Posted by chuckie on 5/31/12 2:58pm
Msg #422299

Job offer

I was called by a signing company asking if I was open to do a signing in my home town.
I said yes and asked what type of loan and what was the price. She said it was a refi. and was paying $60.00. I said I don't take less then XXX. she says thats more then she was getting. So we parted ways.

Reply by Carolyn Breckenridge on 5/31/12 3:05pm
Msg #422300

I guess she needs to go to a closing then. Low ball offers are coming out of the woodwork.

Reply by MonicaFL on 6/1/12 7:15am
Msg #422372

yes they are. I just responded to a "mass email" for a reverse mortgage for $125.00 and was told they couldn't meet my fee. I know they know how much longer these take and how big the packages are - just doesn't make any sense to me - but, told them good luck.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 5/31/12 3:28pm
Msg #422301

Here's what strikes me...

"asked what type of loan and what was the price. "


Why are YOU asking them their price? They are the customer looking for something. You are the provider. You set your rates.

Does the sales guy at Best Buy look at you and say, "How much do you want to pay for this ipad?" NO! They have a set price.

Reply by Sandra Clark on 5/31/12 3:42pm
Msg #422302

Re: Here's what strikes me...

Exactly what I was thinking. I always state my fee when I'm told where the closing is.

Reply by Les_CO on 5/31/12 3:56pm
Msg #422303

Re: Here's what strikes me...

Many in “this” business have never before ‘been in business’ of any kind. They have always worked for someone or not worked at all. They've heard about the… big bucks; work from your home; no investment or skills necessary; and they take a worthless course and give it a shot. Most of these people are used to following instructions. And they will take them from those that they ‘perceive’ to know more than them. Thereby accepting the fees offered. Thinking that if they don’t know what to charge someone in the business does, and they take what they can get, while thanking the Gods for the practice. Only the very, very, smart ones come here to see if they can learn something about this business.JMO

Reply by HisHughness on 5/31/12 10:18pm
Msg #422334

Fundamental rule of negotiating:

The first one to mention money loses.

Reply by jba/fl on 5/31/12 11:17pm
Msg #422349

Precisely. n/m

Reply by Les_CO on 5/31/12 11:23pm
Msg #422351

Re: Fundamental rule of negotiating:

I’d guess you’re right on that one. In this case he asked what they pay, she said $60 he said I need $100(for the sake of argument) she said no. If he would have said I’ll do it for $100, I’d bet she still would have said no. IMO he did the right thing.
Many companies call me and ask my fee, I say what is the job? They say we need something to put in our data base, I say put in $5, that’s where I start. Will you do a signing for $5? I say no, but I will do one notarization depending on circumstance for $5. What will you do a signing for, I say when you go into a butcher shop and ask the butcher how much is a steak, he may answer it depends on what kind in meat, what cut, and how much it weighs. (if the guy has a Hindi accent I use fish as an example) I then say I run a service business so my fee changes depending on the job….we usually part company about then.

Reply by 101livescan on 5/31/12 4:30pm
Msg #422305

When someone calls me for a signing "opportunity", I immediately state my fee, base plus edocs, plus faxbacks...late at night, another fee, more than 25 miles away, another fee.

Cut to the chase.

Reply by Lee/AR on 5/31/12 5:12pm
Msg #422309

In chuckie's defense....

With a new-to-me company, I might ask what they are offering. Doesn't mean I'll take it, but sometimes they actually do offer more than I'd need (not often any more), so, what the heck, it's still part of negotiating and does give you an idea of what this new-to-you company is about.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 5/31/12 5:44pm
Msg #422312

Re: In chuckie's defense....

I always ask: What are you authorized to pay? That gets the ball rolling.

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/31/12 7:29pm
Msg #422317

Agree Lee and Sho. n/m

Reply by NJDiva on 5/31/12 9:30pm
Msg #422331

I never state a fee...I let them tell me because it gives me

an idea of what kind of notary they're looking for. If they ask me, I will never quote a fee, I will reiterate what do you pay?

If they're lowballers I tell them I'm not the type of notary they're looking for because I don't do anything for those low fees. If they then ask what my fee is I ask what the best is they can do and if it's still not acceptable, I say it's no lower than $XXX. Of course that's for packages up to 120 pages,there is an additional print fee for anything above and beyond that and then if there are faxes, that is an additional fee as well.

I, too, have been offered over my normal fee. It does happen.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/1/12 7:38am
Msg #422374

I state my minimum fee right from the getgo

saves everyone a lot of time if they're not even in the ballpark.

Caller: "We have a signing - are you available?" - now depending on who's calling, I may not be available to them at all, so the rest would not come into play as it's an immediate "no, sorry", but if it's a good company, then the conversation continues...
Me: "What do you have, where when..." (Not those exact words but that's the info I require before I answer the question)
Caller: responds with info
Me: Either "Yes I'm available and my fee for that signing and area is $xxx" or "I'm sorry, I'm not available."

I state my fees right up front - no sense in dragging on a phone conversation with someone who never intends to meet the fee or, in those famous words, "isn't even making that much themselves".

JMO

Reply by PA_Notary_II on 6/1/12 8:32am
Msg #422375

Re: I state my minimum fee right from the getgo

I had a TC call me with an offer of $60. I told her to save us both a lot of time and delete me from their data base and please do NOT call me again. She asked me what my fee would be and I quioted her $xxx. "I can do that" says she. Sometimes it pays to be blunt.

Reply by LKT/CA on 6/1/12 8:52am
Msg #422377

Re: I state my minimum fee right from the getgo

<<<I had a TC call me with an offer of $60. I told her to save us both a lot of time and delete me from their data base and please do NOT call me again. She asked me what my fee would be and I quioted her $xxx. "I can do that" says she. Sometimes it pays to be blunt.>>>

I may do that for a TC, as they have a regulatory agency (dept. of insurance) for which I can go after them, but never for a SS. An unregulated SS will quote a lowball fee, then when that's rejected may agree to any amount (and in writing too) to get the signing completed so they won't lose the account, then when the check arrives.....IF the check arrives....will be for a lowball fee.

Sometimes, I'll do as Cheryl does - let the scheduler describe the signing and quote the fee so I can gauge whether they want an experienced professional or just something with a pulse. Sometimes, I'll do as Linda does - cut right to the chase ("how much?") so I don't waste my time.