From : IT tech from Linkedin Group ...
What we need to do is band together and form a nationwide organization the screens and qualifies tech on their own abilities and experience and then test them with the organizations own standards. Then market the organization as having only top-notch, qualified, experienced pros who cost less to hire because the do the job the right way the first time. An organization that polices itself and dumps the losers to prtect its reputaion, integrity, and goodwill with its customers. The middle man (the Brokers) are either convincing buyers that they can get quality work dirt cheap or they swoon them with some other bs like "we will have a neverending supply of resources ie. we have 14,000 tech ready to go right now. Have you ever checked those lists of techs? over 30 % have never picked up a WO and over 30% have not done a WO in over 2 years. That means only 30% are actually active.
These brokers, for the most part, have no real utility because they drive down the price of the jobs and load the market with clowns who pass them selves off as techs. Which makes PMs, PCs, and companies in general gun-shy. Then these guys want a percentage of everything including reimbursed expenses. This angers me to the point that I end up spraying my words when I whine.
Now one pack of theives wants me to pay them almost 4% of the gross of WOs so they can provide me with WORKERs COMP. In Ohio! Ohio has pooled Workers Comp. Sole proprietors, owners, partners, and officers in corporations are not covered by workers comp in Ohio, only their employees. Therefore sole proprietors, or C corps with a single stockholder without employees are not required to carry it. When I brought this up they basically told me TS. They said show us you have it or we will charge you the %. I'm sure they don't miss me at all, but I used to pick up EVERY decent WO they put out. Now I only pick up the WO when some other broker lists it. And why shouldn't I. These companies list it with all 3 brokers I use at the same time, most of the time any way. But the other 2 aren't so good either. One was a staf that can't speak english and the other has a web site with a user interface that doesn't fit on the screen and has more pop-ups than a cheesy porn site.
Let me say this. I like tekserve and I like the way they work, and the way their PMs, PCs and helpdesk people either know what is going on or will within minutes. I like the way they support us techs and only ask us to professionally represent them when we are on site. I really enjoy and appreciate they way they talk with, and act towards me as a field tech. If my area had more work I would be totaly satisfied in working only with Tekserve. Unfortunatley, in my area there is just not the demographics to support that much work in my area. I am setup direct with a few other companies also but the amout of work that they can provide still doesn't put me to what the cost of living demands. I therefore, am forced to also work through brokers. Brokers who have systematically eroded and wiped out all respect I had for them.
Could techs band together and book our own work from major buyers and spread the jobs all over the country. You know some of these companies are ripe for the picking. We have all worked for them. The guys with problems galore in the field, poor docs, Angry PMs and PCs, and they pay slow or nit pick and try to get out of paying.
I figured out a long time ago these companies have these issues because they don't have their act together and are constantly not making the SLAs so they are getting hammered with bill-backs and non-performance pentalties so they take it out on us and blame us, and act like we are the stupid ones.
But could you get enough of techs to stick together for the common good and for a self serving company that demanded the we all meet certain criteria and that the customers paid a fair price for what we do.
Saddly, I don't see it happening
And it is a sad state that there are that many people out here that all feel the same.
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