Agent wants to meet me

[zoco]

Odd one this. I won't reveal the name of the pimp suffice to say that he's a rather pushy American very big on bonhomie when we first started talking. Anyhow, it transpired that he didn't really have a role for me (despite having led me up the garden path) but he very much wanted me to meet up with me so that he could assess me for any roles that he may have in the future. He doesn't submit CVs without meeting the candidate, apparently.

So I obviously said no. WTF would I drive 120 miles to meet a pimp who doesn't even have a role for me? I'm a contractor FFS - do you want your plumber to drive miles for a face to face before you hire him to fix your bathroom? In short, I just couldn't get him to accept no for an answer and get off the phone. He just did this "I give you the shirt off my back" routine like a carpet salesman in a Moroccan Souk. So I just put the phone down on him. I then got an email in my inbox from him telling me how disappointed he was and that I could not ever expect to land a role through his agency.

2 things - why did he want a meeting - is this common for contractor roles - would you consider wasting your time and energy on such a thing? Secondly - (and I think I know the answer to this) is there anywhere I can complain about his shocking attitude other than whoever is in charge of his outfit (who I assume sanctions this approach)?

[flipFlop]

I won't reveal the name of the pimp

You come across to me as a mealy-mouthed coward.

2 things - why did he want a meeting?

To look like he knew what he was doing to his equally clueless colleagues in the office.

[Dominic Connor]

One thing you should know is that in theory that is what most agents are supposed to be doing with candidates, you seeing it as odd and unreasonable is a symptom of a defective market.

I meet contractors if it is at all physically possible, I'm odd that way, because I'm in the small niche of agents who actually vet contractors, not just buzzword match and carpet bomb CVs.

I do get pushback from those who don't know who I am, especially when I ask pertinent questions about their skills.

That being said I rarely do roles outside Central London, so I never have asked anyone to travel much, at 120 miles I'd Skype or something.

This "big American" isn't Ron Nixon is it ?
He has form.

[doodab]

The agents that I deal with regularly I see quite regularly. I've even got the beers in on occasion, though it's usually the other way round. Random ones I will meet if it's convenient and there is a genuine role in the offing. For my first ever gig I popped into their offices for lunch on the way down to the interview as it was en route.

Agents are people too, and like most people if you treat them as such you get more out of your relationship with them.

[billybiro]

Agents are people too, and like most people if you treat them as such you get more out of your relationship with them.

You mean they no longer expect you to wipe your blood off their knife after they've removed it from your back?

[northernladuk]

The agents that I deal with regularly I see quite regularly. I've even got the beers in on occasion, though it's usually the other way round. Random ones I will meet if it's convenient and there is a genuine role in the offing. For my first ever gig I popped into their offices for lunch on the way down to the interview as it was en route.

Agents are people too, and like most people if you treat them as such you get more out of your relationship with them.

+1 to this. We are not at war with agents and they are not the low life scum of the earth many seem to think. They are unfortunately part of the process and, to be fair, a reasonable amount of their attitude is born out of dealing with tulip contractors.

Yes they have odd ways, yes they may appear to want to waste our time, yes they can be a tad devious (to put it mildly) but just have to treat each on on it's merits and deal with it as such.

I have only ever met one agent for an open chat like this over coffee but I only travelled in to Manchester and had sod all to do and to be fair he did throw a couple of roles my way ranging from no chance to interesting. Chatting to the guys n gals here that isn't normal form though. In the old days I would have been much more willing to go but in the new day of unqualified sales people carrying the title 'agent' I wouldn't bother.

Guy has a bad attitude, deal with it. Complaining won't help and just waste your time IMO.

[amcdonald]

We are not at war with agents and they are not the low life scum of the earth many seem to think. They are unfortunately part of the process and, to be fair, a reasonable amount of their attitude is born out of dealing with tulip contractors.

I think the problem is that there are specialist agents, and then there are people who are just clueless salesmen claiming to be specialist agents

Like someone I know, one minute they've dropped out of uni and are packing clothes for ASOS, the next month they are a specialist IT consultant for an agency

[BrilloPad]

Say you will meet locally to you. Over lunch. And they are paying.

[chineseJohn]

this tends to happen with recruitment agents in other sectors, my wife works in finance and it's quite common to meet up with the agent for a general chat, though not drive for hours though.

but then the agencies she deals with are so different to the ones we deal with (except the one with the initials MP, they're like the ones we deal with), it's all very civilised.

[darmstadt]

Over here, most agents will want to meet you, normally on the day of the interview and will quite often join you in meeting the interviewer(s) and, which has happened many more times than once, will sit in on the interview with you.