Honesty/Integrity best policy with agents/clients? Umm nope

[psychocandy]

What about option 3.where they got some equal or better than what they wanted for the same money that can start tomorrow? Why do you assume cheapness or blame someone?

You've delayed by a couple of weeks.so client and agent covered there bases. Don't wanna be rude but you aren't niche and not the best catch in the market.
Do you think this carry on might have reflected on you somehow so they opened the process again?

Yes maybe. But then they were the ones who verbally offered me on the phone. If you want to look at your options then you dont do this and then backtrack.

Like I said though, they mentioned a date of mid Jan in this initial phone call. We're not even there yet. If things had changed, surely the first option would be to contact the guy who they'd already offered to see what the score was.

No, Im maybe not niche but you dont know my skillset. It was a small client, not a particularly prestigious or challenging gig - pretty run of the mill - so yes I think, bearing in mind the geographical area as well (not many people want to commute TO wales for an average rate!) I would be a very good catch for them. You might have your views on me with regards to this forum but its not an indication of my professional work - 25 years in the industry will back this up.

If I'd spoke to them and they said they had other people to talk to then fair enough. But remember they offered it to me on the phone.

There was no carry on from me. They knew up front I was still in contract and it would need negotiation from me. We even had a discussion about me not wanting to let current client down and they agreed with me it was the right thing to do.

They asked I keep them informed as to progress - which I did. As far as I was aware nothing had changed.

But to labour the point, the bottom is they offered me the gig on the phone and we agreed the way forward. At no point did anything change.

[d000hg]

Was it not just last week you were going on about how your current client was really great?

[psychocandy]

What? You are going back to somewhere where you have upset them before, or are you staying where you are

Neither looks very ideal.

Keep up mun MM. New place has shafted me - they've got someone else in it appears despite offering it to me originally. I though it was all still on but its not.

In the meantime, I told current client Im leaving....

Not ideal indeed.

[MrMarkyMark]

Keep up mun MM. New place has shafted me - they've got someone else in it appears despite offering it to me originally. I though it was all still on but its not.

In the meantime, I told current client Im leaving....

Not ideal indeed.

Ah, I see.

Seems to me they have just chosen a more straightforward option with no baggage attached.

IMO, it is out of order if they had offered you the contract in the first place, shame you didn't have a mail to support the offer.
Although, in practice, we know this actually means fairly little.

Hope you have a better beginning to 2017, although I still think you are a window licking lickspittle

[northernladuk]

Keep up mun MM. New place has shafted me - they've got someone else in it appears despite offering it to me originally. I though it was all still on but its not.

In the meantime, I told current client Im leaving....

Not ideal indeed.

I do hate the fact you always use terms like this. I wouldn't say they've shafted you. You were a significant risk and they moved on. We've mentioned the risk of delays to taking gigs and the high probability of those gigs evaporating in the meantime endlessly.

Anyway... we are where we are...

So question to you PC. What is your plan of attack at renewal. I know what I'd do and surely it's fairly obvious so what are YOU going to do?

[psychocandy]

Ah, I see.

Seems to me they have just chosen a more straightforward option with no baggage attached.

IMO, it is out of order if they had offered you the contract in the first place, shame you didn't have a mail to support the offer.
Although, in practice, we know this actually means fairly little.

Hope you have a better beginning to 2017, although I still think you are a window licking lickspittle

By baggage Im guessing you mean because I'm in contract and not immediately available?

But in this case then, take a look at your options. Pick the person you want. Dont verbally offer someone then change your mind.

If they'd said to me at the time we're keen but we ideally need someone available now and we're looking at others then if they'd got back to me and said sorry we've gone for someone available it would have been a case oh well pity that. But no they let me down the garden path and continued to do so then didnt even have the balls to tell me.

[northernladuk]

By baggage Im guessing you mean because I'm in contract and not immediately available?

But in this case then, take a look at your options. Pick the person you want. Dont verbally offer someone then change your mind.

If they'd said to me at the time we're keen but we ideally need someone available now and we're looking at others then if they'd got back to me and said sorry we've gone for someone available it would have been a case oh well pity that. But no they let me down the garden path and continued to do so then didnt even have the balls to tell me.

Isn't the standard advice we give to any contractor with two offers but nothing in writing that they've got nothing until the contract is signed so just pick the one that you want and say no thanks to the other? What's good for the goose etc.... Your situation hasn't helped the process.

[psychocandy]

I do hate the fact you always use terms like this. I wouldn't say they've shafted you. You were a significant risk and they moved on. We've mentioned the risk of delays to taking gigs and the high probability of those gigs evaporating in the meantime endlessly.

Anyway... we are where we are...

So question to you PC. What is your plan of attack at renewal. I know what I'd do and surely it's fairly obvious so what are YOU going to do?

Well I would say:-

1) Dont offer a gig unless you're sure you want that person. Have some integrity and honestly. If you have other people to see then fair enough but if you decide to jump in then stand by your word.

2) Have the balls to admit to the person you're letting down that you are indeed doing this so as to try and limit the damage you've caused. Don't be gutless and hide (As they are doing).

As for renewal, dunno yet. They may now not even offer it to me now. But outside of this there are other issues to sort:-

1) Public sector changes. I'm going to have so see how things pan out here - if the consultancy Im contracted to can't promise they WON'T be applying the public sector rules to any of my money then its not worth staying.

2) Personal situation. I wasn't lying about that. Changes almost daily. I'd hope to see out this current gig if I can but reality is I may be forced to take some bench time anyway.

Go on then. What would you do?

[psychocandy]

Isn't the standard advice we give to any contractor with two offers but nothing in writing that they've got nothing until the contract is signed so just pick the one that you want and say no thanks to the other? What's good for the goose etc.... Your situation hasn't helped the process.

True enough. But I think to a certain extend in business you've got to take someone at their word and expect some integrity.

If we asked for everything in writing immediately it'd never work.

[barrydidit]

I would say that this is mid-January. Without commitment you were going to be available to start on the 16th, what would you have done in their shoes?