Posted by Becca_FL on 5/28/08 5:04pm
Msg #249080

Singing Service responsibility or lack there of – SLB

Perhaps this doesn’t need a new thread, but since so much time has passed, I don’t want it to be buried in the previous post. This is in response to message # 248900.

Sherry, my apologies if I am coming off hostile, I am sick for the first time in over seven years and I am not dealing with it well. While I did appreciate the fact that you called to offer up some names, the names of the NSAs you gave up all proved to be marketing duds. I could not find many of them doing simple searches in multiple NSA databases and the ones I did find had incomplete profiles indicating to me that they were either not serious about the business or lacked any marketing sense. The Florida NSA Network is, after all, a marketing network and we are only interested in NSAs that know how to promote themselves and not accept paltry SS fees.

After investigating the NSAs you gave me I decided to check out your site. It was then that I got angry. I suppose can attribute my “hostility” to what I saw on your website.

***Competitive Rates and Pricing
In an industry where cost is the bottom line, our fees are among the best.
EMAIL DOCS: $150.00 (includes reception, travel, printing & signing)
OVERNIGHT DOCS: $125.00 (includes travel & signing)
ADDITIONAL LOANS: Half Price
VOLUME DISCOUNTS MAY APPLY***

Sherry, it is signing services like yours that are contributing to the downfall of our industry and cheapening the value of the SERVICE we NSAs provide. Because of your greed and lack of sales and marketing skills you MUST rely on price alone to sell your services and that is nothing more than inexperience, poor planning and lack of basic business skills.

Furthermore, the comment that you made to me in a PM to me “I appreciate your comments becca but I do not feel like it is my resposibility when the notary screws up.” just leaves me shaking my head. How can you not take responsibility for YOUR BUSINESS? This is absurd! I’m sure you do not disclose this to your clients or potential clients…if you did, you’d be out of business in no time. One of the networks biggest selling points is the fact that we all absolutely guarantee our work and stand by our promise. Cost is only the bottom line if you have nothing to offer.

To add insult to injury, after purchasing the field inspection company list, you decide that brokering notaries is not enough and you have now decided to broker field inspectors as well.

I have lost all respect for you. I trust my payment was mailed today.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 5/28/08 5:16pm
Msg #249082

WOW.
WOW.

Reply by Jack Tri on 5/28/08 7:33pm
Msg #249105

Becca What is a field inspector?? Thanks

Reply by Becca_FL on 5/28/08 7:47pm
Msg #249107

Jacj - re: field inspection services

Field Service Inspectors are used to provide on-site property inspection services for lenders, loan servicers, investors, leasing agents and insurance compnies, to name a few. There are many types of property inspections that are needed, most of which enable a mortgage servicer or insurance company to make decisions on their properties with the information received from an inspection. Some of the basic information collected on an inspection would be occupancy status and damages. As a Field Service Inspector, you are responsible for completing basic inspection reports, photographing the property and uploading your report and photos to the hiring companies’ website. If you are a licensed Real Estate Agent, you will earn more for BPOs than an unlicensed person completing basic inspections and drive by inspections.

There is more information on my website, you can find my web address by clicking on my profile link.

Reply by Becca_FL on 5/28/08 7:48pm
Msg #249108

Oops - s/b Jack...sorry...fat fingers. n/m

Reply by SLB SIGNING SERVICES, INC. - Sherry on 5/28/08 7:54pm
Msg #249109

I dont know why I am even bothering but here goes nuttin....

I was alerted to your post by quite a few trusted notaries who I work with that wanted me to know how rude and crude you were speaking about me on NotRot. I was so surprised to hear that Becca (queen of niceness (NOT), would do such a thing so I had to check it out for myself. Although I do not feel the need to defend myself to those that know me, I do feel the need to address the points in your post for those that I may potentially deal with in the future because we utilize Notary Rotary quite a bit when we are in need of help. For my dear colleagues who have urged me to ignore this childish behavior, Lord help me, I am getting dragged in again!

