Can we trust the agency?

Great info Eddy.. thank you.

There is a great difference between what an agency charges and pays for per diem, and what an agency charges and pays for travel. And the "margain" is quite different, than just pay rate and overhead for the agency.

A travel contract's rate is based on what benefits, and or housing needs of the traveler is. Expenses such as deposits, furniture, utilities, travel reimbursement, license reimbursement, rental car and completion bonues. It all comes out of the "bill rate". There is no "free" anything! So the "margain" is either lower for some travel companies...or much larger depending on how the agency divides up the pie with each traveler. Not all agencies are as fair with giving travelers or per diem a cut of the pie. Yoiu also have the recruiter's percentage for each traveler she/he places.

So any travel company that is paying their travelers 67% of the pie is losing money. And any company that offers 80% of that pie is also losing money on the one hand, but is probably just trying to keep the contract.

Correct Brownms46... It is important that you look at a travel contract from the point of "total compensation" rather than merely your pay rate. If you are willing to sacrifice on something for higher hourly it can probably be done. Likewise if you are willing to take a cut in hourly, you can probably get better housing. You must keep in mind that there is a break even point in the total compensation, and your agency is not going to go beyond that regardless. In travel an agency is completely ignorant to take a loss just to keep a contract with a facility. Smart recruiters will ask you where you want to go and pursue contracts from there, not rely on a handful of contracts they already have. There are more travel jobs than travel nurses out there. The agency and the nurse really has the upper hand. If they don't approach your search like that then you need to go elsewhere... they aren't going to do you any good.

My favorite recruiters would ask me where I wanted to go. I would shoot out a location then ask them if they have a contract in that area. The response I would get is "not yet, but I will in about an hour so stay by the phone." That's what you want to hear.... and NOT "No but how's Alaska sound?" hehehe.....

You're soo right eddy! It really bothers me, when I'm offered a contract on the east coast, when I started the conversation out sayiing, I wand to stay on the west coast. A good recruiter is interested in what you want, and listens.

Funny...I may get quoted 3 different rates of pay on a facility depending on the staffer I talk too...haven't figured out why yet either with this new agency of mine.

Of course I remember the highest rate and I always get daily pay at the office...where I make sure I get that highest rate.