Posted by kcg on 8/29/12 1:51pm
Msg #432386
Mistake or on Purpose?
Last Friday, I was contacted by an SS (large company) for a signing Tuesday at 5pm. They typically offer $75 with edocs - I always refuse that offer and counter with my fee - usually they say thanks and hang up but this time she agreed.
So, yesterday at 3pm, I get two emails....one was an internal email which said:
"what is the signing agent's fee?".....my fee was listed.
Next email says:
"this signing is cancelled".
I'm left to wonder if it was intentional that the internal email was sent to me ....obviously the signing was "cancelled" because of my fee. Did someone want me to see that I lost the signing due to my fee or was it mistakenly forwarded to me?
A small voice said...call the borrowers to make sure they know it's cancelled but I felt that would be unprofessional to upset them 2 hours before the signing. I am quite sure the SS was able to snag another signing agent for their usual fee.
This is the same company who called me on Monday at 4pm desperately trying to find someone to close a loan for them that night. I did not want to do it - I'd been booked all day, had 2 more to do and sure didn't feel like squeezing one more in (plus I hate last minute deals) but I "helped 'em out" at my full fee. The scheduler said "you know we pay $75 but since it's eom, I'll go ahead with your fee". Ya think?
The real PIA for me was that I'd taken an inspection since I was going to be in that area at 5:00 (which I then still had to do) and I'd planned other errands to kill the time between that one and my 7:30 signing. Fortunately, I did not pass up any other offers for that time slot.
I work with too many wonderful t/c's and ss's to put up with this nonsense. Their number is going on my phone reject list.
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Reply by NJDiva on 8/29/12 2:55pm
Msg #432403
Pray tell...
" I was contacted by an SS (large company)" who is this "large company"?
"I did not want to do it" But you did it, so no whining allowed...lol
"but I 'helped 'em out'"-Thank you very much for keeping the "large" lowballing company in business. It would have been much more admirable if you would have stuck to your gut feeling...
"The scheduler said "you know we pay $75 but since it's eom, I'll go ahead with your fee" - since they were so desperate, why not tell them then if that's the case it'll be $200? After all, they were willing to "go ahead with your fee." You had control. I think it's perfectly okay to have a "last minute-desperation-willing to pay you anything" fee on top of your fee. If these lowballers gouge us, what's so wrong (if you're going to keep em in business anyway) with returning the "favor?"
I'm curious to know what the bottom line highest fee was that you could have gotten them for (not the one you got, but what you COULD have...   )
I can tell ya, if a scheduler had said that to me, I would have laughed in their ear and thanked them for reminding me what a jerk I was (standards I maintain for myself, no judging) for even considering keeping them in business. Of course, I'm very vocal that I have no desire to keep lowballing companies in business. Not to say that I have NEVER worked for one, we all have our own business models and ethics that we stick to. I want this to be a viable business for years to come and the only way that's going to happen is to stand firm.
It can be so incredibly difficult to say no to any kind of income, but at some point, if we don't support each other, we'll be a "thing of the past" anyway.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience kcg. I don't want to feel like I am patronizing or disrespecting you. I DO find it admirable that you'll be adding them to the reject list, and feel bad that you had to learn the hard way. Please remember it for future lowball companies that call with a desperate please help me out proposition.
I love the saying (okay cliche) my grandfather used to always say..."fool me once, shame on YOU, fool me TWICE, shame on ME."
I hope you had a great eom. Go get em!
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Reply by MikeC/TX on 8/29/12 6:31pm
Msg #432432
My take on this...
"I'm left to wonder if it was intentional that the internal email was sent to me ....obviously the signing was "cancelled" because of my fee. Did someone want me to see that I lost the signing due to my fee or was it mistakenly forwarded to me? "
You're giving them much more credit than they deserve - you were probably included on the email because someone in the chain just hit "Reply All" without paying attention to who exactly was part of "All". Happens all the time; don't read anything into it. They're not trying to tell you that your fee is too high; if anything, they're saying that they don't want to pay that much, which has nothing to do with you.
Your fee is your fee - stand by it, and don't worry about what these idiots are doing.
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