For those of you who know SLB, currently work with us or have in the past you KNOW how SLB operates and that is all that matters to me! I have NEVER had a problem disclosing my fees/payments on this site and I am by no means afraid to now. My fees are what they are and for those closers that I work with, they know that we are always fair/timely, do our best to give them volume business and thrive on building long standing, respectful relationships with our closers. It is your choice to accept a job or not to. It is so ironic to me because a few weeks back when we were doing an auction in your area, you were basically begging us to put you on the list for any that may come up again...Hmmmmmm.

As far as being hostile, I expect nothing less from you Becca. That is all I see from you and your clan on this site. It really shows your true personality to start another thread just to stir the pot - it's pathetic.

Frankly, in this particular situation, my client and myself do not feel that it was anyone elses fault but the notary. SLB did not send the docs back to the incorrect place nor did SLB write in the date where we shouldnt have. The notary did. The only culpability that I have is that I assigned this notary to close this loan and they chose not to follow the instructions. When it comes to situations like that, I do not have any control over what a notary does or doesnt do. Just like you said, your little networks selling point is that you guarantee your work....I do too. The difference is is that you are individuals who have CONTROL over what you do or dont do when you are personally closing the loan. I did not have control over the errors that this notary made. I do stand behind my work in the sense that when rare occurances such as this arise (where the notary would not correct the errors), all fees to my client are waived and I do everything in my power to make the situaiton right to the best of my ability. On that same note, when a client makes an error (forces closer to print extra docs, travel, etc.), I think it is only fair that the closer be compensated.

Regarding the field rep work - for me your list wasnt even worth the money!!! I tried it myself (for my own personal use) and it led no where As far as dealing with field reps, we have entertained the idea of opening a subsidiary of SLB that dealt in that particular services but with our business picking back up I have decided that I need not put my eggs in too many baskets...See I have nothing to hide Becca!

Regarding the respect, the feeling is quite mutual. Zero, Zilch, Nada. I have read this board for quite sometime now and rarely post anymore due to a handful of individuals who have nothing nice to say about anyone. I began posting in hopes of guaging what the needs of the notaries were so that we could better serve them and networking. In reading this board I should have known what I was getting myself into when I offered assistance to you but the good person in me thought that maybe all these bitter/angry rants were just for show on this board. Boy, I should have listened to my gut!

Your payment was mailed yesterday thanks to someone else providing me with your correct address. I also included the 3 emails in which I attempted to retrieve a correct mailing address because your checks were initially returned undeliverable.

So post what you will.....I am done dealing with you and your angry self and to my rusted colleagues, I am going to bite my lip and refrain from replying to ANYTHING that is posted.

Reply by SLB SIGNING SERVICES, INC. - Sherry on 5/28/08 7:57pm
Msg #249110

What are your fingers brokern Becca???

OOPS...BTW its S I G N I N G not SINGING Service Becca. n/m

Reply by SLB SIGNING SERVICES, INC. - Sherry on 5/28/08 7:58pm
Msg #249111

oops broken n/m

Reply by CaliNotary on 5/28/08 9:05pm
Msg #249121

Re: What are your fingers brokern Becca???

Three minutes after you type this

"So post what you will.....I am done dealing with you and your angry self and to my rusted colleagues, I am going to bite my lip and refrain from replying to ANYTHING that is posted."

You then feel the need to make a snide comment about an obvious typo? Why didn't you just save the trouble and type "I AM COMPLETELY FULL OF SH!T"?

And that you then made a typo while being b!tchy to Becca just makes you look like a complete idiot.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/28/08 9:53pm
Msg #249129

Re: What are your fingers brokern Becca???

Also referred to her "rusted colleagues" Hmm guess some of her colleagues are a little rusty

Reply by MistarellaFL on 5/28/08 9:57pm
Msg #249130

Sylvia, you are one of a kind in this industry

You might even be considered part of the "clan".

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/28/08 10:22pm
Msg #249134

Re: Sylvia, you are one of a kind in this industry

As long as I am not rusty

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/28/08 10:10pm
Msg #249132

Re: I dont know why I am even bothering but here goes nuttin

**Regarding the field rep work - for me your list wasnt even worth the money!!!**

I have to disagree with you there.

