best way to renegotiate?

[Ardesco]

Oh and don't accepts a "pay reveiw" in 6 months. You review will come up and they will say... "Well we reviewed it and think that you current rate is fine"

[ookook]

thanks for the advice all, I cleared it with the PM and pushed for a rate rise that leaves them with about 15% - got a meeting with an agency pimp arranged to discuss it - fingers crossed.

[anally retentive]

Don't bet on it - an agency I worked through last year said that they wouldn't go below 13%. If I wanted more than that, then they could help me find a new role elsewhere, but wouldn't go that low. And this is from an aency that I would recommend and work through again, any day of the week.

I wouldn't take a year extension anyway - what if you decide that you've had enough? What if they bring in someone to work with who you can't get along with and makes life hell? Offer to consider a further 3 months at the end of your current contract (or with a month to go on it) - it may be easier to get a rate increase at that point rather than now.

great post, and that's just about the point. an agent who respects himself and can afford to do so wouldn't reduce his rate so easliy. those who aren't so good at their jobs and can't afford to stick to their principles will do. which would you rather work through?

from an observer's standpoint, a reasonable thing to do will be to finish your initial 6 monther at the agreed rate, but get an increase arranged now, post-dated for when the initial contract has expired. a reasonable agent would see a reduction in his margin to 15% after 6 months as being reasonable.

[TheFaQQer]

well the way i see it is that the agency tries to get as large a cut as possible. In this case they have 20% - If its a choice between them dropping their cut to 10% or getting nothing I'd assume they'd go for the 10%

Don't bet on it - an agency I worked through last year said that they wouldn't go below 13%. If I wanted more than that, then they could help me find a new role elsewhere, but wouldn't go that low. And this is from an aency that I would recommend and work through again, any day of the week.

I wouldn't take a year extension anyway - what if you decide that you've had enough? What if they bring in someone to work with who you can't get along with and makes life hell? Offer to consider a further 3 months at the end of your current contract (or with a month to go on it) - it may be easier to get a rate increase at that point rather than now.

[Ardesco]

well the way i see it is that the agency tries to get as large a cut as possible. In this case they have 20% - If its a choice between them dropping their cut to 10% or getting nothing I'd assume they'd go for the 10%

Or C get another (possibly cheaper) contractor to take you place to increase thier cut.

[ookook]

well the way i see it is that the agency tries to get as large a cut as possible. In this case they have 20% - If its a choice between them dropping their cut to 10% or getting nothing I'd assume they'd go for the 10%

[Bluebird]

Yeah i was thinking of speaking to the client first to make them aware i was pushing for a raise but only from the agents cut - rather than them paying the agency more

Don't forget that the agencies "costs" will have gone up as well, all the overheads [ office rental, heating lighting etc ] will have gone up as well as the salaries of their staff.

To expect your "cut" to go up and nobody elses is niave..

[ookook]

Yeah i was thinking of speaking to the client first to make them aware i was pushing for a raise but only from the agents cut - rather than them paying the agency more

[Burdock]

I had a quiet word with the client when I was in a similar situation, on the lines that I was trying to get extra money from the agency and not from them - just in case the agency contacted them. Client didn't seem bothered.

[BrilloPad]

Good article here - http://www.itcontractor.com/Articles...91&photopage=0

[scon_ead]

From reading similar questions on this forum I think the key piece of advice is don't let the agency persuade you to sign up for a year but with a promise of a review of rates in a couple of months time...it seems once you do this the person you are dealing with disappears from said agency and no-one else has any recollection of the conversation what so ever or the actual person you made 'the deal' with etc...

Or at least get it in writing that your rate will be reviewed etc...

[Bluebird]

I always work on the assumption that if you've been in a gig for a given amount of time and the client wants an extension, then the agency is going to ask for an uplift in fee, therefore you should also ask for a similar uplift.

Perhaps "Dodgy Agent" can tell you if this is true and if there is a usual % ?

I for one ask the agent upon the request if they are upping the fee, then I'll get an answer from the client [ if I can ] and make sure the two stay in line.

[angusglover]

Gunpoint will get you a fair deal...

[Cooperinliverp00l]

if you agreed to a 6 month contract at X rate then you may find it hard to alter rate until the end of those 6 months. I don't know what my agency takes as a cut and don't care. If i'm not happy with the rate then i don't do it full stop.

[ookook]

I am 3 months into a 6 month contract on a big project. Due to the glacier-like progress of said project the agency has just written to me saying my contract can be extended for another full year, and that I need to agree to this so they can send me an altered contract etc.

However I know how much the client is paying the agency for my services - they're taking about 20%. Should I push for a raise in the daily rate with the new contract? If so what reasons are typically given?

Also is it worth talking to the client and saying I'm pushing for a rise? I dont want the agent to go to the client and ask for more money for me - i want the agency to reduce their cut and give it to me. Whats the best way to acheive this?