Posted by ME/NJ on 9/14/06 4:31pm
Msg #146134

Guess I need to answer the phone during signings now

I lost a few hundred dollars today because I did not answer the phone right away. Granted I understand people need to fill the slot ASAP, but YIKES. Both companies are great and I just started getting business with them, but my regular clients know I'm a busy closer and return all calls within 15 minutes.

For you newbies, if you don't answer then you're SOL. Sorry just venting, I feel like someone just took money away from me and its my fault. I guess its time to answer calls during signings now.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/14/06 4:38pm
Msg #146136

I turn my phone of during signings - I feel the borrower(s) deserve my full attention with minimal distractions. I don't want the borrowers to think I don't care and the person on the phone is more important than they are.

Reply by BetsyMI on 9/14/06 4:46pm
Msg #146137

I don't turn my cell phone off anymore. I just make the call quick, like 10 seconds, and tell the bwr that I just want to make sure the call isn't about their closing. They're usually busy reading anyway.

My beef is with one of my main clients...one of their scheduling agents continues to try me on my home phone...am I ever there??? NOT.

I have asked her and asked her to call me on my cell. It's aggravating to get home and see that I missed calls from this company and when I call them back they already filled the slots even though they left messages for me with details. The person apologizes but nothing changes.

Reply by SueW/Tn on 9/14/06 4:49pm
Msg #146138

Mine goes on vibrate (boy there's a catch word)

and I'll excuse myself if I think I need to answer it for 20 seconds. I can easily say yes and I'll contact you shortly, or no but thank you. I used to cut it off entirely and I've since learned that lesson.

Reply by cyndi_ca on 9/14/06 4:50pm
Msg #146141

Sue, I do the vibe too. Not too disturbing n/m

Reply by cyndi_ca on 9/14/06 4:49pm
Msg #146140

That is the exact reason I don't give out home #

I too make the call very brief. Explain that I am in a closing, the caller ends very promptly and all is well with the world.

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 9/14/06 4:56pm
Msg #146147

What I do Betsy

is forward my home phone to my cell phone. In fact I usually just leave it on, but I do live alone which makes it much easier. Even when my grandson stayed with me, and I felt I needed to be able to reach him and keep tabs on him, he was instructed to answer the phone (very professionally) and tell them that I could be reached at my cell number which he gave them.

Reply by MB_AZ on 9/14/06 4:49pm
Msg #146139

I totally agree ... Linda H/FL

The company is paying for your time and attention to the borrower during the signing - not to take calls and discuss fees..etc with other ss or tc's. This subject has been discussed many times on NR and there are many different opinions. JMO

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/14/06 5:35pm
Msg #146161

There are different opinions, but only one correct answer

And that is to answer the phone during signings. The company may be paying for your time and attention to the borrower during signings, but unless they're also paying you for signings you lose because you turned your phone off then it's a very very foolish business move.

You can't be a Pollyanna and run a successful business. The nature of this business is that if you want the job, you better answer your phone when they call. The borrower will survive if you take a 20 second call in the middle of a signing, it really is not a big deal.

Reply by cyndi_ca on 9/14/06 5:59pm
Msg #146174

So true Cali. Phone is always answered

even when I am in the shower. Phone rings, turn off water, answer call, got biz.

Reply by Teresa/FL on 9/14/06 6:19pm
Msg #146181

Phone is always answered - Cyndi

I do the same! No one yet has asked about the sound of dripping water in the background....

Reply by cyndi_ca on 9/14/06 7:23pm
Msg #146196

Teresa.... Maybe they don't wanna know LOL n/m

Reply by NotaryGirl71 on 9/14/06 8:07pm
Msg #146208

Re: There are different opinions, but only one correct answer

I put my phone on silent and put my bluetooth on my ear...when someone is calling me I quickly look at my phone's caller ID and if I see it's NOT a personal call I answer it. If any of you have a bluetooth it's a WONDERFUL tool to have cause it will only ring in your ear. The borrower can't even hear or feel (vibrate) it.

I quickly excuse myself and my conversation typically lasts under 20 seconds. During the short conversation I am able to have both hands free and I continue with the signing. It's all about multi -tasking!!!

Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/14/06 9:02pm
Msg #146222

Re: There are different opinions, but only one correct answer

Too true! Also, this may be splitting hairs, but I don't think that technically the company is paying for my "time and attention to the borrower". I'm not an employee being paid by the hour and as such it is illegal for them to control how I execute my work. They are hiring me as an independent contractor to complete specified work as I see fit. (Isn't that more or less the legal difference between being an employee vs. a contractor?!) And how I see fit is to conduct myself professionally, but not lose business in the process.

