Posted by pat/WA on 7/7/12 10:56am
Msg #425885

number of pages

What is going on??
Had an offer yesterday of $43.00. It was a 60 mile drive but the scheduler kept saying "but its only 25 pages"
I couldn't get through to her that it wasn't the number of pages but the drive time that was the issue.

Reply by Lee/AR on 7/7/12 11:43am
Msg #425892

Yeah...they can be dense n/m

Reply by HisHughness on 7/7/12 11:56am
Msg #425893

Pity the poor scheduler

He has to persuade somebody that it's a good deal to set up a file, confirm with the brrowers, print, drive 30 miles, get documents executed, drive 30 miles back, prepare a package for mailing, go to the drop and deposit docs, drive home, create an invoice, send invoice and close out file -- for the princely sum of $43. And all the while he's sitting there thinking, "Who am I kidding? There's no way I would do that for $43."

Reply by PegiT_MN on 7/7/12 12:21pm
Msg #425897

Re: Pity the poor scheduler

Okay.....you could be right about that Hugh......or the scheduler could be sitting there thinking "wow.....$43.00 for two hours of work......that's 21 dollars and 50 cents an hour........I should be doing that.......I'm only getting $9.00 an hour".

Reply by pat/WA on 7/7/12 1:55pm
Msg #425911

Re: Pity the poor scheduler

Or, He could be thinking. OK. 60 miles round trip = $8.00 gas. Paper and toner $10.00
Total $18.00. 2 hour work (including drive time) Net $25.00 or $12.50 per hour
Now all I have to do is receive my notary commission, buy E & O Insurance, purchase a bond and set up an office with telephone, cel phone, fax machine and printers.
Such a deal!

Reply by Les_CO on 7/7/12 3:28pm
Msg #425917

Re: Pity the poor scheduler

Or he/she could be thinking…Wow what dummies! That’s $116 for us, I get $15 plus a $10 spif ( for getting the low price…for this one and all future jobs from this sucker)….Still $91 for the boss! I can’t wait ‘till I do this a little more, and steal all these contacts so I can start my own SS!

Reply by Leo Farmer on 7/7/12 9:59pm
Msg #425958

Re: Pity the poor scheduler

If its costing you $10.00 for toner and paper for 43 pages, we need to talk , my friend. That would cost me only about $1.00 with change last over.

Reply by Clem/CA on 7/7/12 3:25pm
Msg #425916

60 miles @ 23 miles per gal x 3.90 per gal = 10.17. 5000 sheets \ $39.00, (not on sale)=.0078 x 46 pages = .36 + ( I use 21,000 page Carts, get about 16,000 out of them, refill myself for 45 bucks) 45.00\16000=.003 x 46 pages = .13 + wear and tear= .50 2.5 hrs drive time, (parking etc), 15 mins printing, bookkeeping, and taxes time, 15 Mins with BO = 3Hrs + Misc buss expense, (training, insurance, bond etc)= $1.00

travel = 10.17
print = 1.02
misc buss expense = 1.00

Total =12.19
Taxes (lets use 12.5%) - 1.53

Income =10.66


Time taken \ 3 hrs

Per Hr wage =3.56 per hr.

Reply by ikando on 7/7/12 4:10pm
Msg #425922

And Fed minimum is $7.25! Who's coming out ahead?

Reply by rolomia on 7/8/12 5:00am
Msg #425976

Pat,
Maybe this should be obvious to me, but it isn't: why didn't you tell them to put you on their Do Not Call list, then rudely hang-up on the bozo & update Signing Central with their company name + contact info., etc? Also, was the 60 miles one-way travel or round-trip? You didn't specify? Thanks!

Reply by jba/fl on 7/8/12 8:31am
Msg #425978

I had that same argument presented to me last week....it's only 35 pages. I replied, "No, it is time involved - time I spend on this file....still same mileage, same wait time, same...... My fee, take it or leave it. This is not bid wars."

Reply by jnew on 7/8/12 11:21am
Msg #425989

The question I alway ask before I respond to a signing request of which the scheduler wants to base on the number of pages is this. What do you consider to be the optimum number of pages for your job? I don't charge based on the number of pages, so why would I want to discount my fee if there are few pages, when the customer never offers to increase my fee when there are more.

Reply by rolomia on 12/5/12 3:42pm
Msg #445639

My formula for computing a reasonable fee is simple: I add round-trip road mileage (never as the crow flies [lest I eat crow] as my car doesn't have wings [though, it does fly]LOL) + pages printed (including BO copies [if required] &/or CD if approved) x $0.50 cents (i.e. 90 miles round-trip + 90 pages incl. BO copies = 180 x 50 cents = $90). If it's a company that uses my services frequently, I split the difference with them, if their proposed counter-offer is within 10% of MY quoted fee. If my rate would be $90 & they offer me $45 (and they've never used me before), I check Signing Central. If they aren't listed, or they're listed but with a negative rating, I turn the order down. If they are listed with a positive rating, I'll counter-offer with $75 [which would be the LOWEST amount that I'd EVER accept for ANY closing). This is just my formula that works for me. Since Arkansas has the highest rate of notaries per-capita in the U.S., competition is fierce. Plus, there semms to be an endless supply of fresh meat (newbies) for the low-paying TC's & SS's. So, not as busy as I'd like. But, I do have standards. Too bad most of those other low-rent notaries don't. JMHO