Pricing Inquiry Scripts

Pricing Inquiry Response Scripts for Staffing Agencies

Pricing calls to a staffing agency move fast—clients often ask “How much?” because they have an urgent opening and they’re calling 2–5 firms at once. The scripts below help you quote clearly (without boxing yourself in), qualify the role, and keep speed high so you win the job and submit candidates first.

Standard “How much do you charge?” (temp staffing)

Use when a new client calls and asks for your temp markup before explaining the role.

“We price temp staffing as an hourly bill rate based on the worker’s pay rate plus a markup. Most of our clients are in the 20% to 50% markup range—lower for steady, planned roles and higher for urgent, short-notice coverage. If I ask you 4 quick questions, I can give you a tighter range in about a minute: job title, shift, location, and how soon you need someone on site. What role are you trying to fill today?”

Tips for this scenario

-Say “bill rate” and “pay rate” out loud—clients in staffing expect that language and it prevents confusion.
-Ask “how soon do you need boots on the ground?”—urgency is the biggest driver of where you land in the 20–50% range.
-If they want a number instantly, give a range and move straight into intake so you can submit candidates fast.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

!Quoting a markup or fee before you confirm basics like shift, location, pay rate, and start date—then getting stuck honoring a bad number.

!Saying “We’re competitive” instead of naming a real staffing range (temp 20–50% markup, direct hire 15–25%, exec 25–33%).

!Letting the client stay vague on salary or pay rate; without it you can’t price and you can’t recruit effectively.

!Skipping the replacement guarantee/conversion terms in the pricing conversation, which creates surprise later and slows approvals.

!Failing to offer a same-day intake call or job order link—speed to submit candidates is how staffing agencies win.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s a realistic temp staffing markup to quote on a first call?

Most staffing agencies land between 20% and 50% markup. Quote the lower end for steady, planned roles with normal screening and the higher end for urgent coverage, short assignments, hard shifts, or heavier screening requirements.

When should you give an exact number vs a range?

Give an exact number only when the inputs are locked. For temp: pay rate, shift, overtime rules, location, and screening. For direct hire/exec: the accepted base salary and the agreed percentage. If any of those are unknown, give a range and commit to sending exact terms in writing the same day.

How do you respond when a client won’t share salary or pay rate?

Ask for their approved budget or target bill rate instead: “What’s the pay range you’ve budgeted, or the hourly bill rate you need to hit?” Explain that without a range you can’t price accurately or recruit effectively, because candidate expectations are tied to pay.

How do temp-to-hire conversion fees usually work?

Temp-to-hire is often priced as 20% to 30% of the employee’s annualized pay, and some agencies reduce the conversion fee based on how long the temp has worked on assignment. Confirm the current pay rate, start date, and intended conversion date before you quote.

How do you handle clients who only care about the lowest fee?

Clarify what the fee includes (screening, background checks, reference checks, replacement terms) and tie value to outcomes they care about: fewer no-shows, faster qualified submissions, and less supervisor time wasted. If they still only want cheapest, offer a stripped-down option with clear limits—or politely decline if you can’t deliver quality at that price.

What’s the best way to capture pricing leads when you’re in interviews or client meetings?

Use a dedicated answering process that collects job-order details and schedules a follow-up. An AI receptionist like SkipCalls can answer after-hours, filter spam, capture role details, and book an intake call so you don’t lose the lead to the first agency that responds.