Posted by Grammyzoom on 2/26/13 3:14am
Msg #457847

I know that a lot of signing services follow the forum here.

This is one attempt to get the attention of some of the signing services out there who may be interested in a previous discussion about "Uprising 2013". Here are the contents of a letter I am sending to many of the top rated signing services here on Notary Rotary. I do hope that Harry is all for our campaign and will allow this post to remain.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

In the event you have not heard and are not aware of a campaign called the “Uprising 2013”, I want to draw your attention to this movement taking place among Notary Signing Agents all over the country.

Professional Notary Signing Agents are without a doubt the key to your failure or success. They play an important role in the loan process and without reliable, professional, well trained or highly experienced notaries you would not be able to maintain your client base. Your company has demonstrated that you respect the notaries you hire and in turn they do the best job they can for you on each and every loan signing they complete.

No one expects to get rich doing this job. All they ask is that they be paid a fee that is fair, equitable and shows that the companies hiring them have respect and appreciation for a job well done.

There are far too many companies out there today that we label “Lowballer’s”. These are the companies that have zero respect for the Notary Signing Agents. They prey on the uninformed and the desperate, offering fees as little as $40, $50 and $60 to do a loan signing, often asking the notary to travel long distances.
“Uprising 2013” is all about eradicating these companies. We are trying to spread the word to every working signing agent in the country to teach them that they do not have to take these fees and that there are companies who are willing to allow them to make a decent living. I have talked to notaries who take these jobs because they just don’t know that there are good companies out there willing to pay a decent fee for their services. I have discussed this with some signing services and they are on board as well. The “Lowballer’s” are a black mark on our industry.

We are asking you to reach out to all of the notaries on your database with this simple message.
If you, or someone you know, is accepting work from companies who are not willing to pay you a decent fee
for your services, please visit: http://uprising2013.com

We ALL need to go back to the way things were in this business when you could expect the notaries you hired to read and follow through with your instructions, be reliable, represent our industry with the utmost professionalism, and to provide error free signings.

WE NEED TO RAISE THE BAR IN THIS INDUSTRY!
BOTH FOR WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE NOTARIES YOU HIRE AND
FOR WHAT THE NOTARIES CAN EXPECT FROM THE COMPANIES THAT HIRE THEM.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO BE PROUD OF OUR INDUSTRY AND THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE.

I thank you in advance for helping us spread the word. Please send a copy of your email to: [e-mail address]

Reply by Frank/NC on 2/26/13 7:27am
Msg #457857

Absolutely agree. Now if we could get this message to some of the notaries that accept the low ball fees offered, that would seal the fate of the lowballers.

Reply by MW/VA on 2/26/13 8:49am
Msg #457864

While I choose to believe your heart's in the right place,

Carol, I think you're going to buy a lot of trouble with this "movement". IMO you're not in a position to speak for all notaries, whatever your intentions. It might have been a better idea to ask notaries to send letters to their hiring parties.
If this is even remotely viewed as being an attempt to "organize" the DOJ is going to get involved. I'm sure you've considered the ramifications of your actions before engaging in this.
I will repeat this for what it's worth. We are independent contractors & are solely responsible for what fees we negotiate with cos.

Reply by Donna McDaniel on 2/26/13 9:11am
Msg #457866

Re: While I choose to believe your heart's in the right place,

I have an uneasy feeling about this too. Just the name itself, "Uprising 2013", gives me pause.

I will follow my instincts and stay out of this.

Reply by MW/VA on 2/26/13 9:23am
Msg #457868

Yes & it's ADVERTISING, no matter what you call it. n/m

Reply by Stephanie Santiago on 2/26/13 1:07pm
Msg #457937

I agree, you are not in a position to speak on behalf of all

Notaries.

Reply by Stoli on 2/26/13 9:29am
Msg #457870

Do you know what happened at the Indian uprising?


Under President Abraham Lincoln: The United States' largest public mass execution was held December 26, 1862, when 38 Indians were hanged.

Reply by Mung/CA on 2/26/13 10:03am
Msg #457876

I'm out too. I simply follow a minimum fee that works.....

for me and so far so good. A minimum with 3 figures. My clients know and accept this or they find somebody else. Everybody's happy. I'd rather stay at home and spend time with my girls than "work" for $80-$95.

Reply by dutchcloser on 2/26/13 10:21am
Msg #457879

Re: I agree with Mung/CA

I have a minimum and I stick to it. Since implementing my minimum fee and got rid of the dead weight I have given myself a big raise so far this year. I'm doing less volume but making more money and more importantly less headaches!!!

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 2/26/13 10:22am
Msg #457880

I'll do cash purchases or seller-side only for $85

providing they're fairly local to me. And the cas purchases have to have fax capability on site if they want signed docs faxed immediately.

JMO (just my operation)

Reply by MW/VA on 2/26/13 10:32am
Msg #457886

That's why there's no way to have a set fee. Cash purchases

& loan mods, etc. are only a few pages & involve very little time. I quote fees accordingly.

Reply by Lisa Cirillo on 2/26/13 11:40am
Msg #457906

I agree with the others. I set my fees accordingly and stick to them. I'm out.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 2/26/13 3:26pm
Msg #457977

Thanks, GrammyZ

I appreciate your efforts and all the work and time you have put into this. I can't predict the eventual outcome, but if it's good, it will certainly benefit all - even the notaries who have already told you they're "out." Additionally, to those who are freaked out by the thought of "organization," like that's something illegal, I have one word for you: Unions. Besides, I can't see that you're asking anybody to join anything or that you're speaking for "everybody," so I don't know what the "I'm out" camp means. In any case, it doesn't matter. Trying to get notaries on board for anything is like herding cats. Many are ICs because they don't like groups, don't like a workplace environment, refuse to be told what to do, love being solo, etc.

By your letter, it appears to me Uprising 2013 is simply a method of communication using reputable SSs to inform their database notaries that they don't have to take loball offers. That's the method you have chosen to get the word out to the uninformed notary, the strategy being that those SSs are just as eager to run the crappy SSs out of business as we are. Is this correct? Frankly, I don't see how I or any other notary can either "join in" or "opt out." It's your letter.

I've occasionally thought that notaries who are actually interested in more than their individual world and would be willing to help the entire NSA profession could start at the grassroots level; say, invite notaries just in their county to meet and discuss local issues and what could be done to improve the situation in their area, if anything. This could expand to surrounding counties. To those notaries who would like to end the isolation and hypercompetitive distrust, it might work to everybody's benefit. But this, of course, would take a lot of work and would probably never happen. After all, how many decades have we had to "organize" like other groups, including appraisers, Realtors, brokers? If we had, fees would be ALOT higher already. But you're not looking to "organize," as far as I can see; simply to reach a large group of notaries who have no idea how to run a business and are by association dragging everybody else down with them.

Reply by Grammyzoom on 2/26/13 4:46pm
Msg #458000

Re: Thanks, GrammyZ

Wow! You hit the nail right on it's big fat head! Thank you!!!