provident agents [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

demoralised

It is 100% true, although I understand your logic, how much time does a manager spend with an agent, in our office not a lot unless you are new or struggling, so the saving in man hours does not add up, there is no logical reason, other than they have been told by Hmr to employ us. As you pointed out there is no saving on commission, actual hours spent with agents is very small, so not much saving there. Why would they want large agencies where agents are run ragged and unable to commit the time to customers, we all know it is the smaller agencies which have the best quality. Everyone post on here when you get the call, so we can see how widespread this is.

Devils_Incarnate

It is totally true. I am one of the casualties. I left rather than be asked to leave. I was earning about 10% on an agency that was very neat and required very little maintenance. It has now been shared amongst the other agents. 10 agents will become 5 or less on each section. I suggest you take control of a situation that hasn't any control. You're just a number so don't expect any "Thanks" as you leave. But leave with dignity and pride.

TheLoanMan

Hi I left about a year ago after many years, best thing I ever did, the only thing I can say is that in time you will definitely see leaving as a good thing in the long run.

I guess they are scaling the agents back so they can make more managers redundant, close some branches and have managers working from home.

Overall as I've said in previous posts it's clearly a business in decline, the writings on the wall long term, though many can't see it.

Devils_Incarnate

It is a business that is changing. I didn't want to be a part of it. I never really believed in them anyway. How can you "sell" a product that you wouldn't have in any circumstance?
Now they are in the process of creating "super agencies", one wonders how the surviving agent is going to cope with a full time job, 52 weeks a year without a holiday. I can't see many designates being available for full time cover. Most agents are women, with children and responsibilities so I sometimes wonder how they are going to cope with a full time commitment that needs addressing when one of lives complications happens? To find a 2 day cover is easy, but 5/6 days? That's another thing.

tibawo

TheLoanMan wrote: »

I think it's very true that senior management under estimate the relationship long standing agents have with their customers, many of these customers keep renewing because of that relationship and pay up when the agent finally leaves.
.

I totally agree with this. My agent is leaving this week. She has seen my kids grow up, she knows I have strange work patterns and between us we find a mutual time I can pay etc. I don't want someone new. No offence to the new person just my agent was like a friend in the end.

I get paid tomorrow and so will my loan.

TheLoanMan

Your completely right it used to be a part time job where u could earn good money and fit it around any other work or family commitments you had.

It used to be that they encouraged small agency's and targeted managers to start a new agency each year to get customer growth. These current measures just show that the growth has gone they know that so there's clearly a policy of getting rid of the small agents, less agents less managers needed also.

Knocking on doors collecting money ain't no career however the company tries to dress it up, better off out of it. I was there for 20+ years and was never under any illusion what the company was and is.

demoralised

Not only do they underestimate the relationship that a long standing agent has with their customers, they also underestimate the amount of stress an agent has to cope with most collecting days, I am not sure anybody can cope with that 5 days a week 52 weeks a year. Sometimes after a particularly bad day I come home totally exhausted, you become an agony aunt, a social worker, a lawyer, a friendly ear when they are under stress etc etc, plus you have to help them manage their finances and find ways to loan to them without extra expense in times of need, no wonder my head is spinning by the time I get home, but you also become incredibly close to many, and those customers will definitely not want anyone else calling, especially when they find out that their agent they have had for years has been told to leave for no reason. With all the other lenders out there, just waiting to snap them up, many with lower rates than us, it is a dangerous game for Provi to be paying. They thought customer losses last year were bad enough, just wait and see next years figs. Impairment will be massively up and customer numbers dropping like a stone. Plus any agents left will realise that they are working for a company that treats its long standing agents very badly even when they do an excellent job, so why would they stay, I bet the competition are rubbing their hands with glee, plenty of new customers and trained agents banging down their doors looking for jobs with a gaggle of customers in their wake.

no_issue

Managerial redundancies ... and guess what?? Agents being forced to leave and having contracts terminated and guess who's getting the agencies - Yep you got it the DM's, 2 getting their redundancies in our local office this week and starting as agents next week in good quality agencies, one forced out by bullying tactics and another sacked for some sort of 'top sheet' mistake, seems like a contrived charge to most of us. The two managers taking on agencies are both in their sixties and looks very like they are being looked after by the AM, probably get 2-3 years out of it which would tie-in with most of our suspicions.

TheLoanMan

The best advice for agents is understand what's going on and make sure when the time comes you get out at a time of your own choosing and are not pushed out with no notice by the company.

Senior management have no regard for agents whatsoever, couldn't care less, you go no one's cares only your customers if you've been around for some time.

Interesting managers getting agency's, a lot more skullduggery to come I think, how long before the managers becoming agents smell the coffee!

Devils_Incarnate

"Senior management have no regard for agents whatsoever, couldn't care less, you go no one's cares only your customers if you've been around for some time."

Never a truer word written. You're just a "unit".