When I first started looking for field inspection lists I didn't know where to begin. I wish I could have found a list for sale.

It took me hours to create a list to target. Their keywords aren't as easy as you might think. If for nothing else, the pages of Becca's list give a person who doesn't know a thing about looking for field inspections a solid direction...if they only use it as a starting point of reference it is well worth the price on it.

It wasn't meant to give a person the key to the golden sunset...it was to broker hours worth of research at a very reasonable fee. By using that list an individual can quickly make back the very low price of it over and over again.

That's more than many inflated priced publications floating around can boast.

Reply by Becca_FL on 5/28/08 10:26pm
Msg #249136

Re: I dont know why I am even bothering but here goes nuttin

Begging, Sherry? I don't think so. I have never begged for work from a signing service.

"Frankly, in this particular situation, my client and myself do not feel that it was anyone elses fault but the notary. SLB did not send the docs back to the incorrect place nor did SLB write in the date where we shouldnt have...The only culpability that I have is that I assigned this notary to close this loan..."

A day in the life of SLB-

TC orders a closing

Staffers make a few calls to book closing

Closer calls three times to inform SLB that no CO has been received

Staffer finally calls closer to apologize because the SLB server does not "like" Yahoo addresses

Staffers sends a CO via her personal email instructing the closer to deal directly with TC

SLB has no other contact w/closer


Closer completes the assignment

SLB makes $60
Closer makes $65



A day in the life of SLB continued -

UtOh, some checks have been returned for incorrect addresses

Owner sends email to closers that she has very old addresses for, using the SLB server that doesn't "like" Yahoo addresses.

Owner does not receive any responses from her email, but figures it's not her problem

Closer calls, no answer, as usual, so closer left vm for John in the accounting dept

John either does not return calls from pesky closers or only checks his vm the two days per month that he actually works.

Owner still has not received a response from multiple emails to closer about addy issue, but just doesn't care enough or have enough sense to pick up a phone. After all, she's tired of using the phone trying to find notaries to accept the paltry fee she is willing to pay.



Just another day at the SLB office-

Oh No! One of the SLBs "most qualified" agents has made a mistake

Owner emails bad notary (using a server that is known for not "liking" certain email outfits)

Bad notary doesn't hear a peep out of SS so thinks it's business as usual

SS owner does not get a response from her email to bad notary and decides it is not her problem, convinces her client the problem is not SLBs problem, but entirely the bad notaries problem.

Owner will not pick up the phone to make a call because she is just so tired of calling notaries trying to convince them to accept paltry fees, she just can't handle another phone call.

Owner decides it is not her responsibility to help mitigate damages for her client and gives up the bad notaries contact info and tells the broker to have at it.

I'm sorry, Sherry, the decongestant is kicking in and the Advil has not stopped my spiking fever, but I still don't see where you can justify your take in the transaction. I'm all for making a buck, but when you earn 50%+++ of a transaction and refuse to accept responsibility, accountability and culpability for the job that you have accepted to do, I have to wonder how you justify the fees you charge.

To me, you are just an order taker and an order filler and nothing else. Please, explain to me and others why you charge a TC $125 for o/n docs and only offer the closer $50 keeping $75 for making a phone call and cutting a check that may or may not even arrive because you can't keep your database up to date. I understand that you have a "team" working for you, but really, can't you handle this on your own? I know of MANY one and two owner run signing services that back their closers, offer way more than your SS offers and they have probably half the overhead you do.

Regarding the field inspection company list that I have compiled; I can only surmise that you, Sherry, have again, not marketed your SERVICES and have only price to compete on...Sad, indeed. Here is the latest compliment I have received about the "help up" I am providing my fellow notaries:

From: <REDACTED>
Yahoo! DomainKeys has confirmed that this message was sent by yahoo.com. Learn more
To: "'Rebecca Fair'" <[e-mail address]>
Subject: RE: Hello Rebecca=Thanks in advance!
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 09:58:35 -0500

Hello Rebecca

Thanks so much for the information, at the price you charge for it,
others I
think are over charging people for the same information.

