Reply to: QDOS review report required after contract amended based on recommendations?

[Milkyway]

Actually no. OP didn't PM me, I don't know who he/she is and I had no influence whatsoever in the re-review being sent.

As I'm sure many will testify, we generally go out of our way to get things done when they're time sensitive at the contractor's end. We are a couple of staff down today though and there seems to be a noticeably higher number of people wanting very quick turnarounds.

Correct. I had not PM'd QDOS guy here in the forum.
I spoke to them directly, and also had my client chase them directly too.

Lessons learnt here (if I may point out) for QDOS company (not for the guy here in the forum ) :

1. Look through the request to see if the requester has already paid for same day service and has been dealt with already with the initial report with recommendations AND then check if the incoming request is just a "review of the amends" request, and if so, accommodate it the same day (having regard to the start date of the gig) (or even ask for a charge to pay - i would not mind)

But not doing either, and simply showing a different / horrible tone when dealing with your customers is not good!

2. If someone dealing with the review is off sick, please first have an automated email reply system setup whereby you let know the customer that the reviewer is off sick and won't be available for few days, AND that someone else in the team will pick it up as continuation AND actually have a system whereby the email thread is passed on to some one else in the team who is available to pick it up.

There is no point in keeping silent for days together and not replying (when emails are being sent by the customer reminding on this) and still be not friendly to them when they call up and chase up with requests.

I have always priased songs about QDOS for their services, but this time it has been a really difficult experience.
I am still yet to recover from my ordeal today... having to chase my client as well in all this ( at the 11th hour - i felt so silly)

It was so painful since it was not my bad planning... i planned it all so well 2 weeks well before sign off, so i had plenty of time for QDOS review, negotiations with client, amends, and re-review, etc.
But a lot of that time that I had planned was eaten away by silence from QDOS for days together (in spite of the fact that its a chase up after amends on a same-day service purchased)

Anyway, i still have to say QDOS are one of the best out there from my experience - subject to drawbacks I have noticed as above.

My mind is completely blank today after all these phone calls etc... I need to go and watch a comedy movie or something to get me cheer up!

[ShandyDrinker]

I don't know if that is how it worked today

But, usually QDOS are pretty good at what they do... today was QUITE different.
The tone of the lady there was also not good, in spite of me being on a very polite tone, asking if I could pay again for the revision review service etc., but she would't budge in her tone!
So I had to say, OK and decided to bite my nails until evening to see if they will do it!

To be honest, I called up my client in the meantime and asked them if they could delay the gig for a day or two until i get the report... and they said they had complied with all the terms requested and said it is only correct for them to talk to QDOS as well to check why they are delaying the report and hence delaying the project as a consequence.
The client came back to me saying they had spoken to QDOS directly and THEY confirmed to me that QDOS had approved the revision of the contract and I was going get the report soon from QDOS in an email with my results report

I could not thank my client enough too

Perhaps, between all theses chase ups (from me and my client), things have worked out

And who knows, possibly the complaints in the the forum helped too

That's very good on the part of the client to engage with QDOS. So hopefully you'll get the email as promised (unless of course they were pulling a fast one).

Per one of my earlier posts in this thread many clients aren't that helpful and just view you as being difficult if you don't just sign the contract as they've got X other contractors on site who did.

Actually no. OP didn't PM me, I don't know who he/she is and I had no influence whatsoever in the re-review being sent.

As I'm sure many will testify, we generally go out of our way to get things done when they're time sensitive at the contractor's end. We are a couple of staff down today though and there seems to be a noticeably higher number of people wanting very quick turnarounds.

Sorry but I don't think that's a good admission on the part of QDOS. Sure, people should get the turnaround time they have paid for and no doubt everyone wants the review completing now. Although historically I've found QDOS great, from experience over the last couple of years QDOS do seem to struggle with reviews at times.

[northernladuk]

Actually no. OP didn't PM me, I don't know who he/she is and I had no influence whatsoever in the re-review being sent.

As I'm sure many will testify, we generally go out of our way to get things done when they're time sensitive at the contractor's end. We are a couple of staff down today though and there seems to be a noticeably higher number of people wanting very quick turnarounds.

Send them all a mail at 6pm saying APRIL FOOL!!!! Your review will be with you by COP Monday... Suckersssssssssssss

[Qdos Contractor]

So if you contact QDOS directly (arguably the correct manner) - they can't commit to doing it for several days

If you complain about them on a public forum - it gets done in under an hour

I've learned a trick

Actually no. OP didn't PM me, I don't know who he/she is and I had no influence whatsoever in the re-review being sent.

