Posted by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 10:12am
Msg #391544

ServiceLink....

So, yesterday 7/26 around noon ServiceLink calls me to schedule a closing for today 7/27 about 30 minutes away. They asked my fee and and I quoted my regular fee which she accepted! I assumed it was because I live in a rural area and they were having a problem finding an available agent to do it for less. I received my closing cofirmation immediately. Now the closing is at 10am. It is 9:30am. I not only have no docs, but I have been trying to get someone (scheduler and team leader) to call me back or e-mail me back. I emailed at 8:10 because they weren't open when I called at 7:30am and I left 2 detailed messages on the team leader voicemail since 8:30am. Nothing. My prediction is that they kept calling for notaries and found someone who will do it for their regular measely fee. I will be calling the borrower closer to 10:00am to advise that I haven't received docs and haven't received any response from ServiceLink as to when they will be received. I will not be shocked if he says someone else is there with papers to sign.


OK, I made my call. Borrower has no info. I still have no docs. I called ServiceLink again (3rd time). Again put through to the person I left 2 messages for since 8:30am and she finally picks up. She tells me they overnighted them to my home. Ummmmm.... no one ever said anything about overnighting them. To the contrary, my confirmation says they will be e-mailed as an attachment. So here my docs sat on my front porch. No one overnights docs hardly any more and if they do, they tell you! It's way after the closing time, I just found the docs on my front porch and she seems like she could care less. Just like when I finally got her on the phone and said hey no docs! Most people would be freaking out or showing some hint of concern for a less than smooth closing. At this point, I still have ServiceLink on the phone and I complained about not being told about the closing docs being overnighted and her not returning my 2 phone messages or e-mail which would have cleared up this problem had she responded. Then I asked about my fee being reduced because of the overnight (I thought about that because of all the posts I just read on here about that). It was. I told her "this is what you guys do. You agree to a fee making us think docs will be e-mailed when you know docs will be overnighted and then slip in a lower fee". Her response was "excuse me?" She offered to cancel me from the closing and I said "yes, PLEASE cancel me." And then she told me cancelling would result in her giving me bad marks in their system. (BAD signing agent! Me bad marks??? I'm the only one who seemed to give a darn about this closing! Put some bad marks in for yourself while your at it!) I told her to remove me altogether. I called the borrower and let him know I wouldn't be coming and why. I've never done that. I've been a full time independent closer since 2003 and have only cancelled twice. Once due to illness, and once due to a snow storm. I felt very bad for the borrower, but at some point you have to take a stand. And it's not like ServiceLink gives me a ton of business. A few a year. Five minutes later the servicelink employee called and left a message all pleasant reminding me to shred the document and that there is no need to call the borrower. He'd be advised of the change. I wonder what lie about me they'll tell.....

Reply by MonicaFL on 7/27/11 10:17am
Msg #391547

simple solution

don't take their assignments under any circumstances. JMO

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 7/27/11 10:25am
Msg #391549

NSC did the same a couple years ago

But if you think about it, it's only right...why would you expect a print fee when you didn't print. If your agreed fee included printing and the printing didn't occur, they're not obligated to pay a print fee. Your agreed fee was based on you printing two sets of docs - you didn't have to do that so, IMO, they're justified to reduce the fee to reflect that providing the reduction is reasonable.

I agree they should have responded to you to clarify what was going on - certainly would have made it easier on you and the borrowers -

JMO

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 11:11am
Msg #391561

Re: NSC did the same a couple years ago

I agree regarding expecation of your print fee when you didn't print.... if I add extra to my fees for printing. Some notaries charge the fee they know their expertise and service is worth to close in a certain area plus an additional amount if they are to print. I don't. At least not anymore. When I first started I did and it was $5.00 to cover what I felt it was costing me in ink and paper. I've never increased that since 2003. And quite honestly, I don't even add it in anymore despite it costing more than that now. So my fee is my fee. The lady who scheduled asked what my fee was. I told her my fee. She didn't ask what my fee was for e-docs or overnight docs. She didn't ask me what my print fee and closing fees were. My fee is my fee. I keep it low as far as closing fees go when I'm in my home county. She didn't tell me how docs were coming. I didn't know docs were coming until I got the confirmation saying the docs were coming via e-mail. My fee on the confirmation does not say it's for e-docs. It just says "The agreed upon signing fee is:"

Reply by Frank/NC on 7/27/11 10:32am
Msg #391552

This may very well be some oversight on their part in not notifying you of overnight docs. Why cut your own nose off and be confrontational with Service Link? Don't we at least try to keep every customer we have, especially in these times? Now you asked them to remove you from their list when actually you were getting the fees you wanted from them. Many other lenders are late in getting docs to us and I think it also a good idea when confirming an appointment to ask the borrower if they are flexible in their time in that docs may arrive late.

