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Regarding incompetent managers: I think the Peter principle applies.
"One is always promoted to one's level of incompetence." Something to
that effect.
Regarding the original post:
There's a valuable lesson here. You should always get the agreement in
writing, BEFORE doing the work. It's reasonable that the company would
want to see the results before paying extra, but get it in writing what
the amount will be and when it's due, under what conditions, etc.
Recruiters are in the business to sign the deal. Remember that when
dealing with them. It can work to your advantage. When their client
meets you and wants you to work for them, the recruiter is ANXIOUS to
close the deal. Do your negotiating then, and get EVERYTHING in writing.
Also, my experience has been that there are lots of recruiters, and lots
of jobs available. If one recruiter treats you poorly, move on. There
are plenty of professionals out there waiting for your resume! (I
consider it unprofessional to allude to a deal and then retract it with
some flimsy excuse, when the real reason is they can't/won't/whatever
pay up. If the real reason is as the recruiter says, he/she should have
told you that BEFORE you did the job, when you asked for more pay.)
Polish up your resume and make some phone calls. See what's out there.
Some typical national recruiters:
SystemOne
Ajilon
Modis
Berger & Company
Arthur Anderson
