Reply to: A quick hint to any agent reading this on 1st January

[suityou01]

What's your problem? Contract envy? Knobber.

er, you, you're a ****

[craig1]

HyperD save your breath. He was already braying in another thread about landing a 3 year contract and having his technical lead/prison bitch all lined up and used to his "unorthodox management style"

He of course fails mention this here, and is leading you a merry dance. You're a nice fella, and have lots of help and advice, just save it for some one that isn't a total bellend.

What's your problem? Contract envy? Knobber.

[vwdan]

Most annoying are the ones that dont leave a voicemail but keep ringing constantly.

I had a customer when I was in Account Management who would do this. I'd come back to my desk to find 10 missed calls at 30 second intervals with no voicemail - if I didn't pick up on the first nine, why the hell did he think I'd pick up on the 10th?

[psychocandy]

This. I never answer withheld numbers unless I'm looking for a contract.

Even landline numbers that do show up, but are not in my contacts, I don't even bother to answer.

Why have a phone? Happy to answer known numbers and if something is important from a call I ignore they'll leave a voicemail

Most annoying are the ones that dont leave a voicemail but keep ringing constantly.
Like someone said, I don't always answer especially if I'm in contract.

[Bellona]

actually being benched and warchest empty this month I would love a call from an agent today

Ditto - or any day soon works for me as well

[jmo21]

'Most' agencies numbers come up as withheld so if I can't be arsed I leave these ring.

This. I never answer withheld numbers unless I'm looking for a contract.

Even landline numbers that do show up, but are not in my contacts, I don't even bother to answer.

Why have a phone? Happy to answer known numbers and if something is important from a call I ignore they'll leave a voicemail

[psychocandy]

Thats why god invented voicemail.

Hmmm. Surely if you don;t want to speak to someone just dont answer it and let it got to voicemail.

'Most' agencies numbers come up as withheld so if I can't be arsed I leave these ring.

[suityou01]

Aye, then keep at it craig1, you'll get something. All the best!

HyperD save your breath. He was already braying in another thread about landing a 3 year contract and having his technical lead/prison bitch all lined up and used to his "unorthodox management style"

He of course fails mention this here, and is leading you a merry dance. You're a nice fella, and have lots of help and advice, just save it for some one that isn't a total bellend.

[hyperD]

Cheers for that but I've not had more than three months in total unintentionally out of contract since 2005

You do make some good points though, agents are a necessary evil and sometimes it's the pushy, annoying, awkward, reprehensible, morally bankrupt ones that have the best roles and you need to keep them happy!

Aye, then keep at it craig1, you'll get something. All the best!

[craig1]

Well, I've known 1 and 2 but not 3.

It's a pisser but if you're looking for contracts then you've got to stick your mouth in the mess at times. They are bastards but they are salesmen bastards, and unless you are going direct, that's the tulip you have got to swallow, regardless of times.

Horrible, but that's the way things are until you position yourself outside that remit, and that requires experience, contacts, confidence, technical acumen and time.

I'm hoping you get a a contract, and I'm sure you will, but you've got take the sh ite with the smooth talking sales-bastards. Sell yourself, you're in the business, you have the skillz, just keep doing it and eventually you will get something. I mean for christ sakes, you're here, talking, keep talking to those agents, be confident, talk about your skills and something will happen.

Don't feel defeated.

You can do this. Seriously.

Cheers for that but I've not had more than three months in total unintentionally out of contract since 2005

You do make some good points though, agents are a necessary evil and sometimes it's the pushy, annoying, awkward, reprehensible, morally bankrupt ones that have the best roles and you need to keep them happy!

[hyperD]

Yep, the script back then was:

1. Call mobile. If no answer or voicemail then hang up leaving no message.
2. Call landline. As above. Keep dialling every 10 minutes until you get someone answering. Make sure you're dialling from a caller-ID blocked number so that it's hard for me to see who is calling.
3. If it goes on for long enough, call anyone you know is a close contact of your target asking if they know where you are or if they can get you to answer your phone.

Well, I've known 1 and 2 but not 3.

It's a pisser but if you're looking for contracts then you've got to stick your mouth in the mess at times. They are bastards but they are salesmen bastards, and unless you are going direct, that's the tulip you have got to swallow, regardless of times.

Horrible, but that's the way things are until you position yourself outside that remit, and that requires experience, contacts, confidence, technical acumen and time.

I'm hoping you get a a contract, and I'm sure you will, but you've got take the sh ite with the smooth talking sales-bastards. Sell yourself, you're in the business, you have the skillz, just keep doing it and eventually you will get something. I mean for christ sakes, you're here, talking, keep talking to those agents, be confident, talk about your skills and something will happen.

Don't feel defeated.

You can do this. Seriously.

[craig1]

Sadly, that's why it appears to be an antithesis to all salesman...

Yep, the script back then was:

1. Call mobile. If no answer or voicemail then hang up leaving no message.
2. Call landline. As above. Keep dialling every 10 minutes until you get someone answering. Make sure you're dialling from a caller-ID blocked number so that it's hard for me to see who is calling.
3. If it goes on for long enough, call anyone you know is a close contact of your target asking if they know where you are or if they can get you to answer your phone.

[hyperD]

Sadly, that's why it appears to be an antithesis to all salesman...

[SpontaneousOrder]

Thats why god invented voicemail.

[craig1]

I remember back in the days of severe contractor shortages in the late 90s when I was getting calls at midnight from agents as well as plenty of other calls at a "time when they knew they could get me". I remember one three month period where I had very few uninterrupted dinners without a call from an agency. It got seriously tedious quite quickly. If they couldn't get my mobile, they'd call my landline; if I didn't answer the landline they kept ringing every 10 minutes until someone answered.

There are times when it's acceptable to make an unexpected call about work stuff and times when it's not. Working day, anything after 8pm is going to have me grumbling. Weekends, usually a minor grumble about any call but a severe grumble if it's after 8pm. The entire days of major holidays of Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day are completely out, it's not acceptable to call me on those days unless you're a friend, family or it's a major emergency.