Complaints

Re: Complaints

Tania Ford — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:48:06 GMT

It has been nothing but a pleasure dealing with RIG. I applied for a job recently and was the successful candidate, although I decided not to take the position it was nothing to do with RIG. All of the dealings that I have had, with Charlie in particular have been nothing but polite and helpful.

All I can say is 'dont knock it until you have tried it'. Not everyones expectations and outcomes will be the same. I think it is a very brave call to admit that there have been problems in the past. At least they are trying to put things right.

Re: Complaints

Fiona Leathers — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:40:48 GMT

Recently, we seem to have an awful lot of phone calls from RIG regarding locum nurses, even asking us if we know of any surgeries needing locums. I would like these phone calls to stop.

If & when, we need a locum we would not use any agency, preferring to find a nurse ourselves.

I would appreciate it if you could remove us from your database. A+G Vets, Bonnybridge Scotland.

Thanks

Fiona - Head RVN

Re: Complaints

Nikki Graef — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:06:27 GMT

Ive never used RIG before but im not sure i would after reading this.

You have to pay someone to do your paperwork for you?? What?? Ive locummed on and off for many years and always done my own paperwork, the thought of having to spend my hard earned money on getting someone to do paper work that i can do myself does not appeal at all.

Neither does earning less money because the agency takes it from you!

Re: Complaints

Niki Gubb — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:28:29 GMT

Hi Deemus,

I have contacted you today directly to avoid any specifics being posted on this section.

Kind Regards

Niki

Re: Complaints

Deemus — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:02:42 GMT

Hi Nikki,

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I have a question. I'd like to know why I was contacted to provide a reference for a locum VN I had previously had cause to complain about?

I requested that as a practice we had nothing more to do with her. The whole situation was rather unpleasant for everyone concerned. So you can imagine my rather short response to the poor unsuspecting guy who was given the task of ringing me.

If you'd like to know more details, specifics etc then please feel freel to IM me. I assure you I'm not on a witch hunt, I'd just like an answer.

Thanks again,

Deemus

You can imagine

Re: Complaints

Louise B — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:32:09 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

[quote user="Princess Ophelia Hermione MacBeth"]However you have only one post Grasshopper! I hope I don't come across as scary but it very difficult to give much credence to a post when the author is not established in this online community. For all anyone on here knows, you could be a RIG Recruitment Consultant trying to make RIG sound better.[/quote]

I wondered whether you have a point, except that if you look at Grasshopper's profile, it shows he/she joined back in January 09, well before all this discussion about RIG. That makes it seem very, very unlikely that Grasshopper is a RIG consultant!

[/quote]

Fair point Arlo. I didn't think to look for that. I apologise Grasshopper.

Re: Complaints

Mrs Dot Dot — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:29:16 GMT

Arlo... you have to admit it's a tad suspicious tho!

Re: Complaints

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:26:05 GMT

Re: Complaints

Louise B — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:11:13 GMT

[quote user="grasshopper"]

Oh dear you lot are cruel!

I enquired about a job locally today and recieved very polite swift information and have an interview lined up already.

I locumed independently for 4 years and yes I was on slightly better hourly rate but had to pay all costs myself, worked in some awful places and didnt always get paid - when i did i had to chase them for it.

If I return to locuming (which I plan to do next year) I would rather do it with the security of knowing I have someone looking out for my interests and ensuring its a safe place to work where i will get paid and a fair deal.

wishing to remain anon RVN (you are all scary and don't want flak for posting honest opinion on this witch hunt)

[/quote]

However you have only one post Grasshopper! I hope I don't come across as scary but it very difficult to give much credence to a post when the author is not established in this online community. For all anyone on here knows, you could be a RIG Recruitment Consultant trying to make RIG sound better.

Witch hunt???? I think if you got to know the posters on this thread you would know that they are largely established members of the site, respected members of the vet nurse profession and are sharing their experiences. Rather telling that not many people want to jump to RIG's defence wouldn't you say?!