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 11:30am
Msg #391565

Do I feel like I cut my nose off to spite my face? No. I don't mean for this to come out in a sarcastic way, but why would I want to do business in this way? Could you imagine if I didn't return ServiceLink's calls or did what was expected of me as far as communication and executing my job as expected? At the end of the day, In less than 24 hours, servicelink scheduled me, confirmed my fee and document delivery format via e-mail, didn't advise me that the document delivery format had changed to overnight docs, kept me chasing docs the next morning via 2 phone detailed messages and 1 detailed e-mail to the team leader, and one detailed e-mail to the scheduler with no response and basically glued me to my pc, phone, and smartphone e-mail apps all morning stressing over a doc e-mail that would never come and a closing time I could never make. And finally, after my appointment time had come and gone, the team leader answers her phone and looks up the information to tell me the docs were overnighted, and since they were, they were going to take away some of my money for a print fee I never charged. That's horrible. No thanks.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 7/27/11 11:49am
Msg #391576

Frank, I have to disagree. In this case, it is a respect issue. The scheduler did not have any respect for the NSA at all nor did the company show any respect by changing the agreed upon terms (edocs vs. overnight) while at the same time reducing the previously agreed to fees without any notice.

Had the scheduler and company showed the respect due, there probably would not have been any issue with the docs being sent overnight and the borrower would have been able to sign the documents on time. Oversight or not, the scheduler seem to not care at all about the NSA, her time, or the borrower.

I had a TC show me the same kind of lack of respect several years ago after 3 years of a good relationship. I too cut them off and would not accept any requests from them after that point.

With their new fee system and reports such as this one, it is clear that Servicelink wants us to respect them while not having any for us. I do not do business with customers that do not respect me and I certainly will not beg anyone like that for business. Yes, mistakes happen. This clearly was not a mistake, not from a company that continues to show they do not respect us or our role in the process.

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 12:00pm
Msg #391581

Thank you, Moneyman/TX. I have had experiences with servicing companies and notary signing only companies showing total lack of respect... not just ServiceLink. It's becoming epidemic. It's aweful. When settlement companies call me directly, I rarely have an issue of respect. For instance, I have actually had another company schedule me, call me several hours later to cancel due to an indefinate postponement, and then call me the next day to say it's back on. No problem for me to this point, but then I enter updates on their online system which shows a log of actions taken on the file. Turns out they kept looking for a cheaper notary, booked her, cancelled me, and when she had car trouble the day of closing and cancelled, they called and re-scheduled me. Did they not realize I'd see all that and know they were lying to me? Ughh!

Reply by Frank/NC on 7/27/11 1:13pm
Msg #391601

I've done a lot of work for Service Link and I don't remember being able to go into their update system and look into their log of actions taken by them on their file. How do you know they kept calling for a cheaper notary, booked her and then cancelled you? How do you know she had car trouble. Maybe I have never gone into the same Service Link update system but I thought they only had one. If you absolutely know that to be a fact then they are playing a game with you which is not good business.

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 3:55pm
Msg #391631

First, If you re-read that post, you'll see I said I had "another" company (not service link) keep an action log. Second, the action log was all there with date and time stamps. What other reason is there to have one notary scheduled and book another later and cancel the original notary after that?

Reply by Riley/FL on 7/27/11 1:03pm
Msg #391597

I gotta agree with Frank.

IMO, you made a bad situation worse with your actions and lost a client who still pays your fee. Why didn't you just ask the person who answered the phone at 8:10 to look up the file and find out what's going on? You would have known then to go look on the front porch. Looks to me like the scheduler made a mistake, it happens.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 7/27/11 1:33pm
Msg #391609

Re: I gotta agree with Frank.

Riley, it looks like they were not open when she first attempted to make contact with them. I'm not sure what time (local) they actually open so I cannot say for sure.

I do agree that the very first time a person picked up the phone I would have asked them to look up the file. I disagree with the actions of the company and the scheduler (including not following up right away) as well.

