Reply to: recruitment consultants

[Hevra]

Don't wipe your arse for you.


If you are in business for yourself and need someone to tell you that you need to send invoices to your customers, perhaps you shouldn't be in business for yourself....

Wow, I have a real talent for not making myself clear it would appear

I'm neither a contractor nor a recruitment agent - I'm the inbetweener that puts timesheets on for payment. When I said about not informing contractors about payroll or how to do invoices, I meant that the agent isn't telling their recruitees how to actually go about getting paid by us, not that I was complaining about not being told.

I realise for most of you guys it's pretty obvious but we have a lot of people new to contracting who end up very confused due to agents not being very understanding

And then I cop for flack from both sides.

H

[ContractorFactor]

Exception of the rule

There are some shocking agents out there, who wouldnt know a day rate from a location, the one that has never let me down is David McCrandles at Omega Resources, he actually listens to my reqirements

All the rest useless!!!!!

[pmeswani]

Don't wipe your arse for you.


If you are in business for yourself and need someone to tell you that you need to send invoices to your customers, perhaps you shouldn't be in business for yourself....

Absolutely agree. Agencies should not tell you how to run your business. They can chase you for your timesheets so that they can raise an invoice to the client for payment, but they are not obligated to get the contractor to send them an invoice. At the end of the day, if they can earn more interest from not paying you in time, why should they complain? My Accountant does all my invoices for me, whilst I get some grounding. If they don't send one, I'll be on their case.

[blacjac]

From the other side of the fence, the agents who:

- don't explain how payroll works, or when the contractors will get paid
- don't explain to new contractors that they have to submit invoices - are incapable of updating the contractor's record with new rates/expenses etc
- cba to do all of this before buggering off on hols for 3 weeks

and my personal favourite:

- treating me like a mouth breathing, dribbling retard because 'durr hurr I put numbers in the boxes so the mans get paid hurhur' (while I'm studying in my spare time to do something more stimulating than this)

Sorry, that ended up being a bit ranty >_>

H

Don't wipe your arse for you.


If you are in business for yourself and need someone to tell you that you need to send invoices to your customers, perhaps you shouldn't be in business for yourself....

[Hevra]

From the other side of the fence, the agents who:

- don't explain how payroll works, or when the contractors will get paid
- don't explain to new contractors that they have to submit invoices
- are incapable of updating the contractor's record with new rates/expenses etc
- cba to do all of this before buggering off on hols for 3 weeks

and my personal favourite:

- treating me like a mouth breathing, dribbling retard because 'durr hurr I put numbers in the boxes so the mans get paid hurhur' (while I'm studying in my spare time to do something more stimulating than this)

Sorry, that ended up being a bit ranty >_>

H

[AgencySlayer]

WHS

And next time get them to pay for the plane ticket.

Well I've the clients details and the contact so will go via that route. (although said aent has come back and said would pay 50% out his own pocket !!!!) Looks like management are putting the presure on him. To me that makes them look even more unproffesional.

I'll keep you all updated and will be adding daily rate to invoice for them.

[expat]

Interesting had one that booked up interview for me that I would need to fly to. So booked flights parking etc. and warned them that if client or they cancel they will now have to pay up my costs... Well got call after chasing for more detail and told that client had pulled out as they didn't get the budget sign off.

Now not being daft but didn't said pimp not actually check that money was there in the first place ?? Not exactly how i do business.

No, he didn't, because he didn't think it would cost him anything, and he doesn't care about anything else. He's quite happy for you to waste your money on useless plane tickets.

[BrilloPad]

Slayer,

As I said earlier in the thread - been there & got the cash in the bank.

My approach was to invoice their client *DIRECTLY* after I'd got the name of the guy I was meant to be meeting. Sent the invoice to him & to the companys Payables department.

Charged:
Flights - at cost
Parking - at cost
Daily Consultancy Fee - at my standard rate.

Chased after 14 days of non payment (14 day terms) - Payables agreed to pay verbally. Nothing after 3 weeks. Added late charge. Agent rang & said that *they* would be paying the invoice on their clients behalf. Sorted.

Invoice, Persue, Persist, follow it through, add late fees, interest etc....persue it as if it was any other invoice.

