Posted by Jeanie on 3/26/05 7:08pm
Msg #27834

Signing Took 2 hrs & 40 min - How do you speed BR's up?

This was my worst signing ever! At the beginning of each signing I tell the BR's that I will write down all their questions so they can call the LO after the signing for the answers. I explain the R to C, how to sign their names, what I can & can't do as a SA, how long the signing should take, etc.

This particular signing took 2 hrs and 40 minutes when it should have taken 45 minutes total. I was ready to SCREAM! They called the LO 12 times, all for little things. They called because their loan would be sold, they had been at their job for 6 years not 5 1/2, a dept was listed twice on the 1003. You name it, they called about it. The best call was because I didn't bring their check so they were refusing to sign. I explained that this was a refinance, not a purchase, and they would receive their proceeds after the loan funded which wouldn't be until after the 3 days r to c.

In between all the calls to the LO, they would play with the dog, fix popcorn, make a sandwich, get another drink (nonalcoholic), received 5 phone calls, and tell stories and jokes. I can't tell you how close I came to picking up the docs and walking out.

I asked repeatedly that they wait to call the LO until the end of the signing. I expained several times that I had other signings scheduled and to please get down to business.

The coup de gras was when we were finally done another LO called to ask me if I could stay for another 10 minutes so he could check the quit claim deed. I said F___ Y__ in French and left.

My question is how do you handle these situations? How do you speed up the BR's?

Reply by Carol_CA on 3/26/05 7:23pm
Msg #27837

I think I would have packed it up. You are very helpful considering your patience and that you write down notes for the BR's questions. I always instruct my borrowers to take their own notes and call the LO within the RTC period. Seriously though, that is an awful long time to have to spend with a BR. Maybe next time (hopefully for you there won't be a next time) you could have suggested a reschedule, telling them you think they should get more education/information before signing on their loan through the LO. By the way loved the coup de gras....give e'm inch they'll take a mile.

Reply by L.A.NSA on 3/26/05 8:08pm
Msg #27847

After one hour you might have said: " I can stay only another fifteen minutes (after looking at watch)...I have another appointment, if you cannot wait to call the LO during the r to c, the only time I have left on my schecule would be tonight at 11 PM to finish up for you lovely people."

Reply by Jeanie on 3/26/05 9:08pm
Msg #27858

Telling the BR's "I can only stay another x minutes" is a good idea. In the case I mentioned the signing was 45 minutes away and I was booked for the rest of the evening. There was no way I could get back that night tocontinue the signing. Plus I knew if I ever got out of there wild horses couldn't drag me back.

Reply by mike/ca on 3/27/05 12:04pm
Msg #27927

when i see it's getting crazy i hint that i charge by the hour and when they see the notary fee on the hud it sometimes speeds things up.

Reply by CaliNotary on 3/26/05 9:14pm
Msg #27860

Nobody can take advantage of you without your permission.

You were on the right track in handling it, the problem is that you didn't follow through. You didn't need to repeatedly tell them to wait to call the LO and that you had other signings scheduled, you should have told them once. When it happened again you should have said something to the effect of "I'm sorry, this appointment will have to be rescheduled, you need to work these issues out with the loan officer either before or after the signing".

It also would have been appropriate to tell them that they needed to reschedule because they clearly didn't have the time to focus on the business at hand and that it was not your job to sit there while they took personal phone calls or played with the dog. Yeah, they probably would have gotten annoyed with you, but chances are they also would have gotten down to business.

Of course you want to word these things as politely as possible, but you also need to make it clear that you are not going to give them an unlimited amount of your time. And if they still do the same things, you apologize, tell them to call the LO to reschedule and leave.

Reply by Lalas_socal on 3/26/05 11:39pm
Msg #27877

You have the patience of a saint, I, on the other hand, patience of a rattlesnake, I had a signing once where the "gentleman" put a call in to LO, left message, and sat there giving me the sidways eyeball and conversing(loudly) with his"advisor" in some arabic language, and insisted we wait for his call, well I opted for the French version of "I'm the hell outta here", after I got the feeling they werent too fond of me (after being told to shut up and wait for call!)
They ended up calling back an hour later begging me to come back, I almost didnt go back<sigh> (had the "favor" card pulled on me), only went on the premise that I could hurt someone(badly) if they misbehaved again! oh gotta love this job.

Reply by Jeanie on 3/27/05 12:05am
Msg #27884

You and I sound like kindred spirits. I'm not the least bit patient, I'm just afraid of going to jail! I kept saying to myself "Don't slap, they're only stupid. Don't slap, they're only stupid. Don't slap, they're only stupid". So far that littany has kept me out of jail! But who knows what tommorrow will bring?

Don't you just hate the "favor card"? Every time a SS asks for a favor I loose money! Maybe it's a women thing, but I have a hard time turning down someone I like that says "please". Example: two weeks ago I went to a signing only to come home and have 20 pages of revised e-docs for the signing I just left. The SS said it was a new client and to please print the docs and return signing for free as a favor. I did it, I may be stupid but I did it. I wouldn't have done it for a company that pays less than $75 and doen't pay in a timely fashion.