My own experiences of RIG have not been favourable either. I registered with them at Congress (2006 I think) when I was an active locum. However, they did not prove very useful and didn't return calls, etc. I have been pestered with calls over the last couple of years or so (even after telling them that I had no desire to work for them given their reputation so please remove me from their list & that I was not actively seeking locum work). I then started receiving emails as well. After Justine came on to the site to discuss the agency and assure us that it had changed I gave them a go as I had a few weeks holiday. Justine was friendly and passed me to a male colleague to find out more about a postion, etc. This guy was not very good and wanted me to accept £10 or £11ph (I forget which) saying that he knew this practice would not pay more. I said that I would not work for less than £12. He tried to barter with me to accept £11.50 which I said no too and he said he would speak to the practice and get back to me. Guess what? No call! I left it as it smacked too much of my experiences with the old RIG. I then found out that the practices pay RIG £15/hr for a nurse - what he was haggling over with me was his cut for finding me work - but blaming the practice for the poor rate of pay. No wonder he did not want me to liaise directly with the practice!!!

On top of that I would have had to register with an umbrella company and pay fees for them to handle my paperwork, etc. So, all in all it would have been a lousy deal for me. Less money in and more money out = much less in my pocket.

Re: Complaints

grasshopper — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:54:54 GMT

Oh dear you lot are cruel!

I enquired about a job locally today and recieved very polite swift information and have an interview lined up already.

wishing to remain anon RVN (you are all scary and don't want flak for posting honest opinion on this witch hunt)

Re: Complaints

claire Speight — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:43:46 GMT

Please can you stop phoning me and leaving messages on my voicemail asking me if I require locum or full time work.

I contacted you 18 months ago when I was looking for work and you were as much use as a chocolate tea-pot then, and now you phone me on a weekly basis! If I want to use your service then I will contact you - in the meantime, please can you stop contacting me.

Thank you

Claire

Re: Complaints

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:00:19 GMT

I am very sorry that you have encountered so many problems. The issue with your dog is inexcusable as that is a question that forms part of our detailed job specification form, so the consultant should have captured this information and determined that either you could take the dog or not.

The issue of the travel expenses is a little bit more complicated. We supply locum workers either via their own Limited company or via one of the various ‘Umbrella’ limited companies in the market place. We have no financial ties with any of these providers, however, we do ‘check out’ the companies that our locums want to use. Most Umbrella companies will allow you to claim back the cost of certain expenses against tax. That means that you don’t pay tax on certain costs that you incur which can include business mileage and a subsistence allowance. It does not mean that you actually physically receive payment for these costs. This should have been explained to you by the company that you used, and it is also their responsibility to provide you with a wage slip.

As a goodwill gesture, if you can email a breakdown of the costs you incurred then I will gladly reimburse you for those costs. I am very sorry that your experience of RIG has been negative, as we try very hard to make things as smooth and as simple as possible. Unfortunately we have failed to provide you with a satisfactory service in this instance. I will however be looking into your experience and will change the way we work in order that your experience is not repeated again.

We intend to put a Q&A on our website to explain common queries, such as why use an umbrella company, the use of umbrella companies versus Limited companies, etc, so if you have any queries of this nature you would like explained and think would be useful to your VN colleagues, then let us know. Thanks!

Re: Complaints

Sally Howe — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:44:01 GMT

Thank you for looking into it.

It's taken time to reply as I've been unwell.

I think it was end of October - beginning of November at Wood Street Hospital. I had a male consultant who used Atlantic umbrella for payment. I could only afford to work there a couple of weeks as was costing £15/ day in petrol and they were only having me for 6 hours a day.

Although you say I'm not active on your system I have started to get texts for locum work from you.

Re: Complaints

Niki Gubb — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:01:57 GMT

Hi Sally

Thanks for the post, can you please confirm when this happened. I would like to speak to the consultant involved if they are still working at rig as i have looked at your profile and can see that it is no longer actve. if you could let me know when it happened i can investigate further.

Many Thanks

Niki

Re: Complaints

Sally Howe — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:45:57 GMT

I was sent from Milton Keynes to a practice near London, 2 hour drive there and 2 hours back. I was assured that not only would I be able to claim for petrol but food too. I was told that I could take my dog with me and got unwelcome comments when I arrived with her.

When it came to claiming I was told that because I had not worked for them for 12 weeks I couldn't claim. I ended up out of pocket and left with a load of excuses. I did not even get a wage slip!