I have a question: I went to Terry Platt website he is selling a manual
for
79.00 and then I went to Mortgage Field services website and they sell
there
manual for 79.00 also to your knowledge which one is best or do you
recommend any at all?

I believe I pretty much have a system on contacting these companies
ever 3
to 4 weeks, all automatic. I really wanted to see if there where any
more I
could add to my list, I currently contact over 200 companies monthly.
Please
if you have any suggestion please let me know!



Thanks, in advance


E<REDACTED> Upon approval of said respondent.

Good luck to you in the future, Sherry. Karma is alive and well!

PEACE!

Reply by MichiganAl on 5/28/08 11:53pm
Msg #249147

I'm going to stay out of most of this, but...

There are two things that stand out for me:

1. "The only culpability that I have is that I assigned this notary to close this loan and they chose not to follow the instructions."

My response to that would be, "than what the heck are signing services good for?" If that's their mentality, they take a pretty sweet fee for doing nothing other than passing the buck and throwing notaries under the bus. No responsibility for WHO they hire and no effort to try to resolve an issue before it gets to a ridiculous point. It's just a perfect argument for how pointless many signing services are. Mix in a SS that has problems paying people and uses the most pathetically overused excuse that they didn't have an address, and well, you can imagine that most decent notaries would probably avoid working for a SS like that in the future. Thank goodness that the very few SS that I choose to work with don't have that kind of approach to their business. But I fear they are the exception, not the rule.

2. "Regarding the field rep work - for me your list wasn't even worth the money!!! I tried it myself (for my own personal use) and it led no where"

I couldn't disagree more. I know for a fact that there are some on her list that are actively looking for people. I know because THEY contacted ME. I happened to turn them down because I'm not personally interested in field inspections and my signings still keep me busy enough. This rings of the same mentality as those who post "could you all tell me who your best clients are, give me their addresses, phone numbers, and contact names." It's not for those who don't put in their own hard work or just want to reap huge benefits from someone else's work. But then again, that's kind of the philosophy of a few signing services we know, isn't it?

Reply by MW/VA on 5/28/08 8:05pm
Msg #249113

I can't quite believe how ugly (and, IMO, unprofessional) all of this has gotten.
Why are these legal or contractual issues with an ss appearing on this Board?
You are naming names & getting very personal. I can't imagine that you don't value your privacy & business reputation more than that!

Reply by Steve Carter on 5/28/08 10:06pm
Msg #249131

Once again this clan of a couple has no clue what is going on. SLB, I have never worked for only one assignment which was a cancellation, but have had a good rep and I am sure still do.

Things happen and as long as it is corrected that is what counts. If a company takes 3 months to pay once in a while, who cares, its a mistake of sorts and once it happens once it is usually corrected. I have paid notaries and the check came back and the notary never gets back to me with their address, so what am I supposed to do, keep trying to a point and hope they call.

I think you all should give up wasting your time with your stupid comments to signing services as they give you business but you would rather give it up to some other closer. Best of luck SLB and call anytime!!!!!!!

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/28/08 10:21pm
Msg #249133

Okay...NOW I remember Steve Carter

Re: What happened to Steven Carter profile?
Posted by Steve Carter of PA on 4/3/08 1:30pm Msg #242019
As normal, Sylvia being her normal self, but of course she is never nasty to people. That would be to low for her. Enough said. We all know the real Sylvia and a few others.

===============

**I have paid notaries and the check came back and the notary never gets back to me with their address, so what am I supposed to do, keep trying to a point and hope they call. **


On another note...do signing services really call each other to work one another's files?

That's an intriguing thought.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/28/08 10:25pm
Msg #249135

Re: Okay...NOW I remember Steve Carter

Yes, I remember him well too. That thread was the cause of me getting more calls

Reply by Steve Carter on 5/28/08 11:15pm
Msg #249141

Re: Okay...NOW I remember Steve Carter

harrassing calls do not count!!!!!!!

