Posted by ericashaw on 8/27/08 1:33pm
Msg #262027

Question for those of you in the know

why, like 456notary are we not required to log in every 90 days? I have had 2 companies in the last two weeks tell me they no longer use this site because half the people listed are not even around or not doing signings any more. if you check the two sites, my zip has less than half as many notaries listed on the other site than on here.

Reply by Lee/AR on 8/27/08 2:13pm
Msg #262029

Excellent reason for a database purge...Harry?

Ms. Shaw brings up an excellent point. If a database is found to be terribly out of date, it simply stops getting used. These are tight times and I've seen some profiles here that look like they were completed (or not completed) by a kid as a prank. If someone is serious about this business, they provide more than an e-mail address as a way to contact them. And I've seen profiles that haven't been updated for a year. These people can't be 'for real'. Requiring a monthly log-in is not a difficult request and can be accomplished by e-mail. If it doesn't bounce, it exists. If they don't log-in---how 'active' can they be?

Reply by WDMD on 8/27/08 2:23pm
Msg #262031

Re: Excellent reason for a database purge...Harry?

I get requests from a couple of different sites asking me to log in or be removed every couple of months.

Reply by Cody Doty on 8/27/08 2:25pm
Msg #262032

Re: Excellent reason for a database purge...Harry?

I agree also, I have many notaries in my area that I have tried to contact regarding networking, chatting on current work flow but I can not contact them either because they are flat out not responding or they are not in the business any longer. I think the later is the case. I pay for a premier listing as well, so if companies are not using this site because it is outdated....my subscription paid is loosing worth. I think that a logon every month or a 6 month update to your profile requirement is reasonable and lets everyone know you are still active in the biz.

Reply by Harry [NR] on 8/27/08 3:09pm
Msg #262037

Re: Excellent reason for a database purge...Harry?

First, incomplete profiles should pretty much be a non-issue. The way things are set up now, it is difficult (or impossible) to create a profile without providing a decent amount of information. About the only thing not required up-front are comments and the activation process is a nuisance, which is partly meant to deter insincere entries.

Next, it was not long ago that we completed a purge. Every user in our database was notified by e-mail and/or fax and/or text message and/or voice message to update their profile. They were given several weeks to do so. At the end of those several weeks, we sent approximately 12,000 letters via U.S. Mail to those who had not responded requesting updates. Several weeks after that, we disabled everyone who had not complied.

Speaking in rough numbers, as the database stands now, there are approximately 30,000 signing agent accounts that remain. Of those, approximately 15,000 are hidden from searches while we wait for updates. (These are essentially dormant accounts and can be re-activated at any time by their owners.) Of the roughly 15,000 that remain visible, 363 have not been UPDATED in the last 18 months; 1872 have not been UPDATED in the last 12 months; and 7729 have not been UPDATED in the last 6 months. (Note that an "update" is a physical record update of My Profile, not a login. If logins are considered, the last number becomes 6736.)

We will be sending out another wave of update requests in the next 2 weeks. More accounts will be disabled as a result. We're also working toward making this a daily, automated routine, as well as offering site users the ability to "report" incomplete or inactive signing agents. Still, I believe Erica's companies' claims that "half the people listed are not even around or not doing signings any more" is WAY off the mark.

Harry
Notary Rotary

Reply by Michelle/AL on 8/27/08 3:10pm
Msg #262038

No Log On Quota

While I agree that current profiles are a must, I do not like being told that I must "log on" to a site a specific number of times each month. I paid close to $150 to get a listing on an alternate site and I keep getting bugged by the website owner that he/she wants me to log on more frequently. I feel that if I paid good money to be listed on your site, that should be reason enough to demonstrate that I'm serious about my business. This other site emails me and calls me asking me to please log on, otherwise my listing will be removed. The emails are an annoyance. The phone calls drive me nuts because I paying for that phone call.

Again, I'm all for making sure profiles are current and active. Just don't require me to log on a specific number of times especially if I'm paying good money for my membership. Free memberships - well that's a horse of another color.