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 3:47pm
Msg #391630

Re: I gotta agree with Frank.

No one answered the phone at 8:10 because they don't open til 8:30am. 8:10am is when I e-mailed the team leader and scheduler. I called twice beginning at 8:30am and left the 2 messages with the same team leader. When I made those call, I waited both times for reception. The first time asking for the team leader directly and the second time I said I still didn't have docs and needed to talk to someone. They pulled up the file and said "I'm transferring you to ___ ___ " (the team leader) and off again I went. On the final "needed to leave over a 1/2 hour ago" call, I was adament about needing someone who could get my docs and how the closing is supposed to be now. She looked up the file and said "I'm transferring you to the team leader"... Off I went. This time she answered her phone.

In addition as I mentioned in my other posts, they weren't paying my fee. Everyone is assuming I said "My fee is ___ and if it's e-docs, I charge an additional ___. I was never asked for my e-doc fee or an overnight fee. I was asked for my fee. I had no idea at that time how the docs would arrive. I have a closing fee. I don't charge a closing fee and then add $25-$30 for printing. And my confirmation says "The agreed upon signing fee is:" There's no "e-doc fee". So what were they basing a "print" fee deduction on?? Quite honestly the most annoying part about that fee reduction is they were cutting my agreed upon closing fee (which again was not a printing with e-docs fee) when they had me sweating out getting docs and making my appointment on time, had me stuck to my pc and smart phone checking e-mail every few minutes, wouldn't return my urgent phone/emails messages (and technically never had any intention of doing so as it was MY 3rd call that finally made contact), only to find out the docs were sitting on my porch and they didn't call to tell me the mode of delivery had changed to overnight?? Not yesterday. Not after any of my contact attempts. That's poor.

Reply by Notarysigner on 7/27/11 10:34am
Msg #391554

Linda is giving you good advice. You how

posters here are often being told to "take charge" of the signing? Well for the future, take charge of the assignment. Leave no doubt what is suppose to happen by all concerned. IMO

Reply by BrotherOwner on 7/27/11 11:37am
Msg #391567

To Lia: You've done nothing wrong, except try to be a professional Notary/NSA. People, she had a confirmation which apparently said she would be printing docs. SL confirmations are messy and often incorrect, but we won't go there. She had a verbal and written confirmation and agreement on fees. I realize it's EOM. We're supposed to be working for the best interests of our clients, both the BWR and the party that hired us. Lia did that also, with calls to the BWR and MULTIPLE attempts to contact SL. Let's place blame where it belongs. SL, as the PARTNER in this signing could have had the courtesy/business sense, YESTERDAY, to advise the docs were overnighted. Docs may NOT have arrived, what with all the storms and weather we've been having across the country, and she would never know. Most likely UPS just dropped the docs at her door and ran, with no notice, as they seem to be doing lately.

So where is the responsibility/partnership of SL? She made MULTIPLE attempts at contact for a 10AM signing. When is enough, enough? I know we have ALL been there. Loyal, enthusiastic, concerned, and caring to a fault. When is enough,enough? SL, and many others only seem to care about the $$ today. What used to be loyalty and a working relationship is long gone, along with the business as it was. That's why so many "professional" notaries are no longer doing signings, as is mentioned almost daily.

Let's not beat up on a good notary. She did all the right things, and I'm sure her blood preasure will be lower in the future.

P.S. A few weeks ago, I posted a thread about SL/NL timely payments. I was taken to task. Apparently, per recent postings, that trend is continuing. That is NOT a good sign. Who no longer thinks they are TO BIG TO FAIL? I certainly wouldn't let invoices get old with them. A new accounting system being set up? Gee, that sounds like our old favorite, SOX. Remember, "Let's be careful out there".

Reply by BrotherOwner on 7/27/11 11:42am
Msg #391570

My above post was started earlier up the thread, before Lia responded, but delayed in posting by a phone call. My comments still stand.

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 11:47am
Msg #391575

Thank you, BrotherOwner.

Reply by Blueink_TN on 7/27/11 2:04pm
Msg #391614

The great thing about being a signing agent

we can choose who and who not to work for... we can choose which assignments to take and which to turn down... We can choose to roll with the changes, confusions, and frustrations.. or not.

SL told me recently that they now always send confirmations as overnight docs and then if they're emailed, the closing team closer will adjust the fee.