Like so many have said, it's all in how you handle that incoming call. And for all we know, that incoming call could be about their loan - and potentially more than someone just checking up on us. Maybe they forgot a document or something has changed or is incorrect.

Reply by Roger_OH on 9/14/06 4:50pm
Msg #146142

This has been debated before. My phone is my business lifeline. I check caller ID, and if it's a TC I'll excuse myself to take the call and make it no longer than 30 seconds (will not take personal calls). Borrowers are understanding that I have a business to run, and it's not like they don't answer their phone while we're signing. I do it professionally and courteously, and it has never been a problem. If you can afford to potentially lose several hundred dollars by turning your phone off while companies then call your competition, then good luck!

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 9/14/06 4:53pm
Msg #146146

Many different view points on this subject

I ALWAYS answer my phone at a closing. I always excuse myself and inform borrowers that this is how I get my work orders. Of course, I keep the conversations extremely short. The borrowers think NOTHING of answering their phones during the signing and sometimes even carry on a personal conversation and you won't even get an appology! Also, many times, the title company or loan officer is calling either: a) to make sure your there or b) to determine if everything is going OK and the borrowers have no questions. Imagine what they would think if they phoned to see how everything was going and got no answer. Probably they would not want to have you do any more of their signings. The person calling you is not MORE important than the borrower, BUT they are just as important. I certainly don't take personal calls and the business ones I keep short. Many times if it is a company that I normally work for, I'll ask them what day and time and either yes or no I can do it and I'll call them right back after the signing. They realize what is involved in a closing and as long as they have your committment, they are OK with you calling them back. This is a business and you should treat it as such and our cell phones are the most important tool in our business. You can do this business with a fax machine and a cell phone if you have to (it will limit your income, but it can be done that way).

While you're taking the high road and putting your customers ease before your business, you are increasing your competition's business. Just my $.02.

Reply by Kate/CA on 9/14/06 5:07pm
Msg #146149

Re: Many different view points on this subject

I totally agree. I always answer mine, I'm on and off very quickly. It isn't like we always get phone calls during signings, it is just once in awhile. The borrowers last night got several calls, got drinks, a piece of pizza, fed the children and breast fed her baby. My answering the phone was not distrubing them.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 9/14/06 4:51pm
Msg #146143

I always answer the cell phone during signings - unless I see by the Caller ID it is a personal call.

Also, when I call a signing agent to do a signing and I get their voice mail, I leave a message tell them what time it is, and I will give them a certain time (like I need you to call me back by 3pm) to return the call before I call the next signing agent on the list.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/14/06 5:13pm
Msg #146152

Re: Guess I need to answer the phone.. points all well taken

and I guess someday if my business ever gets that busy I'll probably change my opinion too - right now I hve the "space" to not have to worry about having the phone on while I'm at a signing....

Someday..<G>

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 9/14/06 5:32pm
Msg #146157

Re: Guess I need to answer the phone.. points all well taken

Everyone has to make up their own mind, however, did it ever occur to you that maybe one of the reasons you're not that busy is because they can't reach you? I know that some signing services will tell you in their instructions to "Always" turn off your cell phone while at a closing. Now if they want to put me on a decent salary, I'll be glad to turn off my cell phone and devote all of my attention to their client, but as long as they want to use independent contractors, I will answer my phone.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/14/06 5:44pm
Msg #146166

Re: Guess I need to answer the phone.. points all well taken

Honestly - I'm not that busy because I'm just starting - I don't expect the phone to ring off the hook - besides - my cell is not my main contact..and that info is posted on all my listings.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/14/06 5:51pm
Msg #146169

Re: Guess I need to answer the phone.. points all well taken

Your cell needs to be your main contact, or you better be able to forward your home calls to your cell when you're not there. If companies can never get a hold of you, guess how long it's going to take before they stop calling you?

If you want to have any sort of fighting chance at being a successful signing agent, rule #1 is that you're there to answer your phone every time it rings.

Reply by Signing_Doc on 9/14/06 6:42pm
Msg #146186

<if you want to have any sort of fighting change...answer...

I ditto that sentiment. One time, I got a call 'out of the blue' for a simple notary from a company out of CA. They were delivering a vehicle to a person in Las Vegas and needed a document (one piece of paper) notarized. I quoted them the state requirement for 1 acknowledgment, added my travel fee to which they happily agreed. I then asked them how they found me. They stated that found my website by doing a google.com search. I was about the 4th or 5th listing...but (here's the kicker)...I was the only one who answered his/her phone, and THAT'S why I got the job!

So, the orale of the morey is....ALWAYS answer your phone IF...it is a TC, SS or a business client. A personal call.....it goes to VM.

