Sole Agent Arrangements

[ancient]

Some very large projects are covered by Sole Agent Agreements.

This can be very frustrating, if you fall out with the Agent, then your stuck in terms of getting future work with the Client.

Very annoying especially when they (the Agents) act in a dodgy manner.

[threaded]

When a company wins a monopoly in its market then usually naughty things happen.

Unfortunately the people who sign these sole agent agreements are generally in the Human Remains dept. and know little and understand even less of their companies business, or indeed business at all.

Sad, but this is where educating the client comes in, and if you can't be doing with that then it's time to walk.

[ancient]

[QUOTE=threaded]When a company wins a monopoly in its market then usually naughty things happen.

There are two roles (I am led to believe) and I have one spec which does not sound like me, though I could do it at a stretch, having compared the spec to my CV. The Lurking role for which I do not have a spec, is probably the one I am best suited for.

Guess I will have to go for the interview, just to understand what they want.

I have told the agency I will attend the interview regardless, but it would help me to know what the job actually is.

The Customer still wants to see me after turning then down for recieving a spec at the last minute.

Bloody frustrating, but I guess a necessary evil.

I wish customers would engage in a telephone interview to make sure people are on the same page before putting us through the challenge of a long trip and an overnight stay just to understand the requirement!

Go on Milan, you now need to tell me I am old, inflexible and arrogant!

Perhaps it is just because I have been lead down the garden path too many times.

[DimPrawn]

Name and shame them.

[messiah]

go direct, write to the HR department or get the name of the head of IT via devious means .. in a public phonebox !


its the only way....

[mcquiggd]

There are some good agents - professional indivuduals who actually want to understand the technologies they are recruiting for... for example I had a telephone interview lined up by MSB yesterday and had two phone calls from them to prep me before I talked to the client. The account manager for this large multinational was spot on when describing the company culture, what sort of attitude they look for in individuals, what sort of questions i would be asked.

In return I gave him some information about forthcoming project work the client had discussed and explained about various aspects of the technologies that would be required, so he could research them.

Then again, I have also been shafted by several big consultancies and agencies, and I make sure all the contractors I am friendly with in the vicinity know about it - ive had friends ring up and effectively ask for a reference about a client that I have worked for before, as they were offered a contract there. If the client was a nonce, they tend to lose their first choice candidate

Its all part of the game.