Reply by Jeanie on 3/26/05 11:44pm
Msg #27878

The signing was out of my usual area and was for Notary Pro, who as we all know is at the low end of the pay scale. The only reason I took the booking was because I had a better paying signing right before it, about 8 miles away. I was booked solid for the rest of the day, so I couldn't reschedule for later that evening even if I had been in the area.

When you have had to reschedule for a similar reason, do you charge and get a new signing fee, or do you go for no extra charges? There's no way NotaryPro would would cough up more money.

I've told a few other BR's that took too long, that if we did not get through the docs soon I would have to leave and come back after my other signings were completed (which would get me back to them between 10 and 12 pm). I've only said this if I can actually get back to them the same day. However, it's amazing how quickly people can get through docs when motivated!

Your suggestion of telling the BR's they need to reschedule because they clearly didn't have the time to focus on the business at hand is excellent. If I have to say this I think I will add that this could delay any monies coming to them. I can think of several times that I wish I had said that to BR's. As you said, they might not like hearing it, but they will get down to business.

Reply by Janique Curry - Grantwriting Solutions and Ideas on 3/28/05 4:20pm
Msg #28069

How do you handle a situation when working with a company who thinks it is your responsibilty to save the loan? Some SS and Title companies put this in the Notary Instructions that you are to do everything within your power to save the loan. I personally and professionally do no feel like this is my responsibility yet at the same time if I want to collect my fee or work for this company again in the future (because they do pay well) then I feel obligated to do a little bit extra. However after the first hour and 20 mins or so I would have been out the door.

Reply by CaliNotary on 3/28/05 4:29pm
Msg #28070

They can tell you whatever they want, but we all know that saving the loan is NOT our responsibility. We aren't loan reps, we're limited on what we can tell the borrower. All we can do is make them aware of their right to cancel and tell them to call their loan rep.

When I'm presented with a borrower who doesn't want to sign, I simply tell them what their options are and explain that they can still cancel if they do sign the paperwork. If they say no, then that's it. I never pressure them, I never try to convince them that they should sign. I'm not a sales rep, nor do I get paid like one.

If a title company or signing service expects me to act in that capacity, then they're not the right company for me to be working for. That's the fun of being an independent contractor, we can choose who we are and are not willing to work for.

Reply by sue on 3/27/05 6:25am
Msg #27906

sometimes you must get 'tough' with borrowers and that can almost be the point of being mean. As for the personal matters, they should have been told in no uncertain terms the first time that they must get their paperwork signed (of course you've got to give a little leeway if the dog must go outside, etc). It's none of their business if you do or don't have other appts. - they should be paying attention to what you're there for. I'm guessing you don't have a lot of experience or confidence because questions like 5.5 or 6 years and the loan being sold are so routine you should have been able to smooth them over. I had one just last week where they called the LO about me not having the check because they wanted to 'be sure she knows what she's talking about', but that was their only phone call and that was done at the very beginning. While waiting for the LO to call back, I made them continue to sign docs, telling them if they didn't like the answer he gave when he called back that I'd allow them to rip of the papers and keep them. I do realize some people won't be able to be appeased but most of them will. Someone else said you allowed this to happen and I agree, acknowledging that on occasion (and I'm knocking wood because I don't think I've ever had one) there will be one you absolutely can't control. I've had 2 situations in the past that I absolutely knew were going to take hours to sign due to my initial phone call with the borrowers and I cancelled both of them because there was no way I was going - one man was going to need at least 2 hours "to read and take notes for questions" and another man was going to need "many hours to review these important legal and financial documents".

Reply by Reggie on 3/27/05 3:10pm
Msg #27934

When They started popping corn I would have said you are going to have to reschedule this appointment I have other places I have to be and you are not ready to sign these docs tonight and I would have started packing everything up and would walk out if they did not stop me. Clearly they were in control not you and when you do a signing you must be in control from the begining and that starts with seating arrangements at the table. I know I am new but I used to sell insurance and if you do not take control they will and something that should take 45 minutes will take 3 or 4 hours. Good luck next time.

Reggie
Kansas

Reply by Grammy824 on 3/27/05 6:27pm
Msg #27943

My last signing was a horrible experience also. The wife seemed to be miffed because she had bad credit and could only sign a few of the documents, whereas her husband had more signing authority. She was very defensive and huffy and had many questions. I had told her beforehand that if there were any questions, they would have to talk with their lender, as I was not authorized to answer the questions, I could only notarize their signatures. During the signing, she started to ask me something, and then said in a condescending tone, "Oh, I forgot, you don't know the answers to any questions." During my two hours there, the husband took a business call, played with the dog, and was quite annoyed that there were so many pages to sign and intial. Oh, and by the way, the only table they had was in the kitchen and we couldn't use it because it was piled up with stuff. I couldn't wait to get out of there!!