x <agreed rate - 10%>

Now, had the gig been more or less on my doorstep, I may have carried on the negotiations...of course, contract would need to reflect WFH and biscuits being provided each day also

[bobspud]

Well, enlightening call to Mrs Senior....seems that 'when the role was uploaded it came with a lower rate'......and was 'based on a previous on-off contractor'......

Mrs S. suggested working from home perhaps once a week, but would have to square it with hiring manager, and 'there is a good chance of extension' (NB the gig is only due to run until endo of year anyway).....and 'is there anything else that we could try, as you are a great proposition'.

I said "Get the rate back to advertised, and subsequentially agreed yesterday?"

Mrs S. "Um, that is the maximum they can pay, actually they can only get to" <insert further -£20/day> "....but we should be able to get to " <agreed rate - 10%> ", although that will be 40p over Client's maximum permitted"



Oh, and "we don't control our margin on contracts, we are managed service resource for Client and rate margins are fixed"



So, how did I do

TBH, I *could* accept the rate, and at a different time perhaps I *would*. It is not woeful, and certainly the gig is reasonably interesting, if perhaps a little non-challenging (OK, so that is not necessarily a bad thing!)......but currently there are so much hotter irons in the fire

You really don't need to waste that much mobile phone battery. Just say I was interested at X you dropped it to Y so no I am not likely to want to jump ship because my current role is already more than you are now offering. Thanks anyhow...