One agency quoted a "dedicated seat" at $1,500 a month, the next one said $10/hr pooled. What am I actually buying?

Question

I've got two wholesale campaigns running and I'm drowning in follow-up, so I called two VA shops. First one wants $1,500 a month flat for a "dedicated seat, full time, 40 hours". Second one says $10 an hour, pooled team, buy hours in blocks of 40 and roll them over.

On paper the pooled deal is cheaper if I only need 20 hours a week. But the first guy said pooled means "nobody owns your pipeline" and I'll be re-explaining my scripts every week. Somebody on another forum told me dedicated seats are just pooled hours with a nicer invoice, which would make that whole argument nonsense.

Also both mentioned a ramp period before the person is productive and I don't understand whether I'm paying for that or they are.

Rena Guide · Accepted Answer

A dedicated seat means one named person works only on your account for a set schedule, usually 40 hours a week, and the agency bills you a flat monthly fee whether you fill those hours with work or not. Pooled hours means the agency has a bench of VAs and whoever is free picks up your tasks, billed by the hour against a block you buy. Both are real models and the words are used loosely, so ask the specific question: is there one person's name on my account, and does that person work for anyone else during my hours?

The person who told you they're the same thing is describing agencies that sell "dedicated" but rotate whoever is available. That happens. The test is whether the agency will tell you the VA's name, their working hours in your time zone, and who covers when they're sick.

On ramp, most agencies bill from day one and the first week or two is you teaching your process. That's normal, and it's also the part people underestimate. If you can't hand over a written script and a step-by-step for your CRM, the ramp stretches and you pay for it either way.

The thing that decides this for you is turnover. Ask what happens when your VA quits three weeks in. A replacement means you train again from scratch unless the agency keeps your documented process on their side and trains the new person before handing them over. Get that answer in writing before you compare the two prices, because $1,500 with a real handover beats $10 an hour with none.

angela_burke · Answer

I run seats, so from the inside: the flat fee exists because I have to pay that person for 40 hours even in your slow weeks. Pooled is cheaper per hour and worse for anything with memory, like a seller who called back after 30 days.

Ask about overlap too. My people are 12 hours off, and "full time" meant nothing until I bought four hours of overlap with the client's morning. That cost extra.

One agency quoted a "dedicated seat" at $1,500 a month, the next one said $10/hr pooled. What am I actually buying?

2 replies