They always pay my fee and their check always arrives when it should - At the end of the day, that's the consistency that's most important to me.

Reply by Philip Johnson on 7/27/11 3:41pm
Msg #391628

You obviously haven't gotten the call yet about fees.

Well they are working their way through the list, you should be getting their call any day.

Reply by linda/ca on 7/29/11 2:38am
Msg #391925

Re: You obviously haven't gotten the call yet about fees.

Good one! Phillip...lol

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/27/11 4:01pm
Msg #391633

Re: The great thing about being a signing agent

There are a lot of service link offices. Perhaps the issues of good ServiceLink vs Bad ServiceLink is the office. Perhaps professionalism and consistency and respect for the notary varies by office?

Reply by supersigner on 7/27/11 4:06pm
Msg #391636

Re: The great thing about being a signing agent

Sit by the phone and wait for their call. I have worked for ATM and Service Link for 8 years and now they want to pay me $45 for a signing....Would you take it!!!

Reply by Blueink_TN on 7/27/11 4:38pm
Msg #391651

Re: The great thing about being a signing agent

I think Lia may be right - different offices, different people, different policies. I had a SL signing a couple of months ago that was different than the norm(for me) - the confirmations were different, they were hard to get ahold of, and the billing was handled differently.

I am in an area with very few NSA's, I really don't think I'll get "The Call". But if I do, it's my choice to continue working for them or not. Maybe I would have to turn most requests down due to lack of profitability, I wouldn't just flat out tell them to go away. I guess my point is this: there are many employers out there that are not giving raises, even reducing wages across the board. Most of those employees don't have the luxury of walking out the door and into another paycheck, so they stay and hope it gets better. I believe most of us have more than one company that we contract with, even have income in different areas than just signing agent.

Reply by NJDiva on 7/27/11 4:43pm
Msg #391653

If you're going to compare...

I'm quite sure those employees don't PAY to work there. Just my $1 (inflation folks)

Reply by Blueink_TN on 7/27/11 5:29pm
Msg #391665

Re: If you're going to compare...

Not getting it... I don't PAY to do signings, do you?

Reply by NJDiva on 7/27/11 9:47pm
Msg #391710

You talkin ta me????

"Not getting it"

Like you and most employees, I don't pay to get paid either. It makes no sense to me to pay to be on a database for ONE company.

Pretty sad really.

Reply by linda/ca on 7/29/11 2:36am
Msg #391924

And very good comments, indeed; Brother owner! Hear! Hear!

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 7/27/11 9:14pm
Msg #391702

Okay..here's what I"m getting from this...

Yes, I agree - how SL handled this with you left a lot to be desired....but...

You said they asked your fee and you quoted your fee - then you sat watching your e-mail and phone for arrival of docs - telling me you expected e-docs

They managed to get the docs out of the office and overnighted to you, saving you paper, toner and time to print. They deducted their idea of a fair amount from the agreed fee for doing part of the work, based I'd suspect on an average of previously quoted fees from others.

Yes they should have told you in advance - I agree - but I think what YOU need to do is come up with a fair value for your printing two copies of a set of docs and expect THAT to be your print fee. You can quote a flat fee all you want - that's all I do is quote a flat fee for in-county and out-of-county - but you also have to decide how much of that flat fee is attributed to printing. Then if this happens again, no surprises.

This is not the only company that does this. I think you may have shot yourself in the foot over what may turn out to be no real big deal.

JMO

Reply by Lia Williams on 7/28/11 8:49am
Msg #391740

Re: Okay..here's what I"m getting from this...

Well, here's what I'm getting from the replies..... I find it odd that the majority of responders are soley focused or predominantly focused in their responses on the fee (which is my reason for continuing to comment on it as well in response to clear up some assumptions and misconceptions). The fee was the last straw at the end of the story. There is a whole other bigger issue at play: A large service company like SL (not to mention the plethora of Notary vendor companies) not only cutting fees drastically but demanding more (large fax backs, more pages of do's and don'ts on pre and post closing instructions, waiting around to hear for company approval on faxes before dropping pacakges, etc) as well as requiring very little of themselves when it comes to respecting the notary as a partner that also allows them to make money/have a job. SL first and foremost in my mind yesterday had employees who showed no interest in solving an urgent issue (remember not only the team leader, but the scheduler never responded to me, and the persons answering the phones past me off twice after looking up the file and hearing me tell them the urgent doc situation). A lot of those commenting on my post almost seem to overlook that. Is that because to them this is just the way it works in their experience?

