Why do agents do this?

**centurian** · 11 March 2009, 19:21

Originally posted by scooterscot View Post

"Hello, are you Mr scooter"

"Why yes"

"I've a contract opportunity based in Bristol, for a guy such as yourself at £35p/h"

"Well I would not entertain a contract at this rate, but thank you for calling"

"Would it be ok if I sent you the spec?"

"well ok, but I still would not entertain the role at this rate"

"Thanks scooter"

Sure enough the spec comes through - whit?

Did the agent think I was lying to them when I said the rate was too low? What's wrong with these people?

Perhaps it was just a recording a-la "The IT Crowd"

"Have you tried turning it off and on again"....

**deckster** · 11 March 2009, 19:58

This morning I told an agent six times (I counted) that I wouldn't supply references without an offer from the client, and that if that was a requirement then we couldn't do business. He still sent through

- a job spec
- an NDA
- some piece of guff which, more or less, said I wouldn't do anything at all, ever, without clearing it with him first

Luckily I didn't want the contract anyway.

**phileds** · 11 March 2009, 21:16

Ask the agent something technical - like what operating systems the client uses, how much RAM their machines have.

More and more I find IT agents are actually former estate agents. They knew f*** all about houses and house prices, and now they know f*** all about IT work.

Perhaps you can embarrass him into giving up. But probably not. If they had any personal insight, they wouldn't be such persistent morons.

(with apologies to the one or two agents out there who know the difference between Oracle and Microsoft).

**mailric** · 11 March 2009, 21:26

there is a reason recruitment consultant jobs are advertised under every single job type you can think of... its there to lure in those who are too ****** stupid to even get a job doing what they are supposed to be qualified or experienced to do... those who click on "Earn 100k OTE" advertisments

**thelace** · 11 March 2009, 23:13

It makes them look busy if their boss is looking over their shoulder....

"yes, can I send you the details"

"NO"

"OK, I'll email them directly to you"

"NO"

"Yeah, great, check them over and let me know if I can put you foreward?"

"NOOOOOO"

"Thanks again and nice speaking to you"

**lightng** · 11 March 2009, 23:36

Originally posted by phileds View Post

Ask the agent something technical - like what operating systems the client uses, how much RAM their machines have.

More and more I find IT agents are actually former estate agents. They knew f*** all about houses and house prices, and now they know f*** all about IT work.

Perhaps you can embarrass him into giving up. But probably not. If they had any personal insight, they wouldn't be such persistent morons.

(with apologies to the one or two agents out there who know the difference between Oracle and Microsoft).

I would expect agent to know how much RAM their clients machines have to be honest Haha.

I hear a lot of contractors slag agents off because they dont know this technology from that. Frequently I get agents on the phone asking questions about a certain clients requirements and I am happy to give them a layman's explanation. No skin off my nose.

I don't care that agents dont have a deep technical knowledge or even in some cases even a superficial one. As long as they have the skills that I don't have, namely to slimey up to the client and get me work at the right price, then it's a beautiful relationship as far as I'm concerned and I'm happy for them to take their cut.

**Board Game Geek** · 12 March 2009, 00:45

lightng : I don't care that agents dont have a deep technical knowledge or even in some cases even a superficial one. As long as they have the skills that I don't have, namely to slimey up to the client and get me work at the right price, then it's a beautiful relationship as far as I'm concerned and I'm happy for them to take their cut.

a small, one off

It's one thing to take charge the client a couple of hundred to place a client.

It's another to attach a parasitic feeder to the contractor and suck up additional revenue for every day he works.

**minestrone** · 12 March 2009, 01:18

It's like asking why dogs lick their arseholes, they don't know any better.

**chris79** · 12 March 2009, 01:49

I had an agent try and be smart with me last week on the phone during a convo about my CV by asking "So what experience do you have in IT Governance?".. to which I asked "In what aspect?"... he quickly shut up and changed the convo.

This was the same cowboy who left a message on my phone saying "call me ASAP about an urgent role I have for you".. then when I called him back he didn't know who I was or what he'd called me about, which turned into a 'non-job' phone-call.

Why do agents do this?