Posted by LatteLady/NV on 9/21/11 6:23pm
Msg #398186

Is this common practice?

I got a call from "A" Title Agency to do a loan. It was in my area, so I said yes. Then they told me what they pay which was $10 below my minimum. I said that I would do it for my minimum. Next they sent me a confirmation with the lower price on it and asked me to reply back saying I got the confirmation. I replied back that I received it (during this time, I called the customer and confirmed the appointment) and asked them to change the agreed upon price. Next I got a reply back saying that the job has been cancelled. In the meantime, they found someone else to do it for the lower price. I called them on the phone asking what happened. I said they could have at least called me first to say they could only do it for the lower price. That way I could have made the decision to take it or leave it.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/21/11 6:32pm
Msg #398188

Yep! n/m

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/21/11 7:41pm
Msg #398192

"Then they told me what they pay which was $10 below my minimum. I said that I would do it for my minimum...
I said they could have at least called me first to say they could only do it for the lower price. That way I could have made the decision to take it or leave it."

If the $10 lower wasn't a problem, why play the game? Why didn't you just say yes to begin with and be done with it? You were already crystal clear that you'd do it for YOUR price - twice as a matter of fact - during the initial call and requesting a revised confirmation - why be upset that they didn't give you a third shot at it?

Reply by MW/VA on 9/21/11 7:59pm
Msg #398193

Sorry, but IMO when you gamble you have to be prepared to lose. This is a tough market & some don't think it's worth losing a signing for $5 or $10. It's all a personal/business decision that we each have to make.

Reply by SouthernOK on 9/21/11 8:08pm
Msg #398194

Yes, and they'll never call to tell you why.

Heck some won't even cancel the appt with you. When I think about this, I get an image of white things on my hands.

Reply by Les_CO on 9/21/11 8:08pm
Msg #398195

They are in business to make a profit. They ain’t your friend! They ain’t your tutor! They mostly get paid on a production basis; per order assigned, not an hourly wage. Put some caffeine in your Latte and join your compatriots in the NSA world. Do some work on your pricing, know your area, be able to quote your minimum fee for the job in 15 seconds, and be comfortable to live with it. No recriminations (I missed a call… sob!) (Maybe I should have lowered my price?) Everyone in business MUST make these decisions, and LIVE with them on a daily basis. Welcome to the club! IMO it’s unique. It’s hard, it’s edgy, and as far as profitability? It’s marginal. No one has is or is going to get rich being a NSA, but you can EXPAND your horizons, and get paid while learning…and be helpful in your community. Did I mention that we/you do an IMPORTANT/ INDESPENSABLE service to our community every day? ( I won’t mention the lending/real estate/ mortgage/ banking industry that are totally dependent on our notarial services )
Sleep well and dream of a more equitable day for us all.

Reply by MW/VA on 9/21/11 8:27pm
Msg #398197

Great post, Les. It's a good reality check! n/m

Reply by Susan Fischer on 9/22/11 12:22am
Msg #398217

Really like the 15-Second Rule. n/m

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 9/21/11 8:29pm
Msg #398198

The way I handle this is

I say, "My usual fee for this area is XXX can you do that? If they say no, I then can decide if it is worth it to me to take the lower fee (it can depend on how busy I am, the time of the appt (3:00 pm vs 7:00 pm, how close it is, what the travel time will be, etc). If I do decide to take the lower fee, I say something like, "I'll do it this time for XX because it's really easy to get to, but if it were further I'd have to get XXX. This business is the art of negotiation almost more than anything else.

Reply by Karla/OR on 9/21/11 11:05pm
Msg #398205

Dorothy, I like your style! Thanks for the post! n/m

Reply by Buddy Young on 9/21/11 8:43pm
Msg #398199

You already had a chance to do the job for the lower amount, Why do you think the tc would give you a second or third chance to take their offer?

Obviously you didn't have anything going on at that time and it was in your area. I don't know what your minimum is or what they offered but $90 in stead of $100 is better than watching T.V., unless your favorite team is on.

Reply by LatteLady/NV on 9/21/11 11:46pm
Msg #398210

Many of you are missing the point. The woman who called me agreed to my fee. She sent me a confirmation but it was not for the amount we agreed upon. If there was an issue, she should have called me back and tell me that her company couldn't do it for the agreed upon amount. It was a done deal over the phone. The problem started when the confirmation had a different amount then what was agreed upon. I do know how to negotiate. I have for the past 9 years.

People on this board get mad when people accept low paying jobs. So when you stick up for yourself and ask for what you want, then you still get people complaining about what you did. Seems like you can never make anyone happy on this board.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/21/11 11:53pm
Msg #398212

I was just about to post basically the same thing:

"I don't think this is the point. The way I read it, the real issue is that they led her to believe that they accepted her fee request, when in reality they just kept calling the next person down the line. They're probably thinking that if they can't find anyone else, at least they have someone lined up. And in the meantime, she has blocked off that time thinking she has an assignment and could be turning down other work."

I decided to go back and make sure I'd read you original post correctly and came back to find the post above. Just as we need to be up front with what we will or will not accept, so should the signing services. I think it's extremely disrespectful to say "yes" when they really mean "only if we can't find someone cheaper". If they intend to keep calling others, they should say so. If they can't find anyone, they can then call back and advise that they'd be willing to offer the higher fee - and if the person in question is still available, they can then choose to take it. The other approach is rude and disrespectful, imo!

Reply by linda/ca on 9/22/11 2:02am
Msg #398221

I agree, Janet, it is highly insulting and show no regard for us, our time, nor the part (no matter how large or small) we play in the loan process!

Reply by linda/ca on 9/22/11 1:51am
Msg #398220

You nailed it, Latte Lady! LOL

Reply by MW/VA on 9/22/11 8:41am
Msg #398231

I do see your point. I personally would avoid a co. that

played that kind of game. It's not fair--but no one said life would be fair.
BTW, IMO it's not about making people on this board happy. It's about running a profitable business & being happy with your results. :-)

Reply by Les_CO on 9/22/11 9:36am
Msg #398242

Sorry if I misread your post.
1/ you get a call from a SS for a local signing.
2/ you say yes.
3/ they say they pay $X
4/ you say NO. I need $Y
5/ they send you a confirmation to do the job for $X, and to confirm that you received the confirmation, and agree to the fee.
6/ you call the borrower to confirm the appointment time (Just why would you do that if they did not agree to your fee, and you had no intention of accepting their offer?)
7/ you then called the SS and said that you could not do the job for the fee offered on their confirmation.
8/ they said forget it, job is cancelled.
9/ you then call them and say I know you got someone cheaper, and that is unfair because you should have called me back to see if I “may” have changed my mind, and was now willing to do the signing for the lesser amount?

I rarely negotiate with the schedulers. One most don’t have the authority to change their companies fee policy, and two, it’s mostly a waste of time. I tell them my fee, if they say “I’ll see if I can get that approved” I say don’t bother, just call someone else, there are plenty of cheap notaries out there. I work for my fee or I don’t go. Simple, no misunderstand.
It seems to me that you wasted a lot of your time, and their time. In your scenario (if I read it correctly) after # 3 our conversation would have ended. Again if I got this whole thing wrong, and if I said something to offend you I apologize