Clearly there are SL fans out there. Good for you that you have positive experiences with them. I USED to be one of them. They took my fees and I could depend on getting paid that and for them to do their job. BUT, if my SL office or any one notary vendor company provides me with 2 - 3 closings a year , can't do THERE job satisfactorily, can't say what they mean and mean what they say, cause me to have to second guess what they tell me, and make it my sole responsibility to cross examine them thoroughly so I can feel comfortable that I know what to expect from them on a closing from scheduling to payment and everything inbetween, then I don't want to do business with them and I fail to see how I'm shooting myself in the foot?

The majority of my business I choose to do directly with settlement companies and establish direct relationships with them. I'm not saying that in 8 years of doing this full time as an independent after holding other positions in the lending industry that I haven't run into a less than on the ball settlement company here and there. However, on the whole settlement companies are very respectful of me, my time, the role I play in allowing them to confidently expand there business into other areas in the state, and are very concerned with keeping me informed and returning messages promply especially when there's a closing about to take place. On top of that they haven't ever quibbled about my fee or took it upon themselves to lower my fee on what they think is a fair price for printing docs should they decide to print them themselves and overnight them which is almost never. If they call me to schedule and I miss their call for what ever reason, they wait to hear from me. They don't start immediately dialing another notary. Mutual Loyalty. Mutual respect. There is a relationship there that doesn't exist in most cases with these vendor companies or larger service companies. Yet, the trend is going toward vendor companies and larger service companies. If it continues, many notaries who like what they do for a living and have been successfully doing it a long time may have to re-evaluate.

Here's a final thought for SL and the fee issues. Taking into consideration all that's been posted re: SL on this site about them admittedly switching to overnight docs as much as possible yet scheduling notaries as e-docs only to switch to overnight in the end and lower the fee (whether the notary knew to pad the fee ahead of time or not), why don't they ask what a notary's fee is for overnight docs and confirm that as the agreed upon fee?? Seems simple and straight forward to me. Not to mention more accurate. Then they can say "we'll add xx to that if we need to switch to e-docs". I'm sure the SL lovers with efficient offices will take issue here, but I think it's because most notaries will choose "no thanks" if they got SL's "overnight docs closing fee" quoted to them up front.

Reply by jba/fl on 7/28/11 9:21am
Msg #391748

I am totally on board and understand what you are saying.

I have been following this story with great interest. Having just gone through this with a different company, except for the shopping and edocs/ON docs, I truly "get it". It is the constant whittling away and erosion of the shared, mutual benefit of the transaction and doing business that made me throw up my hands, saying, enough! (Plus being told I perhaps needed a new computer.)

When a company is on the way down, as I think some of them that are huge are (although employees will defend loyally until the end citing their problems as yours) they cut, and cut, and cut to the detriment of acceptable operating policies.

I think this was last straw for you and truth be told, I think you are probably lucky to realize this. People second guessing your decision(s) is not for you to be concerned about. I think also that if you watch this company closely for another 6 mos. to 1 year you will see some more changes and be happy you got out while the getting was good. (JMO)

Thank you for your story.

Reply by jnew on 7/28/11 12:53pm
Msg #391801

I can understand you being upset about the company not communicating with you properly. Only you can decide if your relationship with this client is worthwhile. I appreciate when people explain what problems they are having with a particular company, then I can make an informed decision on what to expect when they call. I have had problems with companies which basically are good and provide me with steady business, but have an employee who does not display a positive attitude toward my ability to do a good job for them. I always try to find some acceptable middle ground with the client. I don't want to cut off an income stream based on one person. In the end, they are the client and want service from me, so I have to find a way to make things work.

Reply by Chip/TN on 8/18/11 3:22pm
Msg #394157

It's a real shame to see all these negative comments regarding ServiceLink because Chicago Title is a fairly large, well-established organization. I also have had numerous problems and can say with confidence that SL is one of the more shady outfits in the business. Besides being incredibly cheap with their fees, especially doc printing fees, they play games with them. I have learned to ask for the zip code of the closing, and if it's not close where I can make a reasonable profit, I decline immediately. If there are fax-backs, I decline immediately. How sad that we have to plot our decisions to assure we receive a descent wage for our time and skills.