Posted by Harry [NR] on 9/14/07 8:36pm
Msg #211138

Rate Other Notary Members

If you feel that another notary member is a credit to the profession, please rate them.

If you feel that another notary member is unprofessional, please rate them.

If you feel that another notary member is totally clueless, please rate them.

Member ratings will feed into the notary signing agent composite rating system, along with things like length of membership, completeness of profile, proficiency exam score, etc. Scores will be displayed alongside notary names in Find a Notary search results. Companies will likely gravitate to the higher scores.

Harry

Reply by Charles_Ca on 9/14/07 8:40pm
Msg #211139

It appears as though you have to be logged in to rate, is rating available to basic members?

Reply by Charles_Ca on 9/14/07 8:42pm
Msg #211140

How about people using aliases? Can they rate?

It would seem that if they can rate they are basically rate proof, is that correct? This should be a very interesting feature, happy hunting!

Reply by Sandra Clark on 9/14/07 8:49pm
Msg #211145

What system should or would be used? How do you/others know that the rating is fair or just and not because a Notary is out and out competition to the one rating them? I personally see this as a potential mud slinging contest or a personality contest for your old timers. I may personally know something bad about another Notary but your forum is certainly not the place to air dirty laundry with all the potential of law suits. If you want a rating system, why not give the companies the opportunity to rate us? That would be my choice.

jmho

Reply by Grace Gully on 9/14/07 9:17pm
Msg #211156

I agree with Sandra

Reply by Becca_FL on 9/14/07 9:24pm
Msg #211162

My saying...the only thing in life that's fair is me...

I am Fair, after all.

Reply by LisaWI on 9/14/07 8:42pm
Msg #211141

And we can see these ratings, correct?? Positive is good, but in the event its not truthful info someone is putting into these ratings, what do we do?

Reply by Karen Burch on 9/14/07 8:48pm
Msg #211143

You took the words right out of my mouth Lisa.....This could be a serious issue considering what has been going on in the posts the last 24 to 48 hours.........

Reply by Charles_Ca on 9/14/07 8:48pm
Msg #211144

Do you think a notary would say something that isn't so??? n/m

Reply by Charles_Ca on 9/14/07 8:51pm
Msg #211146

Now it appears that ratings are personal notes. n/m

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 9/14/07 8:54pm
Msg #211147

Harry
I have noticed the Rate button along with the notary profile. And I have rated certain notaries (those that I have used for my signing service) that I hold in high regard as they have done flawless signings for me. I noticed when I rated them there was a question box asking if I wanted the rating to be shared, but it also said with the consent of the notary in question.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/14/07 9:08pm
Msg #211152

Totally disagree with this idea 100%....someone rating me who doesn't even know me?....nope..

Reply by snoopdogMs on 9/14/07 9:26pm
Msg #211163

I agree with Linda 100%. One can be something behind the computer that does not resemble them in the real world.

Reply by Karen/OK on 9/14/07 9:28pm
Msg #211165

I totally agree with Linda. No one on this forum has any idea what my SA skills are. Very poor idea.

Reply by Becca_FL on 9/14/07 9:33pm
Msg #211167

Well now, Karen, we would if you posted certain questions.

I can think of a few here that post questions that clearly show they do not know what the heck they are doing.

Relax Karen, I think you're safe...for now. Just keep on your toes.





j/k for those with no sense of humor.

Reply by Karen/OK on 9/14/07 11:31pm
Msg #211201

Re: Well now, Karen, we would if you posted certain questions.

Funny, Becca. I'm watching myself on this board. After all, it took me a year to stop lurking and sign on. Ha!

Reply by Becca_FL on 9/14/07 9:13pm
Msg #211154

This is going to be fun! n/m

Reply by sue_pa on 9/14/07 9:17pm
Msg #211155

Completely unreliable and totally worthless. We see every day people asking STUPID questions about what this job entails (yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question when someone advertises that they are available to do a job and they accept a fee to do that job when they clearly don't know how to complete it). When someone doesn't like the delivery of the answer, they get all up in arms even though the message is usually right on target. These people are to rate others who know what they're actually doing?

If you need something to do, how about completing the purging all those old listings that you started a year or so ago.

Reply by sue_pa on 9/14/07 9:18pm
Msg #211158

p.s.

Do you get a higher rating if you pay for a proficiency exam? How about completeness of profile? I'm not filling out fees so does that lower my rating?