Yeah OK the agent will be hacked off but really, that's not your problem. You're out of pocket because them & their client are crap at organising & break promises.

WHS

And next time get them to pay for the plane ticket.

[TheVoice]

Any suggestions welcome on how to et invoice payed on this most welcome...

Slayer,

As I said earlier in the thread - been there & got the cash in the bank.

My approach was to invoice their client *DIRECTLY* after I'd got the name of the guy I was meant to be meeting. Sent the invoice to him & to the companys Payables department.

Charged:
Flights - at cost
Parking - at cost
Daily Consultancy Fee - at my standard rate.

Chased after 14 days of non payment (14 day terms) - Payables agreed to pay verbally. Nothing after 3 weeks. Added late charge. Agent rang & said that *they* would be paying the invoice on their clients behalf. Sorted.

Invoice, Persue, Persist, follow it through, add late fees, interest etc....persue it as if it was any other invoice.

Yeah OK the agent will be hacked off but really, that's not your problem. You're out of pocket because them & their client are crap at organising & break promises.

[AgencySlayer]

Typical - Pimps

Interesting had one that booked up interview for me that I would need to fly to. So booked flights parking etc. and warned them that if client or they cancel they will now have to pay up my costs... Well got call after chasing for more detail and told that client had pulled out as they didn't get the budget sign off.

Now not being daft but didn't said pimp not actually check that money was there in the first place ?? Not exactly how i do business.

Now pimp wants to take no responsibility for my costs ! I'm a business not a charity.

Any suggestions welcome on how to et invoice payed on this most welcome...

[Fred Bloggs]

I have had it happen several times where at the very last minute I get a call from the agency-

Agent- "The rate has dropped £2 per hour".

Me- "Fine I don't want the job".

Agent- "I'll get back to you".

Me- "Fine".

30 mins later. Ring Ring Ring.............

Agent- "I've manged to get you the higher rate, it was tough but I managed it for you. You want the job?".

Me- "Hmmmm........ OK then".

[Svalbaard]

The classic bull that I here and have heard from agents comes in the folloiwng situation.

You've contacted the agent
You agree a rate
Your put forward.
Attend the interview
Wait for feedback

The feedback takes some time, in the time you wait you are phoning the agent daily to get feedback - this is when the agent gets a feel for how desperate you are.

The agent phones you and says I've had some feedback and yes they are intersted, however they cannot meet the rate.

Note that most large companies have set rates and the rate that you agreed up front with the agent is one they know they can get and takes into account there margin blah blah blah.

So when they come back to you they know the rate they can get and know you have been offered the job, what they are now trying to do is scare you into lowering your rate by a couple of quid, to boost thier margin.

My advice would be stick to your guns!

Perhaps you should name and shame as in 10 years of contracting I've not had this "classic" happen once.

[Swamp Thing]

While I'm at it, if anyone knows of a cure for recruitment consultants, please let me know. At least with germs or bacteria we can use antibiotics.

I'd go for the direct approach: Mace. Tazer. Knife. Choose your weapon..

[Scuddy]

The classic bull that I here and have heard from agents comes in the folloiwng situation.

You've contacted the agent
You agree a rate
Your put forward.
Attend the interview
Wait for feedback

The feedback takes some time, in the time you wait you are phoning the agent daily to get feedback - this is when the agent gets a feel for how desperate you are.

The agent phones you and says I've had some feedback and yes they are intersted, however they cannot meet the rate.

Note that most large companies have set rates and the rate that you agreed up front with the agent is one they know they can get and takes into account there margin blah blah blah.

So when they come back to you they know the rate they can get and know you have been offered the job, what they are now trying to do is scare you into lowering your rate by a couple of quid, to boost thier margin.

My advice would be stick to your guns!

[expat]

.....
I then asked the consultant what the hell her game was & she tried to lecture me on 'flexibility' then telling me "Oh just forget it, they wont see you any other time or ring you" - tulipe!
.....

I had one who tried to tell me it was unprofessional to mention weekly commute to a client, that I should travel on Sunday, start early on Monday morning, and only then ask whether I could fly out on Monday mornings.
I love it when agents lecture me on how to do contracting: considering that I started doing it before most of them started reading, or eating solid food.