Agents, assistants, and phone calls

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  • Agents, assistants, and phone calls

    What's with agents having assistants listen in on calls with clients? Is that to have a third party verify what was said? Seems kind of creepy to me. Especially if you have a Tropic Thunder situation. Or just like a private call to be private.

    ~Dixon

  • #2
    Re: Agents, assistants, and phone calls

    It's less nefarious than that. Assistants listen into calls to take notes for the agent and be caught up on everything that's going on with a project and client. So when a client requests something during a call, it's handled without the agent having to hang up and go out to the assistant and explain everything to them. And for the assistant, being privy to client calls is the #1 way to learn how to be an agent.
    https://twitter.com/DavidCoggeshall
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    • #3
      Re: Agents, assistants, and phone calls

      (1) so that the assistant (assuming they are listening carefully) have perfect information, i.e., they know exactly what the agent knows; and (2) and it's part of teaching the assistant how to be an agent. listening to calls is invaluable for learning the art of dealmaking, handling clients etc.

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      • #4
        Re: Agents, assistants, and phone calls

        Originally posted by Dixon View Post
        Or just like a private call to be private.

        ~Dixon
        Obviously, if someone is listening in and all callers are aware of that, than it's not a private call.

        This has common in call centers for years. It's for training, purposes. At first the new employee listens in on the trainer and then after that person starts taking calls, the trainer listens in (at least for awhile).

        For a writer who is pitching a script, I would think it's a plus. Maybe the agent isn't really buying into your script. Maybe his assistant is. And maybe the assistant remembers it, when he or she becomes an agent.
        "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

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        • #5
          Re: Agents, assistants, and phone calls

          Also if they are rolling calls they need to listen when for when one call ends because their boss will then say, "Get me Joe Blow" and assistant needs to dial up Joe while their boss is still on the phone, and then conference them in -- then they will listen to that call until it's over and get the next person...
          Quack.

          Writer on a cable drama.

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          • #6
            Re: Agents, assistants, and phone calls

            I don't know. It makes me feel more important when my agent has his assistant on the line during calls.

            I'd start to worry when I'm talking just to my agent. It would make me feel like he's not really worried about having to remember anything we said.

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            • #7
              Re: Agents, assistants, and phone calls

              Thanks, everybody. Hadn't considered all of that.

              ~Dixon

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              • #8
                Re: Agents, assistants, and phone calls

                It's not just agents. It's pretty standard around the industry for anyone with an assistant to do this.

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