Reply by LisaWI on 9/14/07 9:21pm
Msg #211159

Well I wouldnt of quite stated it like that Sue, LOL, but I was wondering the same thing about the old profiles. There are at least a half a dozen of profiles within 75 miles of me that are not deleted and they havent been updated in months. I thought they were supposed to be.

Reply by Becca_FL on 9/14/07 9:21pm
Msg #211161

Thank you, Sue...A clear voice of reason and a vet.

held in HIGH esteem.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 9/14/07 9:31pm
Msg #211166

Not a good idea, IMO

Too many arguments lately, too much anger - this just seems like an opportunity for people to get revenge against those who have ticked them off by something they said in the forum.

"Rating" should be based on actual performance, not subjective opinion; it's impossible for us to "rate" other members when we don't know the quality of work they actually perform. You're going to turn this into a personality contest, possibly damage the reputation of qualified notaries in the process, and open yourself up to lawsuits. Did you run this idea by your attorneys???

Please rethink this one, Harry - it's a disaster waiting to happen.

Reply by Lee/AR on 9/14/07 9:38pm
Msg #211168

Re: Not a good idea, IMO

Have to agree with MikeC/NY. For all the reasons stated, but most particularly because not a single one of us really knows another's work. So what's the point? Nothing of value that I can see.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 9/14/07 9:41pm
Msg #211171

Re: Not a good idea, IMO

" because not a single one of us really knows another's work. "

Not strictly true I know some of the members work as I have used them for my signing service. And I have rated some of those who have completed signings for me. Haven't rated anyone who haven't worked with me as I couldn't honestly say what their work is like.

Reply by Becca_FL on 9/14/07 9:39pm
Msg #211169

Not so, Mike

Although, I agree, this is not well thought out.

"it's impossible for us to "rate" other members when we don't know the quality of work they actually perform."

Not so, IMO. I can tell by the post that either a newbie or a so called "professional" does not know what their job function is. Just look at some of the posts we've seen over the past few days.

Harry should add a box that reads "Clueless" to the rating system.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/14/07 10:31pm
Msg #211184

Re: Not so, Mike

"Not so, IMO. I can tell by the post that either a newbie or a so called "professional" does not know what their job function is. Just look at some of the posts we've seen over the past few days."

It is impossible Becca. Sure, it's easy to tell who the truly clueless are, but not being one of the clueless doesn't automatically make you one of the good ones either.

I've known you on this board for years, and it seems pretty clear to me that you know what you're doing. But do I know how you conduct your signings, how you dress, the tone of voice when you speak to the borrowers, which questions you answer and which ones you direct to the loan officer, etc...? No, I can only guess at how you do it. So why on earth would we want people to rate us based on guessing and assumptions?

Reply by MikeC/NY on 9/14/07 10:41pm
Msg #211188

Becca, this sword cuts both ways...

I understand your point completely, but please think this through for a moment:

What's to stop someone from rating YOU as "clueless" if you say something they don't like or get into an argument with them? Are you willing to chance the damage to your own reputation in exchange for an opportunity to weed out the newbies and "professionals"? I'd be willing to bet that for every veteran notary who sees this as an opportunity to put the newbies in their place, there are are at least 2 or 3 newbies looking to get back at someone who flamed them.

And what about the newbie who gets his or her act together and becomes really good at what they do - how do they recover from a poor rating?

Notaries rating other notaries - based solely on messages in a forum - could never be anything more than a personality contest. All sorts of personal agendas and personality conflicts would make the "rating" meaningless - except that the "rating" would be visible to those looking to hire a notary, and who knows what kind of Pandora's box that would open...

I just don't think it's a good idea - and if you take a few moments to think about how it could affect you personally, you might feel the same way.

Reply by John_NorCal on 9/14/07 9:42pm
Msg #211172

Re: Not a good idea, IMO I agree Mike

doing something like this is just going to be a mud slinging fest. People who don't like the answers they've received in the past, or their perception of how they should have been answered, spoon fed, silver plattered and just couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen, well you get the idea.
Make this a no go Harry..

