Posted by Charles_CA on 9/19/05 1:11pm
Msg #66022

Some basic principles I use to grow and nurture

Greetings:

There are a lot of comments about the difficulty of dealing with some companies. I have set up table of characteristics I use in determining whether I work for a company or not and while these are just mine they have worked for me in the NSA business.

1. If a compnay calls with a lowball fee and then has to check with someone else to get approval it usually spells trouble.

2. When a company sends you the confirmation and the confirmation has characteristics that can change the payment materially, I usually reject the signing as they changed the contract unilaterally and even if I don't agree directly if I do the job I ratify the contract. These companies usally get the sack immediately upon receipt of the confirmation. Statements like "if all the documents are not signed correctly the fee will be reduced" is totally un acceptable to me.

3. When the company needs to tell me how to dress, when to contact the borrower and to call when I arrive at the borrower's home to make sure I got there, I know I am dealing with a bottom dweller and that thy only hire new notaries they can screw out of fees. I don't know any of the notaries on this site that I regularly chat with who would not knwo how to dress or that they needed to confrm an appoint ment with a borower.

4. When I have a long list of fax-backs that the company needs to see before I drop the docs in the drop box, I know I have problems. Numerous faxbacks to the SS is a sure indication of another bottom dweller who exists to suck the life out of newbies. I have requests occaisionlly for a fax back to the escrow or title company and that is so that they can get a jump start on the processing and I see that as an accommodation to the TC or escrow: those are infrequent and are usually asked for with an explanation. The SSs who need the multiple fax backs usually need them because they use notaries in whom they have no confidence.

5. Contracts to sign before doing a job. I have yet to see a contract inthis business that is not carefully stacked against the notary. I don't like to sign contracts. The promise of work is a ruse. While the notary is supposed to confroma to the contract and not compete there is usually nothing in the contract promising work. The contracts are set up to only benefit the SS.

I have used these prinicples to initially screen the companies that call me. It is usully funny to see the tactics these companies use to intimidate and badger notaries into signing contracts or doing jobs they don't want to do. I recently exchanged words with a SS who wanted so badly to intimidate and badger me into doing what he wanted that he finally ran out of patience and threatened to ruin my business by naming me as a PITA notary on the super-secret website maintained only for the SSs. He just had to get the last word in, it was really funny it was like his manhood was in question when there really was no question. I maintained my civility and that just seems to really get some people mad. It's not personal its business, and that is one of my most obdurate principles. I am not in this business to make anyone happy, I provide a service, and I expect a fair return for provideing that service. Tha is all nothing more.

Those are the basic princples I use indetermining who I will work for intially. If you don't pay me as agreed don't expect me to work for you again. If you change the terms of the agreement or if you try to play stupid games of who's got the power, don't bother me I don't like to work for companise like that. I have some excellent relationships and I get the job done. I expect to be treated like the professional I am and I return the respect and professionalism. If this helps someone great if not it's really worth just exactly what you paid for it.

Best regards,
Charles

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/19/05 1:41pm
Msg #66025

Salutations, Charles

Great guidelines, Charles. While not new to signings, I am reasonably new at doing it independently on a larger scale than I had before. So I appreciate all the input I can get. Words such as yours make perfect sense, and I am today requesting to be removed from the database of one SS who fits exactly the description of a "low-baller" (though they pay pretty well). They weren't like that when I first began signing for them a few years ago.

I appreciate the input greatly! -- especially as I've been on the phone with my attorney this morning regarding nonpayment from another ... um ... how can I put this delicately? Um ... I can't ... so, a SS that ripped me (and many others) off! In that instance, I suppose their contract (which I did not sign) should have tipped me off, so I know your words to be accurate as a measuring gauge!

Thanks, again.

Have a great day!
Iris

Reply by Derrick Dodson on 9/19/05 3:41pm
Msg #66047

great sugestions Charles.

You peaked my on this super secret SS website. If anyone knows about it please post. I want to know what they say about us, since they can check this one out for free and see what we say about them.

Reply by Charles_CA on 9/19/05 4:58pm
Msg #66061

I believe that its just a myth used by SS to scare green

notaries into submission. I really doubt it exists. There is an associatio of signing services but the forum is very thin indeed. The location is www.nssassoc.org I believe. Other than that I don't see that they have a united voice. Of course if anyone knows of one please let me know.

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/19/05 4:12pm
Msg #66055

Charles_CA -- added this post to the #33325 thread!

I think it'll be invaluable to those just getting started, and others!

Thanks, again!
Iris

Reply by BrendaTX on 9/19/05 4:37pm
Msg #66057

Some really good stuff on 33325 - Topics posted:

After the beginning post, the following are there:

PCL and Printers by PAW FL
Beginner's FAQs (Compliments of AngelinaAZ)
Making the Confirmation Call...by Iris-WA
What Ernest CT says about the Confirmation Call
Why people are reluctant to post TC info from Nd_WA
Acronyms regarding loans by Brian/CA
End of Month - Bonnie/FL Explains
Accepting an Assignment / Quoting Fee / EOM
Small claims court for #33325 by Nicole & by Melody
Quoting your fee to SS's...ASK like THIS - TCMN
Birth, Labor & Delivery of a mortgage loan - by Renee Kovacs
Clues to spotting a Signing Services to void by Charles_CA

Reply by Charles_CA on 9/19/05 5:01pm
Msg #66062

Gee, golly gosh, I am honored indeed. Thanks NM

Reply by MelissaM_FL on 9/21/05 9:33am
Msg #66368

Charles, I have to say that I agree with you totally. My business partner and I had a go-around with a SS that in the past had been very easy to work with. However, the last few assignments we have received from them have had lists of docs to be faxed back for "approval" before we were "allowed" to drop the package and the company has started calling incessantly. We had one scheduled for noon yesterday at a doctor's office. My partner turned off her phone in the office because it interefered with the equipment being used and the SS called me 8 times!! to find out why she was not answering her phone.

Then the SS called the doctor's office, pulling her out of the signing to ask her such questions as "Is the borrower's wife present to sign the required documents? Is he signing with or without his middle initial?" When my partner told the SS that the doctor was on a very tight time schedule to sign the (huge) package, the SS got angry at her and said that she was "to be available to the (SS) to go over these items at any time". Had my partner not already been at that signing, it would have been dumped.

The next call was to tell me that the docs MUST be faxed back. I said that we would be happy to fax back whatever docs they liked, so long as I received a new confirmation which included my fax back fee. I was told "We don't pay for fax-backs". After that conversation I politely informed the SS that we would not be doing any future work for them.

I am astounded that a company who I have worked with and for over the course of 3 years with an excellent working relationship would suddenly turn into a bottom-feeder. We have never had any complaints about the quality of our work. Suddenly we, along with every other notary they work with, are supposed to accept being treated like wet behind the ears notaries? I'm certain that even newbies would object to being treated like this.