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/29/08 8:01am
Msg #249172

Re: Okay...NOW I remember Steve Carter

Sorry to disappoint you Steve, but they were not harrassing calls. At least I don't regard calls regarding business harrassing. I love them.

Reply by Steve Carter on 5/28/08 11:14pm
Msg #249140

Re: Okay...NOW I remember Steve Carter

I have numerous companies call me as I am a notary for 7 years as well. So think before you speak, but there lies the problems

Reply by KODI/CA on 5/28/08 11:38pm
Msg #249145

Nasty

As I said in a previous post. What a negative forum. I am new to this forum and I cannot believe how vicious you people can be. Where is the OK, I don't know it all. Where is the OK, I screwed up. I have logged on to this forum daily to learn as much as I can about this industry. Yes, there is substantial good information available. However, read the above. I am a newbie. I guess my question is why to most of you constantly attack each other?

Reply by desktopfull on 5/29/08 12:37am
Msg #249148

IMHO, that the best question any newbie has ever asked. n/m

Reply by desktopfull on 5/29/08 12:38am
Msg #249149

Oops, meant "that's" n/m

Reply by LKT/CA on 5/29/08 12:44am
Msg #249150

Re: Nasty

<<<I guess my question is why to most of you constantly attack each other?>>>

Many people attack other posters here because they are smug, complacent, think-they-know-it-alls who walk on water and demand to be right. If anyone disagrees with them, even slightly, their ego gets shattered so they attack. Rather than offer information someone could actually learn from, they spout off snot nosed, pig faced comments about how you don't know what you're talking about, yada, yada. There are several here that respond with well versed, well written replies full of wisdom and common sense. Sylvia, Les, Brenda and PAW come to mind as posters who always have something of value to add to discussions - helpful and respectful tones are their posts.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 5/28/08 11:35pm
Msg #249144

Re: Okay...NOW I remember Steve Carter

Wasn't that the SS with umpteen notary profiles?
Don't people here understand the result of a SS with notary profiles?
If not, let me explain: If a SS is listed mutiple times on a search, guess who gets that direct work? Not the independent NSA....the SS, who will butcher the direct fee and results in lower fees to the hired NSA.
I like getting full fee for my work...I don't like sharing 10-20-30-40-50+% with an agency.
It's not like we aren't doing the lion's share of work, and from what I can tell from the postings today re: SS, they aren't doing much to earn that share, and certainly are not
accepting a correlating % of responsibility when a mistake is made.

Reply by OR on 5/29/08 1:22am
Msg #249153

Re: Okay...I am not sure what I learned if anything from...

this post. lets all stop and breath in and out and l move on. Tomorrow is a new day. Good luck to whoever is getting sued.

Reply by Loretta on 5/29/08 6:40am
Msg #249158

Re: Okay...I am not sure what I learned if anything from...

I learn alot from this site. I know who to talk to and who to stay away from. I know signing services pose as notaries to get business and I think they should be banned from the forum.

One thing I would like to say.....we all make a typo every now and then. If you see someone that does, don't worry about it. I see finger pointing from one and then I see that "finger pointer" make a mistake. Don't be so anal.

All we want to do is get paid. I have a signature on my email which has my address so I have never had a problem getting a check, unless it was someone that sent a turtle to bring me my check We all have cell phones, if you have an issue with a company, call them, save every email you send or receive until you get your check and it clears the bank.

Again, let's focus on business and let's buy pre-paid legal and make sure we get our money.
Network, network.

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/29/08 7:01am
Msg #249162

Re: Okay...I am not sure what I learned if anything from...

**I know signing services pose as notaries to get business and I think they should be banned from the forum. **

Sometimes people don't like lawyers because of the fees they charge. There are hundreds of lawyer jokes. SS don't have the market cornered on being viewed with a jaded perspective. Why even sweat it if you are an SS.

If you are an SS you know this and you deal with it. Posting on a notary board isn't the place to get a lot of warm fuzzies from people who have been in the business and who have observed things for a few years.

I think business is slow in SS World or we wouldn't be seeing so many of them posting this month. Just an observation.

