Switching supplier agents, the consequences

[theronin]

She's right. The chances of you needing them for a other gig in the near future. Very slim. Chance of you getting the same person... Very slim. If they are this crap do you really care? No.

Pissing one agent off that's in a chain and not very good affecting your future contracting career? Nil.

Fill your boots.

Well, that's it then. It looks like there's no real blowback. I just didn't want to burn any bridges too soon when I didn't have to. I will read over my complaint email again and tone down the parts that sound a bit harsh where I can. After all, I'm not complaining to get someone fired or make them look bad. I just don't trust them with looking me as a candidate especially if the client is likely to extend my contract (I heard today ). Why should they keep getting a cut if they aren't even able to sort out the little things let alone all the things I initially outlined in the initial weeks? If things were smooth, there'd be no problems.

Thanks, guys and gal - you rock

Now then, on to toning down that email (in case anyone's wondering why I'm doing that, the complaint email is required to kickstart the switching process) - I want to switch, I just dont want to make any enemies along the way, cost anyone their jobs or you know... after all, humans are quite fragile.

[northernladuk]

She's right. The chances of you needing them for a other gig in the near future. Very slim. Chance of you getting the same person... Very slim. If they are this crap do you really care? No.

Pissing one agent off that's in a chain and not very good affecting your future contracting career? Nil.

Fill your boots.

[theronin]

If you don't have a handcuff then you need to find out who the person who procured you talks to in the main agency. They will have a list of sub-agents who are acceptable.


There are loads of agencies and in them there are loads of individual agents. So unless you are working in a very niche area then don't worry about fecking off the agent.

Thanks SueEllen

I've already spoken to one acceptable agent and also spoken to the person from the main agency if the switch is possible (they said "yes") but you raise an excellent point about asking the main agent about a list of acceptable sub-agents. I only really have spoken to one other agent so far. I should take a look-see at said list of acceptable sub-agents.


Not working in a niche area at all. It's saturated in fact. Almost every lay-person (chiefly friends and family) I've spoken to about this have all said "don't worry about the agent, sack them off" but I didn't want to be shortsighted and make a decision without thinking beyond the moment so I thought I'd pose the question to experts such as yourselves.

Emotionally, because of the behaviour of the offending agent/agency, I immediately thought what you thought, but took a second breath and wondered what the blowback might be.

What are other's thoughts on SueEllen's second suggestion of not worrying about the agent?

[SueEllen]

How can we give any advice if we don't generalise or give further information? We get so few facts and poor information what else can we do? Handcuffs are very common and be happy to guess they are there much more often than not. So it might not be there but might save the OP coming back and having to ask another question.

What's the problem with the OP coming back to ask another question?

There are plenty of others who can answer them if needs be - one of those others will tell the OP to tell the full story and read their contract.

[SueEllen]

Thanks for replying northerladuk. Much appreciated. Interesting points you raise there. I did the homework. The contract doesn't say any of the handcuff stuff you mentioned and I even double-checked to make sure it was something people do at this place. Turns out it is possible. The current agency is in breach and they know it especially with the stuff they did. The client has a number of suppliers they work with and I (assume) can choose to go with one of their other existing suppliers (one already expressed interest).

If you don't have a handcuff then you need to find out who the person who procured you talks to in the main agency. They will have a list of sub-agents who are acceptable.

I guess what I REALLY want to know is what blowback IN THE FUTURE in other contracting roles with said agency can I expect? My fault for not being clear from the outset. With regards to the current role/contract, I've got them dead to rights, they are in breach and they messed up royally. I guess I'm asking, do agencies "talk" and "target" individuals like in the wild west... you know "you'll never work in this here town again, son!"
That kind of thing

There are loads of agencies and in them there are loads of individual agents. So unless you are working in a very niche area then don't worry about fecking off the agent.

[theronin]

What does it say in your contract? I expect there will be some form of handcuff in there, probably mentioning 12 months so not a very good one but it's there to protect the agencies revenue stream. If you swap agencies the old one will lose it's revenue so the handcuff will play.

The new one is unlikely to want to touch you if you've breached contract with the old one, the old one will kick up a right stink with the new one and the client and potentially go legal. The bun fight between agents could get to the point the client doesn't want to know and get's rid of you for an easy life.

Swapping agents because you don't like them might sound good to you but it won't to the agency who is going to lose income and is sitting there quite content their handcuff will stick, which it will. The only way you could do it without consequence is if the agency is in breach of contract. Poor service and some late payments isn't breach I am afraid.

We get a lot of questions about handcuffs and in a majority of cases that do get resolved it's done through negotiation. If they don't want to negotiate you are probably stuffed.

Thanks for replying northerladuk. Much appreciated. Interesting points you raise there. I did the homework. The contract doesn't say any of the handcuff stuff you mentioned and I even double-checked to make sure it was something people do at this place. Turns out it is possible. The current agency is in breach and they know it especially with the stuff they did. The client has a number of suppliers they work with and I (assume) can choose to go with one of their other existing suppliers (one already expressed interest).

I guess what I REALLY want to know is what blowback IN THE FUTURE in other contracting roles with said agency can I expect? My fault for not being clear from the outset. With regards to the current role/contract, I've got them dead to rights, they are in breach and they messed up royally. I guess I'm asking, do agencies "talk" and "target" individuals like in the wild west... you know "you'll never work in this here town again, son!"
That kind of thing

[northernladuk]

Last public sector contract I had there was no handcuff. Previous ones with singular smaller departments the handcuff was 3 months.