Harry and Not/Rot members give me a reason to log on everyday to NotRot. If I'm not logging into your site it means you haven't given me a good enough reason to log on. Make the site more interesting and I'll be there (with bells on).

Reply by hcampersFL on 8/27/08 3:14pm
Msg #262040

Michelle, I couldn't have said it better!!! n/m

Reply by BrendaTx on 8/27/08 3:17pm
Msg #262042

AMEN. On the other hand...

How about if we pay (here), we don't have to log in monthly...if we have a Free Membership then it has to be updated monthly?

One can dream.

Reply by jojo_MN on 8/27/08 3:26pm
Msg #262045

Re: AMEN. On the other hand...

I agree with Brenda. Only I would like to take it one step further. I think everyone should have to be paying members to be listed and to post on the forum.

Reply by MichiganAl on 8/27/08 10:57pm
Msg #262139

I'm listed in 100 different places

I certainly wouldn't want to have to log into all them to keep them active. For paying members it shouldn't even be a discussion. You pay, you stay.

Reply by MW/VA on 8/27/08 3:25pm
Msg #262044

And, maybe, everyone should stop trying to tell Harry how to run the site.
You pay for a membership (advertising). I'm not sure what rights or entitlement some feel that includes. It's the old story, if you can do it better, do it (start your own site, that is).

Reply by ericashaw on 8/27/08 4:00pm
Msg #262051

The reason is because we DO pay for a listing and don't want it to be a waste of money. I want to feel like companies are using the site and not leaving in droves for a more up to date site. I appreciate your respense Harry and hopefully the purge of deadbeats will continue so your site remains one of the best.

Reply by LKT/CA on 8/27/08 4:09pm
Msg #262055

Agree w/Erica and Lee

Whether the membership is paid for or free, EVERY account should be required to be updated every 6th months - from the date of registration. An email should be sent to the Notary if they haven't updated on their own. If they do not respond to the email address on file in a reasonable length of time (2 weeks), the account should be eliminated.

It is not necessarily true that paid members automically keep their account up to date. Do a find notary search for Carson, CA 90220 and you will see that the premier member in the #1 spot has not updated her account since November 2006. Therefore, EVERYONE needs to update every 6 months.

Reply by Carolyn Bodley on 8/27/08 7:36pm
Msg #262100

Re: Agree w/Erica and Lee

There is an basic member located here that has a listing for her home and a listing using her employer's contact information. After pointing this out, I was told that she was contacted as to which listing would be removed -- it's against the rules to have duplicate listings, so why does she have the say as to which should be removed?--what's up with that?

I was told repeatedly over a several month period that she had fallen through the cracks and that one of the listings would be removed that day -- a year later both listings are still there. Why should I continue to police an area where the owners don't care? I let my Premier membership drop to basic after four years, and have taken my advertising dollars to where they are listened to.

Reply by Harry [NR] on 8/27/08 9:40pm
Msg #262131

Re: Agree w/Erica and Lee

Carolyn, I just researched this issue in the hopes you were wrong. After scanning an e-mail folder of nearly 20,000 sent items, here's what I found:

1) In one month, you asked repeatedly (twice, that I can see) to have this violation addressed. Grif responded each time by telling you it would be taken care of. The second time, he told you someone had dropped the ball. (Someone being him.)

2) Grif twice sent his standard notification to the user. In short, it read: "You have multiple profiles, which is a violation of our listing policy. Let us know which you would like to keep. If you fail to respond, the oldest will be kept and any others will be deleted."

3) After not receiving a response, Grif failed to delete the second profile.

I don't believe Traci or I were ever notified of this particular violation and it seems that Grif was guilty of forgetfulness. (We encourage him to put things like this on his Outlook calendar, but I'm not sure that always happens.) So, I don't think you can rightfully point to owners who don't care nor customers who are not listened to. If you knew the amount of issues we have to deal with on a daily basis, this would probably be more understandable to you.

At any rate, I have completed Grif's promise; the second profile has been deleted.

Harry
Notary Rotary

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 8/28/08 1:59am
Msg #262152

Who is Grif?