As I'm sure many will testify, we generally go out of our way to get things done when they're time sensitive at the contractor's end. We are a couple of staff down today though and there seems to be a noticeably higher number of people wanting very quick turnarounds.

[Milkyway]

So if you contact QDOS directly (arguably the correct manner) - they can't commit to doing it for several days

If you complain about them on a public forum - it gets done in under an hour

I've learned a trick

I don't know if that is how it worked today

But, usually QDOS are pretty good at what they do... today was QUITE different.
The tone of the lady there was also not good, in spite of me being on a very polite tone, asking if I could pay again for the revision review service etc., but she would't budge in her tone!
So I had to say, OK and decided to bite my nails until evening to see if they will do it!

To be honest, I called up my client in the meantime and asked them if they could delay the gig for a day or two until i get the report... and they said they had complied with all the terms requested and said it is only correct for them to talk to QDOS as well to check why they are delaying the report and hence delaying the project as a consequence.
The client came back to me saying they had spoken to QDOS directly and THEY confirmed to me that QDOS had approved the revision of the contract and I was going get the report soon from QDOS in an email with my results report

I could not thank my client enough too

Perhaps, between all theses chase ups (from me and my client), things have worked out

And who knows, possibly the complaints in the the forum helped too

[ShandyDrinker]

So if you contact QDOS directly (arguably the correct manner) - they can't commit to doing it for several days

If you complain about them on a public forum - it gets done in under an hour

I've learned a trick

Sadly that's the world in which we now live. Whoever shouts/complains loudest in the most public manner possible gets the result they desire...

Still - it's good the OP has got the result they require.

[pr1]

So if you contact QDOS directly (arguably the correct manner) - they can't commit to doing it for several days

If you complain about them on a public forum - it gets done in under an hour

I've learned a trick

[Milkyway]

Thanks to all, and QDOS

Thanks guys, for being supporting with your replies so far - I have been on such a panic few hours since this morning

Thanks to QDOS too! They have now sent me the revised PASS certificate As usual, you guys rock!

Time to get on with my Software business, and have a cool weekend before I start the gig on Monday!
Wahoo!

[northernladuk]

Good point well made.

[ShandyDrinker]

Ring QDOS and see if you can get a commitment to reply on Monday. Ring whoever and advise you've got a slight delay due to this and you'll be in Tuesday. They are hardly going to dump you and go for someone else just because of one day.. Crap happens all the time. They are probably handling their own holiday issues so it will be no biggie.

While I'd agree with you that the client isn't likely to dump the OP, it can make the start of any contract much less smooth than it needs to be so can put you in a bad light with the client before you've even started, particularly when working with other contractors who don't go through the IR35 contract review process who will just sign any old sh*t put in front of them.

Hopefully the person from QDOS who has subsequently replied to this thread will get some traction on the review.

[northernladuk]

What happens if QDOS give you a certificate and later HMRC say you are in IR35?

You make sure you've bought QDOS's TLC35 product and let them prove HMRC is wrong on your behalf.

[garnet]

What happens if QDOS give you a certificate and later HMRC say you are in IR35?

[Qdos Contractor]

Can you PM me your details?

[northernladuk]

Ring QDOS and see if you can get a commitment to reply on Monday. Ring whoever and advise you've got a slight delay due to this and you'll be in Tuesday. They are hardly going to dump you and go for someone else just because of one day.. Crap happens all the time. They are probably handling their own holiday issues so it will be no biggie.

[Milkyway]

From a safety perspective I would probably try to delay until QDOS can provide confirmation that the changes are as requested. However, if there is a risk of losing the contract and the changes had been made exactly as requested by QDOS I would probably take the approach that the changes were as requested hence it's an educated guess that all will be ok.

It's a tough one though and only you know what level of risk you are comfortable taking. I'd usually recommend that if in doubt, take the safe approach.

Indeed. I always take the safe approach - i.e. take a QDOS revised report after changes made.
But in this case, I have absolutely no time, and its very risky to ask the client at this time (afternoon Friday) to delay the start date to - who knows when?

I had sent it to QDOS 2 days back, and I kept sending emails in between chasing that particular person and also the team... but there were no replies back.

This morning I called them up and they say they are short staffed and can't do it as same day service although I told them i had already done the "initial" review of the paperwork on same day service, but willing to pay again for this revision review as same day service. But the lady said she could not help
Someone should have told me that the person was off sick...and to be honest, pass it on to some other person in the team - should't they?
2 days wasted - just sitting on it!

Seriously, I am so upset with QDOS this time around!

Not sure what is the right thing to do, but will wait until close of play today since i have made a request asking hem to help getting it done COP today if they can!