"Doc"

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 9/14/06 5:58pm
Msg #146173

Reread Betsy/MI post regarding home phone

Linda, I'm not trying to pick an argument, but if you're just starting out and not getting that many calls what are you worrying about? Leave the phone on and if you occassionally get a call for another signing, you're ahead of the game. Even those of us who have been doing this for a number of years, have a rather large stable of companies to call us and do it full time, don't very often get calls during appointments with the possible exception of crunch day or the day or two before it and it is rare to get more than one call per appointment. If you do, you must be doing something right! The ONLY time my cell phone is turned off is when I'm in church or at the movies or a concert. I learned early on in this game to not even go to the bathroom without my phone. When I'm showering, it is beside the shower on the vanity. Many's the time I've gotten out of the shower and stood there dripping all over the floor to take an assigment (actually I usually refer to my phone as my tether). Do I like doing that -- no, but it is my business, not my hobby.

Reply by MichiganAl on 9/14/06 8:42pm
Msg #146216

But Dorothy

What are we going to do 10 years from now when we're all using video phones instead of cell phones and we're in the shower? Of course, if it's SOX, we can turn around and moon em.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/14/06 9:13pm
Msg #146223

Now, THAT's a scary thought!!

I can't count the number of times I've gotten out of the shower to answer a phone call, then tried not to drip all over the paper I was taking notes on. Not exactly the professional image I'd like to portray! (And I'm certain not the image that those on the other end of the line would care to have to live with...) ;>

'Course I remember 20 years ago talking about imminent video phones everywhere and it still hasn't happened. I have to say, though, that the possibility did cross my mind once during one of those wet phone calls....

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 9/14/06 10:13pm
Msg #146228

Re: But Dorothy

Al, I love it. It would their "just desserts".

Reply by Charm_AL on 9/14/06 5:11pm
Msg #146150

I always answer my phone unless it is a personal call, I do not have a secretary or a receptionist in an office somewhere to handle my appts. I do make it short, pull out my book and say I'm available or not and end the call. As soon as you tell the caller that you are at a closing they quickly understand and let you go. I usually will tell them I will call back in a few.

Reply by cassiewi on 9/14/06 5:53pm
Msg #146170

I answer as well, lesson learned.

I do put it on vibrate and I try to take as little time as possible, but it is our business. Once I had a friend tell me to turn my phone off next time we had lunch, of course I told her no.

Reply by Cam/CA on 9/14/06 6:05pm
Msg #146175

MJ/NJ pardon my ignorance... but what does the SOL part of " For you Newbies, if you don't answer then you're SOL" mean? TIA

Reply by cassiewi on 9/14/06 6:12pm
Msg #146177

"Sorry out of luck" is my guess.

Reply by Signing_Doc on 9/14/06 6:43pm
Msg #146187

S*** out of luck (4 letter word for the stuff you step in) n/m

Reply by BetsyMI on 9/14/06 7:41pm
Msg #146198

Re: S*** out of luck (4 letter word for the stuff you step in)

I answer my cell phone ALL the time too...in the shower...on a ski lift...on the golf course..in a restaurant...at the gym. But my home number? Not gonna happen. Thanks Dot for the reminder to have my calls forwarded to my cell phone. Good idea!

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 9/14/06 8:02pm
Msg #146206

If you want to work in our industry answer your phone!!

Anyone calling me on my home phone number I tell them to call my cell. I am going to disconnect the home phone anyway as I use my cell all the time and it finally works perfectly in my house.
I can always use my fax machine phone in a pinch if I need to!

Reply by Sarah/CA on 9/14/06 8:49pm
Msg #146220

I used to keep my phone off however now I keep it on. Last night I had a signing and we had talked to the loan officer once however he wanted to go home so he called me on my cell to give me his cell number for any more questions. As it turned out we did have an important question about the numbers so I am glad I left it on to get his number to call him. I always look to see if it is a personal call and send those off to voice mail but I will answer the others and keep it very short. I also once lost a job I could have taken for the next day due to my phone being off. When I called them back it had already been assigned. I am leaving mine on.

Reply by EzkHarTX on 9/14/06 10:49pm
Msg #146234

I know what you mean! I am a very new signing agent and I recently received a call from DJ Services asking for a signing to be done in Houston. she did leave a message but by the time I called back in a few minutes, she said she had already filled the spot.
that really hurt...would have been my first :>(

Reply by Ndwa on 9/14/06 11:34pm
Msg #146237

My cell phone is my business money line. If any company wants my phone off during a signing then they'd better put me on their clock at $xxx per hour.

Reply by LawrenceOK on 9/15/06 8:38am
Msg #146290

I used to be of the opinion that, "the borrower deserved my full attention" . Not anymore, now I answer all calls. However, I only give my cell # to certain clients and do not advertise it. This way I am not getting calls from low ball SS's during signings.