So I would be careful generalising. You are much better to tell the OP to read and understand the contract s/he signed..

How can we give any advice if we don't generalise or give further information? We get so few facts and poor information what else can we do? Handcuffs are very common and be happy to guess they are there much more often than not. So it might not be there but might save the OP coming back and having to ask another question.

[SueEllen]

What does it say in your contract? I expect there will be some form of handcuff in there, probably mentioning 12 months so not a very good one but it's there to protect the agencies revenue stream. If you swap agencies the old one will lose it's revenue so the handcuff will play.

Last public sector contract I had there was no handcuff. Previous ones with singular smaller departments the handcuff was 3 months.

So I would be careful generalising. You are much better to tell the OP to read and understand the contract s/he signed.

Oh and the other way to get away from the agency is for the engager to complain about the sub-agency so they are dumped. However this doesn't give the OP a choice of sub-agency as the main agent will choose it for them.

[northernladuk]

What does it say in your contract? I expect there will be some form of handcuff in there, probably mentioning 12 months so not a very good one but it's there to protect the agencies revenue stream. If you swap agencies the old one will lose it's revenue so the handcuff will play.

The new one is unlikely to want to touch you if you've breached contract with the old one, the old one will kick up a right stink with the new one and the client and potentially go legal. The bun fight between agents could get to the point the client doesn't want to know and get's rid of you for an easy life.

Swapping agents because you don't like them might sound good to you but it won't to the agency who is going to lose income and is sitting there quite content their handcuff will stick, which it will. The only way you could do it without consequence is if the agency is in breach of contract. Poor service and some late payments isn't breach I am afraid.

We get a lot of questions about handcuffs and in a majority of cases that do get resolved it's done through negotiation. If they don't want to negotiate you are probably stuffed.

[theronin]

Have you spoken to the sub agent about your complaints? Its amazing how many times contractors behave badly then expect agents to suck it all up. Actually it probably isn't amazing at all.

Personally I SPEAK directly to the person I am unhappy with as soon as an issue arises. If I am still dissatisfied, I put it in writing.

Until you have a catalog of written complaints, which are no responded to, you are opening up a can of worms.

Let's put some these to bed so we can get to answering the question I actually want to be answered:
- Yes, I've spoken to the agent DIRECTLY as soon as the issues arose (including his manager when it went on for too long).

- Yes, I've written to the agent as well, my emails went unanswered until (some weeks later), senior personnel at my current post asked if I had resolved one of the ongoing issues I had raised and told them "no" so they called up the agency. Why should it be like that? They are the agent, they should resolve things, not the other way around and certainly not from the client side.

- So yes these things have been written down. The procedure into kicking off the switch is by writing the complaint letter which I have already written but I haven't sent yet and you already know why I haven't sent it yet.

So back to the matter at hand, what could be the possible blowbacks of switching, please? What are these "opening up a can of worms"?

[theronin]

Happens in private sector too.

GREAT

[l35kee]

Context:
I'm currently working in the public sector realm. Some of you may already be aware of this but Public sector contracting is different to private sector contracting in the sense that public sector agents can subcontract the fetching of candidates to other agencies. In my story, the subcontractor agency has been a bit... well, let's say not great! I won't go into details as this is still ongoing.

Happens in private sector too :P

[jmo21]

Some of you may already be aware of this but Public sector contracting is different to private sector contracting in the sense that public sector agents can subcontract the fetching of candidates to other agencies.

Happens in private sector too.

[BrilloPad]

Have you spoken to the sub agent about your complaints? Its amazing how many times contractors behave badly then expect agents to suck it all up. Actually it probably isn't amazing at all.

Personally I SPEAK directly to the person I am unhappy with as soon as an issue arises. If I am still dissatisfied, I put it in writing.

Until you have a catalog of written complaints, which are no responded to, you are opening up a can of worms.

[theronin]

Hi all,

I'm very new to this forum. I want to give you some context to my situation but the long and short of it is that I want to switch supplier agents and would like to know what the consequences of doing so are.

Context:
I'm currently working in the public sector realm. Some of you may already be aware of this but Public sector contracting is different to private sector contracting in the sense that public sector agents can subcontract the fetching of candidates to other agencies. In my story, the subcontractor agency has been a bit... well, let's say not great! I won't go into details as this is still ongoing.

So, as I've said, the public sector is different, and these subcontractor agencies can effectively be chopped and changed (without being able to demand a finder's fee) and the contractor can even go direct with the agent (some do).

Having said all that, this is the first time I've worked under/with the subcontractor agency and it hasn't been a good experience. The efforts in rectifying problems are less than satisfactory.

If I make the choice and leave them to go with another agency (I still remain in the contract, nothing changes; I just go through a process of a switch), what are the potential consequences in the near or far future from the sub-agency when this current contract is done and dusted?

I have every reason to switch but the reason I pose the question is that the process of switching requires me to write an official complaint documenting all the points I'm unhappy with and it will paint a really bad picture of the recruiter. I've written it but after reading it over (without clicking send), it does make him/her look really bad and the whole agency overall. If I was the recruiter, I would hate me.... for life!

So, switch or no? Any takers?