SS posters generally say about this board, "Well, I know signing services aren't favored here but, I am going to say...." If you know it and you don't want negative remarks, then don't say it and it won't be a problem.

SSs need to ask themselves why they are viewed like this. Or, just deal with it. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do...but don't be appalled when ALL people don't fall into the high-fiving fest of praising your service that people who will work for low fees tend to do.

If you are a signing service who pays less than 50% of the fee you get for finding notaries to the notaries, well...just own it....and don't try to win friends and influence people here. It's not going to happen like you'd like it to.

Be realistic. It is what it is...you are what you are, you do what you do; take the bad (attitudes toward your service by some including me) with the good (getting the money you feel you deserve) and don't worry about what people like me think.

SSs which take $100-$150 for a signing are driving the notary fees into the toilet...people who work for half or less of that are as well. That's my opinion and I'm entitled to it.

Reply by jba/fl on 5/29/08 10:38am
Msg #249213

If I were lost in the wilderness, I would hope that

Brenda would be around as guide.
Such a reasoned, balanced view. TY

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/29/08 12:37pm
Msg #249237

The sun is the key here. :)

It moves westwards in the afternoon.

Look up and figure out where you are and where you need to go.

If it is night time, I'll just have to call someone and ask them to pull up Google maps.

Reply by jba/fl on 5/29/08 2:04pm
Msg #249257

Sounds as though you need to work a bit more on

the night sky and constellations - very useful.

Metaphorically speaking I was (but you knew that!)

Reply by Becca_FL on 5/29/08 11:14am
Msg #249216

Exactly, Brenda!

"SSs which take $100-$150 for a signing are driving the notary fees into the toilet...people who work for half or less of that are as well. That's my opinion and I'm entitled to it."

I don't care how "nice" they are to work with or how fast they pay, if you are a SS or notary that accepts work for measly fees, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution and you are bringing this entire field down.

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/29/08 11:21am
Msg #249217

Re: Exactly, Brenda!

If you pay me $$$$ for taking no responsibility for my contractors, and making a few phone calls and writing a check, I'll be so nice you wouldn't believe it.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 5/29/08 11:49am
Msg #249223

Re: Exactly, Brenda!

I just wonder why some NSA's think this arrangement is OK.

Reply by Loretta on 5/29/08 9:47am
Msg #249199

Steve, you are entitled to your opinion and I am glad that you are admitting that you are a signing service. I think it is a real shame that signing services charge $150-$200 or more to a title company and then try to "rape" the notary by offering us $50 and "we should be darn thankful that they called us". Then the signing service says that they are only hired to find a notary and take no other responsibility. I hope lots of title companies are reading this. They will be thankful that someone said it out loud.

Steve: you said and I quote: "If a company takes 3 months to pay once in a while, who cares, its a mistake of sorts and once it happens once it is usually corrected. I have paid notaries and the check came back and the notary never gets back to me with their address, so what am I supposed to do, keep trying to a point and hope they call. "

3 months to receive a payment is almost never a "mistake of sorts". We have bills to pay and 30 -45 days is more than enough time to get the check out. Title companies always pay me when the loan funds. That is 3-5 business days. 3 months is hog-wash. When I get called to do a signing, after we negotiate the fee, the first thing we do is confirm my email address and mailing address for payment.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/29/08 10:00am
Msg #249203

Re: Signing Service responsibility or lack there of – SLB

"When I get called to do a signing, after we negotiate the fee, the first thing we do is confirm my email address and mailing address for payment"

Exactly! I always confirm the notary's address. (But, as mine are 99% overnight docs it is imperative that I have the right address to give to the title company)

And if the notary hadn't received their check within a few days after the closing I would expect them to call me to let me know, so I can take care of it.

Reply by MW/VA on 5/29/08 9:38am
Msg #249193

Once again, where is Harry?

Reply by Loretta on 5/29/08 10:22am
Msg #249210

MW/VA, just out of curiosity, do you want Harry's opinion or do you want him to delete the thread? I like hearing his point.