Posted by Merritt Services, Inc. on 12/18/12 3:49pm
Msg #446966

Nasty People

You can have the priviledge of working with 500 wonderful people that you can't say enough great things about but one mean, nasty person can ruin your day. Thank you to all of the wonderful notaries out there. Please know how much you are appreciated and all you do and all your hard work!! Please drive safe out there is in this crazy busy end of month!

Reply by Donna McDaniel on 12/18/12 4:21pm
Msg #446976

Don't let it get you down, Brenda. One out of 500 isn't too bad. People who treat the hiring parties with disdain won't be around for very long anyhow.

Reply by HisHughness on 12/18/12 4:44pm
Msg #446979

Actually, Donna, I've lasted for 10 years, longer than Merritt.

She called at 2 p.m. with a 4:30 closing more than 16 miles away across town. Offered me $100, substantially below what I believe the industry standard to be. I said no, and posed in SC that Merritt is a low-baller.

She called back. After some time berating me -- mean and nasty were among the more charitable descriptions -- she said her signing service could not make any money paying more than $100 for a closing. She also noted that she is beloved by signing agents, and that she is a five-star company. Apparently, she is a five-star company that pays low-ball fees, but pays them on time.

Unfortunately, since she insisted that her side of the conversation was the only one worth carrying on, I was never able to make the point with her that the answer is not to beat down the NSAs on fees, the answer is to refuse to contract with lenders and/or TCs who are unwilling to pay for a reasonable fee for the signing agent. As veteran NSAs are aware, that are scads of companies that do precisely that.

Since I was unable to make the point because she was too busy berating me, the point is now made here.

Reply by Donna McDaniel on 12/18/12 5:28pm
Msg #446986

Sounds like you both are guilty...

of blowing things out of proportion and for taking things public. Thanks for the other side of the story.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/18/12 7:17pm
Msg #446998

*16 miles away across town. Offered me $100,*
16 miles across Austin, Texas is an hour trek in treacherous traffic. 16 mile ATX trip is not a glide down a lonely highway, or a slow roll along a gravel road. That's where signing services need to put on their thinking caps and realize that One Size does not fit all.

*she said her signing service could not make any money paying more than $100 for a closing*
Oh! Got it. She doesn't own a thinking cap. That's a knee slapper. I have had that same discussion with SSs...a Small Business Development Center can help.

Reply by Merritt Services, Inc. on 12/18/12 7:27pm
Msg #447000

Hugh, there are two industries today and you are in one of those industries and I am in another one. We do volume closings for lower prices because that is all the lenders are willing to pay for their national closings. This is not going to be changed by one man in Texas. This is the industry trend and I am quite proud that we do offer and pay what we do.

The closings where you work directly with the title company are not what is considered volume work. I am thrilled that you are still able to do that kind of work and I sincerely wish you well.

We pay a fair fee in today's industry because low ballers as you called us are now the ones offering $65 to 85 which thank goodness we do not do.

We are a good company and we work hard to be a fair company. I do not understand why you as a person would feel it is necessary to go to Signing Central and trash us because you were offered $100 for a closing. We did not hurt your or harm you in any way. We made two phones calls and the notary who did the job did an outstanding job and it was our pleasure to work with him and hope to work with him in the future.

You as an individual may do as you please and I sincerely wish you well.

Merry Christmas!

Reply by HisHughness on 12/18/12 7:36pm
Msg #447002

All of my business comes from national title companies or signing services; it is split about 50/50. The last time I worked for a local title company was two years ago. Few in Austin hire local signing agents. All of the title companies and/or signing services I work for pay a fair fee. They do so because when they contract with lenders or with title companies, they insist on being paid enough that they can pay their signing agents an adequate fee.

Give me the name of the notary you hired and I'll be happy to counsel with him about what his services are actually worth, and how to obtain what those services are worth.

Reply by BrendaTx on 12/18/12 8:36pm
Msg #447007

*Few in Austin hire local signing agents.*

Yep, Texas TCs close in house and meet borrowers after work, except for a few that they bundle and send out to another city. I think that maybe a few happen regularly in Houston and Dallas, but marketing to my local title companies would be a complete joke. Local TCs see NSAs as a direct competitor helping to bring the long arm of the national TCs into their midst.

Reply by Carol Graff on 12/18/12 10:24pm
Msg #447029

Brenda is great to work with

I, for one, feel Brenda pays a decent fee for SS. In my book, she is kind & fair.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 12/18/12 11:34pm
Msg #447033

"We do volume closings for lower prices because that is all the lenders are willing to pay for their national closings."

There's the problem - volume closings for you do not translate to profitable work for an NSA. Virtually all costs for an NSA are fixed from one job to the next - it's impossible to make a profit on volume when your costs are fixed. All you do is lose money faster.

So be proud about the volume of work you're bringing in for your company by cutting your prices; just don't be surprised when experienced notaries push back because you're not willing to pay them what they are worth. You're not the only one that has to put food on the table.

Reply by BobtheElder on 12/19/12 10:38pm
Msg #447163

Hugh, all you had to do was turn them down. Criticizing them for not being willing to pay your fee isn't very productive and certainly not in the spirit of the season

Merry Christmas

Reply by HisHughness on 12/20/12 12:10am
Msg #447172

That's what SigningCentral's for, & there's no holiday truce n/m

Reply by MW/VA on 12/18/12 8:32pm
Msg #447006

Sorry, Brenda. I don't know what happened, but it's the

same for us on this side of things. I'm pretty quick to dump cos. these days that create any kind of hassle.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 12/19/12 12:14am
Msg #447039

Ditto! I cannot afford to accept $100 closings right now -

I am completely booked with $125 - $150 closings. Volume for a SS does not translate into volume for ME from that one SS. There is too much work out there right now to accept $100 per closing. This week alone I will complete 20 closings - the business is out there. I have been in this biz long enough to have developed some great clients that value quality and reliability and wil pay a decent fee for it. I have been turning down lower payers all week because I am already booked with better-paying gigs.

Why do you think I am still up at 1:10 AM? I am printing docs and getting ready for next AM! And yes I have docs!

Reply by CentralNY on 12/19/12 5:23am
Msg #447048

Good for you Red, way to go n/m

Reply by Merritt Services, Inc. on 12/19/12 11:14am
Msg #447060

Wow! It was worth every minute of the headaches for the phone calls and private messages we have received. The phone was ringing at 7am. Thank you so much and just know you are loved back just as much.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Reply by AngelTX on 12/19/12 3:16pm
Msg #447102

your right in Houston, most title companies do their own closings, they do not like to bring in signing agents, and to try and fly across Houston traffic is not happening, but alot of people use their bosses printers, dont pay for toner or paper or equipment, so they are cutting our necks along with theirs. One company told me we dont pay XXX anymore because we find people who will do it for $60.00, stupid people,

Reply by Wesley Wittman on 1/1/13 4:53pm
Msg #448428

I did my first notary with Merritt last week and will do again. Im thankful for their quick response and great attitude.

Reply by Janet Winters on 2/17/13 5:14am
Msg #456241

Brenda, you are surrounded by such great people; Don't sweat the small person. Not important in the grand picture of life. Love....