Reply by Gerry_VT on 9/14/07 9:41pm
Msg #211170

Ratings that are poorly designed or based on secret criteria are worse than worthless, because they lead to people engaging in unproductive behavior in order to game the system. The famous statistical consultant W. Edwards Deming (the Japanese revere him so much, they named an important annual prize after him) considered merit rating one of his seven deadly diseases. He castigated these systems at length in one of his books (sorry, I don't remember which one). For information on the prize, see http://www.juse.or.jp/e/deming/index.html

Reply by Becca_FL on 9/14/07 9:52pm
Msg #211174

Very interesting, Gerry_VT. Thanks for the footnote :-) n/m

Reply by Sharon Taylor on 9/14/07 9:46pm
Msg #211173

VERY bad idea! No No No No No and No

It is one thing to have title companies and signing agencies rate the notaries they hire, but an entirely different kettle of fish to have your fellow notaries rate you. Even when title companies and signing agencies rate a notary, the rating is subjective, may be based on a single transaction, and may be heavily influenced in either direction by the personality of the scheduler or other person doing the rating. And ratings are generally not impersonal, not like they would be in a business office setting where the rater and ratee have interacted and worked together on a daily basis for several months prior to the review and rating process being undertaken.
To allow anyone on this board to "rate" another notary on this board is a frightening idea, particularly when that "rating" will be seen by the parties that will be offering us assignments. I hate to think that some unknown notary in another state or my "competition" in my areas of coverage could bottom out my "rating" when they don't even know me or my work!

Reply by janCA on 9/14/07 10:01pm
Msg #211176

Is this April 1st?

C'mon Harry, you've got to be kidding.

Reply by JohnnyB on 9/14/07 10:09pm
Msg #211178

Re: Is this April 1st?

NUTS!

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/14/07 10:26pm
Msg #211182

What on earth possessed you Harry?

You seem like a rational guy who's really in touch with the needs of those in our profession. So how on earth did this cockamamie idea see the light of day? It's not painfully obvious to you that we cannot possibly accurately rate each other since all we know about each other is what's posted on this board?

My mind is just boggling that you would think this was anything other than a terrible idea.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 9/14/07 10:38pm
Msg #211186

You knwo Cali you are absolutely right! If it wasn't for

ou rmisplaced allegiences I suspect we may have gotten along since I agreed with you more than I disagreed. There are very few here I would consider peers and most of those know who they are. I actually consider you a peer as far as far as business goes because you are mostly right. Between the stupid questions, the attitudes of those whose only accomplishment is having a keyboard and a web connection, the idiots who follow false messiahs like Drake and Linda Kassis. Except for a few people whom I really like I would have been out of here a long time ago. And I guess this is the final straw. To have these idots rate the people who made this industry what it is; people like you , and Becca, and TitleGal, and Brenda, and TedDog and many many others who have been on the frontlines is an injuustice. I am taking down my profile and I am out of here. I know that in 6 months to a year this business will be only very minor postscript to the business of real estate and most will be flipping burgers instead of pointing and signing!

Reply by Pamela on 9/14/07 10:30pm
Msg #211183

Harry, Re: Rate Other Notary Members

I dislike this idea for several reasons (Please see below).
With that said, there should also be an option
for anyone to "opt" out or to "block" their rating.

Many notaries are self-employed/independent contractors.
For example, I do many public notarizations.
How could anyone else on this board, truthfully rate
me without actually "riding" along with me to "overlook"
my work?

What about hair, dress, make-up, business attire etc. . .
Model, year and make of car, amount of E & I insurance,
locations and hours serviced. Will these also be in the rating?

What about business cards, and the type of marketing?
Will those speaking a second or third language receive a
higher rating?

Those persons who notarize part-time as opposed to those who notarize
full-time, will they receive less of a rating? What about those who are
employed through their jobs? Are they to be rated on the same level?

I am also a loan signer. There are notaries do not do signings at all.
Will they be rated less?

The list is endless. If this was a "regular" job, there is no way that
a fellow "co-worker" would be able to "rate" another employee.

This is a terrible mistake!

In my opinion, it can only hurt the atmosphere of the board and
throw it into more disarray than it already is.


Pam

Reply by Therese on 9/14/07 10:35pm
Msg #211185

Not a good idea. Ratings should be left to companies/individuals who have actually hired a notary to perform a notarial act.

Reply by Jacqueline Dyson on 9/14/07 11:08pm
Msg #211199

Harry, are you doing some clean up? Are you trying to eliminate paid notary subscriptions? Is this a case of only the strong will remain and you increase the rate for an VIP membership?