Harry: This is your website:

Accept your responsibility and either fire this guy or accept the responsibility.

This is not the way business owners should put responsibility on an employee and post his name on this message board and not accept you made a mistake.

Reply by Harry [NR] on 8/28/08 2:08pm
Msg #262303

Re: Who is Grif?

Joan, Grif is my brother and he works full-time for Notary Rotary. Traci and I are the owners. Carolyn accused the "owners" of not caring. I pointed out that it was not the OWNERS who made the mistake. While we are ultimately responsible for the consequences of all mistakes, it is both reckless and incorrect to accuse us of not caring.

I accepted responsibility for Grif's oversight by acknowledging and correcting it. I also pointed out the fact that our staff, primarily Traci and Grif, have sent around 20,000 e-mails in the last year. Many of those were in response to complaints such as Carolyn's, while many others were in regard to complaints about board posts.

I referred to Grif, specifically, in my post because that's who Carolyn was dealing with. Not me. Not Traci. Grif has been empowered to handle these situations, and he is directly accountable for making sure they get done. This is not a magical black box where things just happen. There are only a handful of people behind-the-scenes here, and I have removed myself from the front-line. For most cases, it's Grif you'll need to talk to, which is another reason I reference him by name.

"Fire this guy." Yesterday, Grif made approximately 30 embossers, 60 notary seal stamps, issued around 20 bond and EO policies, answered a few phone calls and was working in Support e-mail. He is an invaluable team member and has a wide array of responsibilities. In the meantime, Traci worked from about 7am to 8:30pm, with a short mid-day break, which is typical. Like I suggested in my response to Carolyn, you might have a better idea how something like the handling of a duplicate notary profile could be missed if you shared our workload.

Harry
Notary Rotary

Reply by WDMD on 8/28/08 2:13pm
Msg #262305

Re: Who is Grif?

Wow. 3 people handle all that? According to the SS's in here they have several employees just to make phone calls. Imagine the staff you'd need if you ran your business like those SS's. LOL

Reply by jba/fl on 8/28/08 2:21pm
Msg #262310

Of course, then you could lower their pay, but have more

staff, inefficient as that might be.

Seriously - don't do that. Grif is who I end up dealing with mostly, and he is enjoyable. Have spoken (phone and emails) with Terri too, and if these two can listen to me and remain unflappable then they deserve all the pats on the backs and heads anyone can heap on them. Not that I'm a batch or anything...just some of my 'concerns' may have been minor to them and the overall picture.

Reply by Carolyn Bodley on 8/28/08 4:12pm
Msg #262334

Re: Who is Grif?

I first made a public post to Holly and nothing happened. To me, that was an indication that she's not an active participant.

A period of time passed and then I reported the issue through "contact us." Grif thanked me for pointing out the duplications and said that she had been sent an email as to which profile she wanted removed -- why did she even have a say as to which profile was to be removed--why wasn't just one blown away? Still nothing happened. The dates on her two profiles did not change.

More time passed before I replied to Grif's email. Grif replied that one profile would be removed that day. Instead of taking the time to reply to me, why wasn't the time simply used to remove the profile? Still nothing happened.

Checking the two profiles weekly and seeing that both were still there made up my decision not to renew and continue my Premier membership because wheter the "owners" care or don't care, I was not getting any results as a Premier member and this basic member was getting preferential treatment by being allowed to have two profiles for two different zip code locations.

Looking at people's profiles is not something I make a habit of doing so I have no idea how many years Holly carried a home profile and an employer's work profile. I do know that this "slip" affected not only me, but every Premier and basic member within a 20 mile radius of downtown Denver and her residence in either Thornton or Northglenn and there should be more than me that are a little hot about it.

Reply by BrendaTx on 8/28/08 4:52pm
Msg #262350

Harry - My thoughts about "Who is Grif?"

I think I will have a T-Shirt made with that on it.

I might start a website by that name.

Three little words...and a question mark. I love it.

"WHO IS GRIF?"

I think this could be the next, "I'm mad too, Eddie".