Rate drop from one day to the next - lol

[Old Greg]

I had one rate go up 10 quid a day when contract arrived, think pimp forgot he'd creamed it off early doors.....

With my current gig the contract came through at £20 above what was agreed on phone. I had another concurrent contract with the same consultancy at the higher rate.

[Wanderer]

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!

I'd be inclined to go along to the interview and then discuss the rate afterwards. Hell, they are always offering us lower rates post interview aren't they so why shouldn't it cut both ways and us be able to raise our expectations?

At least if you've been to the interview you have a chance to use your bulltulip detector and speak to the client directly if the agent tells you the rate being offered is lower than you agreed or slip the rate into your conversation with the client to see if the agent is creaming the margin.

[Antman]

I'd be inclined to go along to the interview and then discuss the rate afterwards. Hell, they are always offering us lower rates post interview aren't they so why shouldn't it cut both ways and us be able to raise our expectations?

At least if you've been to the interview you have a chance to use your bulltulip detector and speak to the client directly if the agent tells you the rate being offered is lower than you agreed or slip the rate into your conversation with the client to see if the agent is creaming the margin.

Is there anything wrong with asking the client at the interview straight out how much they are paying?

[northernladuk]

Is there anything wrong with asking the client at the interview straight out how much they are paying?

Would you be happy if the question came up at interview when you were recruiting? I certainly wouldn't be too impressed. I am sure some people wouldn't mind telling you but you could just as easily offend the client in the meeting you need to least offend him. Could make you look like a troublesome rate chaser. I can see why you might ask but very risky.

[Wanderer]

Is there anything wrong with asking the client at the interview straight out how much they are paying?

As nluk says, there are probably lots of reasons not to ask so you need to use your skill and judgement to determine how to proceed. Also bear in mind that the permie person interviewing you may not be aware of how much you are going to get paid and it might piss them off if you start asking if £1,000 a day is OK with them...

I've had clients be completely open about it but others take an attitude which is very much "talk to the pimp" because they don't want to be involved in the dirty business of talking money and negotiating.

Of course the pimp will be happiest if you NEVER discuss your rate with the client so that way he can screw both of you.

[TheFaQQer]

LOL, that is quality! No come back on that at all??? Shows how much he was willing to try fleecing you for.

No come back because they didn't realise.

They weren't fleecing me at all, even on the original rate - I had access to the finance systems so saw what the agency were charging for me. Worked out at about 1% margin, unless they had some kind of retention payment elsewhere that I didn't see. Never understood that one - they may have been trying to sell a bigger package of work, though.

[Antman]

Yeah, I hadn't thought about permie slaves at the interview getting uppity about it. Where there is somebody from "the team" trying to grill you I normally don't get those roles anyway.

I haven't done this yet, but I did have an interview with a Dutch guy who asked me straight out, I mumbled something about speak to the agent. Looking back it was probably best I kept my mouth shut because the agent was stiffing the client. If they had seen the difference they might have thought "we're paying top dollar and we're being offered baldrick - I'm out" - that role has led to some expensive training, flights abroad and direct renewals so good job I wasn't too bolshy about it then.

[Quagmire]

I had one rate go up 10 quid a day when contract arrived, think pimp forgot he'd creamed it off early doors.....

I had one where the rate advertised was 25 quid less than the one pimp quoted during the call. Lucky, I guess...

[psychocandy]

Yeah, I hadn't thought about permie slaves at the interview getting uppity about it. Where there is somebody from "the team" trying to grill you I normally don't get those roles anyway.

I haven't done this yet, but I did have an interview with a Dutch guy who asked me straight out, I mumbled something about speak to the agent. Looking back it was probably best I kept my mouth shut because the agent was stiffing the client. If they had seen the difference they might have thought "we're paying top dollar and we're being offered baldrick - I'm out" - that role has led to some expensive training, flights abroad and direct renewals so good job I wasn't too bolshy about it then.

Nah. Never get into rate discussions with client at any stage. Can only end badlly.

[bobspud]

Nah. Never get into rate discussions with client at any stage. Can only end badlly.

Wrong

When an agent calls you tell them that you only work on open books. Then you bring the day rate up at the interview and make sure everyone is happy about where costs are. That way if the agent pulls the same stunt as my current one and is extracting 650 a day on the basis that the client thinks you are on 575 it will get mopped up and expectations corrected.

I got my own back on the agent as I pointed out that the agent had also ran round the rest of the team that I joined to try and get them to leave. So there will be some true comedy when I leave next month and the agent tries to replace me