I had to contact the vets direct to say that as I wasn't being able to claim I was unable to afford to go there at my expense. It took 6 weeks to get any money for the actual work I had done which didn't cover my mortgage.

Needless to say I left RIG and would not take a locum from there incase the nurse got the same raw deal as I did.

Re: Complaints

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:37:26 GMT

I had the same thing from RIG told i could only get £8/hr as it was my first locum job, so i was nieve and took it, i then found out they were charge the company i was working for £16/hr, so they were "earning" the same as me for the hard work i was doing!!!!!

Re: Complaints

hazeebee — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:22:30 GMT

Hi there, I am writing this while still cross so please excuse the tone of this message! I can not believe that 3 years after using RIG I am still receiving emails and even more intrusive text messages asking me if I am available for work. I have called RIG several times and been assured each time that my name and details have been removed and I will not be contacted again. In fact, the last time I called they couldn't even find my details at all!! What is going on???? I am not nursing any more and have not been for 3 years. I have called RIG today and left a voice mail asking for a call back regarding yet another text message that I received - will see what happens.....

Re: Complaints

Maisy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:48:40 GMT

I agree Paula. I know people have had problems with Rig in the past and I think its good that they are willing to be put into the fire as it were.

Re: Complaints

loopylou711 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:43:24 GMT

the respone was good and am not faulting that at all. Just think if the person who is dealing with me is away on their holidays then surely some else should have been nice enough to phone and say there was no longer accomodation available! Anywayss thanks niki ur brave for doing this :) Wouldnt b me!

Re: Complaints

Julie — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:37:02 GMT

[quote user="SaskiaVN"] it is very brave of Niki to come on here publicly and answer any questions or concerns we may have about RIG.[/quote]

I totally agree that Niki is being brave to put herself forward as a spokesperson.

Don't think I would have done it going by comments on passed threads so well done Niki.

Re: Complaints

Saskia Quinn — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:58:12 GMT

I'm not taking sides with anyone and for what its worth, I have never had any dealings with RIG, but I would just like to say it is very brave of Niki to come on here publicly and answer any questions or concerns we may have about RIG.

If you read her profile, she has only been employed by them for a few months.

I think its a great idea that they want to improve their image and public relations with both locum nurses/vets and practices and I hope that this site has a positive input in the future of these relations

Re: Complaints

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:06:30 GMT

Left it a few days on purpose spoke to a veterinary staff member the other day after the date this thread was started and yes you guessed it.

No contact for the job they asked about for over a month. Finally they rang up and were told we will ring you back tomorrow. Nothing for a month (again) they decided that the people that said don't use rig but they did was right in their assessment. The day l spoke to them the person had 4 phone calls in 2 days and had told rig they weren't interested in dealing with them on the first phone call.

Leopards and spots spring to mind. And no l won't tell you their name / details at their request.

Re: Complaints

Niki Gubb — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:54:26 GMT

Hi loopylou

Thank you for your time today, i am glad we managed to get to the bottom of it. As we discussed this was a problem with the advertising site, where the new Job Advent had not been adjusted accordingly and therefore the line about accommodation was not removed. I can assure you that we have now gone back through our jobs to ensure that they are all correct and up to date and I am pleased to say that the position you were writing about was the only one that wasn't correct at the end of play today. Thank you for raising this issue with us and please be re assured that this will not happen again.

Re: Complaints

loopylou711 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:47:49 GMT

just a point, why advertise a position with accomodation contact the person about it then don't get back to them for a while then re post the job again with accomodation then when I email and ask about the job you say theres no accomodation available!

Re: Complaints

Niki Gubb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:43:09 GMT

Hi Spud

If you’ve been told you’re ‘worth’ a particular amount by anyone here, you shouldn’t have been!

In fact, it’s very hard to say what a given amount of experience and qualifications are ‘worth’, because it depends on a lot of other things, such as the extent and duration of the role. And, of course, different employers will offer different levels of pay for the same role (we hold set rates with several companies across the UK, some of which are able to pay more than others for a nurse with the same level of experience).

So it’s not really a question of what you are ‘worth’, but what we can negotiate for you, and we do try our hardest to secure the best pay rate for you at every opportunity.

Niki