Posted by JimAZ on 5/11/12 8:48am
Msg #420568

Now I see why!!!

I recently posted regarding a signing attire survey I received. Now I see why the need for the survey. I was at a re-fi signing for the borrower's residence when a second notary showed up for a re-fi signing on one of their investment properties. He was dressed in frayed jeans, non-collar shirt, and tennis shoes while I was in dress slacks, open collared shirt, and dress shoes. Same title company. I am inclined to contact the TC and thank them for their business, also let them know I could have handled the second closing, and give them an update on the other notary's dress attire. Any thoughts out there.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 5/11/12 8:53am
Msg #420569

Don't be a tattle tale!

Sooner or later a borrower will do the complaining.

Reply by Reba Shaw-Silva on 5/11/12 9:10am
Msg #420570

Re: Don't be a tattle tale!

I have also been in a situation where I am sitting at the BO table and an additional signing agent arrives 20 minutes in from the SAME title co. The BO had purchased 2 units, yet there were 2 signing agents.. Not sure I understand why a TC would prefer to pay 2 separate fees, when they would likely get a small discount for the 2nd signing. I'm just saying...

Reply by Clem/CA on 5/11/12 9:34am
Msg #420574

Re: Don't be a tattle tale!

Same title... maybe a different title officer. They don't talk to each other

Reply by jba/fl on 5/11/12 10:12am
Msg #420576

Re: Don't be a tattle tale!

No discount for second signing - no. Only if pertains to same loan. Each loan has its own full fee, separate from the other.

Well, that is how almost all would do it.

Reply by MW/VA on 5/11/12 9:15am
Msg #420571

I can see your point, Jim. As you know, there are many in this biz that shouldn't be in it in the first place. They often don't know what they're doing. I know I've had a gal do a refi for me personally who was dressed in sports attire.
See msg. 420542 about what we deal with from borrowers. LOL

Reply by Linda Juenger on 5/11/12 10:11am
Msg #420575

I was soooo tempted to go "as I was" last night. I had worked outside most of the day in the garden and was a mess. Had just finished eating dinner and the phone rang at 6:15. How fast can you get there was the question. I said quickly if I don't take a shower and I guarantee you don't want me to do that. lol Borrower was fine for anytime I could get there. Yes, I did take a shower and put on presentable clothes, but I can sometimes see how others just pick up and go like they are when you get these last minute calls.

Reply by janCA on 5/11/12 10:35am
Msg #420577

Maybe this other notary seeing you, Jim, decked out in a professional manner, will give him pause as to how he has presented himself to the borrowers and how he "should" be dressed. You just never know!

Reply by Dorothy_MI on 5/11/12 12:48pm
Msg #420588

Depending on the age of other notary

He may have wondered if you'd just come from a funeral. After all, it's JUST a loan signing! (grim).

Even weddings and funerals don't necessarily motivate people to dress what I'd consider appropriately. Certainly going to church on Sunday doesn't. The act of appropriate dress and behavior is not wide spread today

Reply by HisHughness on 5/11/12 1:34pm
Msg #420593

You don't need to build your business on the backs of notaries you have brought down. If the borrowers were put off, let them report it.

Reply by Bee_CA on 5/11/12 3:48pm
Msg #420608

Nicely stated Hugh. n/m

Reply by JimAZ on 5/11/12 7:49pm
Msg #420634

Not sure where that came from and I certainly don't remember sharing my business model with you. If you have some wisdom and knowledge regarding my marketing strategy you should share it in more detail than a one line attack. At this time I don't market and have more business than I can handle. I would need to clone myself to "build my business". My post was regarding appropriate business attire. If you think frayed jeans, non-collared shirt, and tennis shoes are OK, come out of the closet and say it.

Reply by MW/VA on 5/11/12 8:11pm
Msg #420635

In this case I think he was just saying that it doesn't

serve anyone well to put down our competition.

Reply by Jack/AL on 5/11/12 8:43pm
Msg #420638

Be carefull, HisHughness, or you might become a forum Nazi!

Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt.

Reply by PegiT_MN on 5/11/12 9:39pm
Msg #420645

I have to agree with Jim on this......

......most reputable title companies send us out on a job to represent their company on behalf of the lender who has hired them. It says in all the confirmations that you are to dress in business or business casual attire. No jeans, no flip flops, no halter tops, etc. Notary #2 shows up looking like he's there to do the landscaping or clean out the pool and in my opinion it reflects poorly upon all the people who work for said title company, the title company that allows notary #2 to dress like a bum, and the bank that would hire them to come to my home and close my loan. If I were the borrower, I would be thinking what kind of unprofessional people do they have handling my loan documents. I wouldn't wait for a borrower to pick up the telephone and call the lender. I think Jim should mention it to the title company.....absolutely! I don't think it is tattling at all. And I certainly don't agree with Hugh that Jim is building his business upon the backs of other notaries. If notary #2 was a professional, he would have the common sense to know not to come to a closing looking like that. I think it speaks highly of Jim's work ethics that he wants to represent the title company in the best way possible. How could it possibly be tattling to let a title company know that they have a person out there in the field that is not presenting himself in a professional manner. If I was the title company, I would be welcoming Jim's telephone call. And I would certainly be glad I heard it from Jim so I could correct the situation, rather than hearing it from the lender telling me they don't want to use me as their title company any more because I am sending out notaries that can't put on a pair of dress slacks.

Reply by HisHughness on 5/12/12 12:07am
Msg #420648

***I certainly don't remember sharing my business model with you. If you have some wisdom and knowledge regarding my marketing strategy you should share it in more detail than a one line attack.***

You probably should reserve the fire-breathing counterattacks until you have actually been attacked. I care even less what your business model or your marketing strategy is than I care about how the next notary down the line dresses.

You are not an employee of the title company or the lender. You have no relationship with the other notary, and no responsibility to oversee his dress; in fact, the notary was there for a separate piece of property than the one that you were closing. The only people who should care about how the other notary dressed, smelled, walked, talked, listened, behaved or cavorted himself were the title company, the lender and the borrower, unless the other notary did something that could constitute a crime. In that instance, I think you have a professional obligation to report the ocnduct -- to the appropriate authorities, not the title company or lender.

Your post was not just about, as your phrased it, "appropriate business attire." It was instead about taking advantage of another notary's miscues to take future business from him. A direct quote from your post: "I am inclined to contact the TC and thank them for their business, also let them know I could have handled the second closing, and give them an update on the other notary's dress attire."

This post would have been far gentler in what it posited had you not been such a jerk in your reply. The next time you ask for comments from the board -- "Any thoughts out there" as you put it -- you might want to accept what you asked for.

Reply by Pro Mobile Notary on 5/11/12 9:59pm
Msg #420646

As the owner of a SS I can tell you there are former escrow officers now working as NSAs in our local market that know this business inside out that I will not use use again because they dress like slobs.

If you want to be treated like a business professional, you have to dress the part. Being a professional is more than just doing a good job with the signing assignment. If you are there representing a title company or a SS, you need to project a professional image if you want to work for people dealing with high-end clients. The one former escrow officer I am thinking of went to a $1.5 million refinance signing in cut-off shorts, a collarless T-shirt and sandals. She will never get to see another one of our high-end (or low-end) clients ever again.

Reply by parkerc/ME on 5/14/12 9:41am
Msg #420760

Took that same survey. I stated I'd refuse "business professional attire", but always wore "business casual attire" (blazer, dress slacks, dress shoes). Frayed jeans and tennis shoes definitely a no-no, but agree with others...don't tattle. If borrowers took note of his appearance, I'm sure they would let their LO know if they objected to it.