I consider myself a professional temp. I jump from project to project every 6 months to a year. I work for more than a few temp agencies and I like it because there's no hassle. They have a job, I do a job, and they pay me money. It's very simple.
I was working with one temp agency and they set up a phone interview. Before the interview, I was briefed that they may ask me to work nights or weekends and they asked me if this was something I would be comfortable with. I told them “No. I'd rather not do that.” The temp agency insisted that it's something that might come up and I told them that I'll consider it if the money was good enough but otherwise no, I most likely won't take the job if it was predicated on nights and weekends.
So they send me for an interview. Sure enough, the question comes up. I answer honestly and I wait to hear back. I get a call from the recruiter who sounds like she's nearly in tears.
“Why did you tell them that you wouldn't work weekends? Don't you understand how that makes us look?”
To which I say: “I'm sorry, what?”
“It reflects poorly on us if we send you out and waste time our client's time.”
I am utterly flabbergasted. “I think there's been a misunderstanding. Your job is to send me out to interviews and my job is to take the ones I want and work for them. I don't actually care how it makes you look. I'm looking for work, you're supplying me work. This is a business arrangement. I'm not your boyfriend” goes my internal monologue, but what I actually say is “You know what? I apologize for wasting your time. This isn't going to work out. Please remove me from your register and don't bother contacting me again. Thank you.”
I landed temp gig a day later with the agency I'm with now.