WOW NOTARIES JUST GET CHEWED UP AND SPIT OUT IN HERE!
whether you're venting or just aking for advice or even just chatting. WATCH OUT! The other notaries will eat you alive!
Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/19/13 2:15pm Msg #451202
Notary Rotary has a reputation for being a bit about the "tough love" -- you won't get chocolates and roses most of the time here. You get reality checks and, frankly, good solid advice. Well, most of the time. It's not for everybody. However, there's a darn good reason that it's also the very best source of information for successful, professional notaries.
Reply by HisHughness on 1/19/13 2:20pm Msg #451203
Yeah, there seem to have been a couple of punches thrown when you were already down.
What you should take away from it, though, is that if you had the ability, through a smartphone, to determine if the dox had been received, you should have done that. And if you do not have that ability -- you're still using a flipphone -- you probably need to acquire it.
A couple of years ago, before smartphones were standard equipment with NSAs, I would have agreed that the SS should pay a trip fee. Nowadays, though, it is de rigueur for the profession that the NSA has a smartphone strapped to his hip.
I got rid of my flipphone six months ago. Only then did it become SOP for signing agents to carry a smartphone.
Reply by jba/fl on 1/19/13 2:22pm Msg #451204
Sometimes yes, w/reason; most times, thin skin get burned n/m
Reply by CJ on 1/19/13 2:40pm Msg #451205
Q. Why aren't people more chummy and cuddly here?
A. Because we are all competing with each other.
Reply by SERVICIO on 1/19/13 2:52pm Msg #451208
I never considered myself in competition with anyone here...
well I never considered myself in competition with anyone here but I can see your point. I thought this was a safe place for colleagues to discuss the trade. But don't feel bad I was wrong too.
Reply by CJ on 1/19/13 3:20pm Msg #451212
Why do we do this job anyway? For the fun of it?
Everyone here is in this business to make money. If the money fell out of the sky, we would not need to work. If they stopped paying us, we would not work for them.
Even though there is a lot of work right now, there is still just a finite amount of work. That work, and the money that goes with it, must be divided among all the notaries in that area. I try to get as much work as I can. I work days, nights, weekends and holidays. And so do you. If a newbie starts getting more work, that is taking the jobs away from "somebody" - maybe me, maybe someone else.
This is why I think this forum is not super chummy. If someone in my area wants me to share with them my client list, my steps of procedure, and do a ride-along, forget it! I am not going to train someone how to take a portion of my income. (Are they going to train me to get a portion of their current income? I don't think so.) And when we help others here, we are helping someone else's competition. And when YOU help others, you might be helping MY competition. Many newbies come here expecting free handouts of information, and they are shocked that people are not forthcoming.
If you are not competing with anyone in your area for the money, fine. But I can't afford to share my paycheck, and I think most people here can't afford to share their paycheck.
I learned how to be a mobile notary the hard way, before Notary Rotary. I cold-called 8 hours a day for 2 months before I got my first signing, and I blew that. In the past 12 years, I have been yelled at for every possible thing. That's why I am so picky and do such an exacting job now. We all know that we can't afford to make one mistake, no matter how teensy.
I don't mind answering a few questions, but bottom line: This is the place were my competition goes for improvement.
Remember when the housing market crashed a few years back? Our work came to a screeching standstill, and thousands of processors, loan officers and title people were out of work. We had no work and all those people decided to become signing agents. For three years, this forum was like starving wolves fighting over a picked carcass.
There is a finite amount of work, and the more signing agents there are, the smaller the slices of the pie for everyone.
Reply by jba/fl on 1/19/13 3:34pm Msg #451217
This is the place were my competition goes for improvement.
How very true.
Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/19/13 3:45pm Msg #451223
Re: Why do we do this job anyway? For the fun of it?
I disagree a little bit here. I, frankly, don't mind the competition. I'm not afraid of it. I learned a lot of what I know by reading here for many years before I ever participated.
I'm a firm believer in helping people out, giving them the resources to figure things out and pointing them where they need to go. Let them build their businesses the way it works for them. I support others building their own small businesses knowledgeably and doing it well.
There is a wealth of information to be found here if you pay attention and have the right attitude. You'll note that the ones who come in looking for somebody to hold their hand and hug them, give them participation trophies and whatnot don't stick around very long. It's not because this place is "mean" or anything. It's not. It's tough... it's business. Not everyone can handle running their own business. Far too many notaries have the employee mentality. They don't last long at all. Those people are not my competition.
Reply by SERVICIO on 1/19/13 4:34pm Msg #451230
I agree with you Marian...
I have been a notary for 19 years. I have never thought it appropriate to kick people when they are down. Not even just to help out. Some times kind words are enough. If you come in looking handout or even a hand up you're in the wrong place. But nobody deserves to get kicked in the teeth!
Reply by PegiT_MN on 1/20/13 12:34pm Msg #451298
Very Nice Post Marian! n/m
Reply by SERVICIO on 1/19/13 4:28pm Msg #451229
WOW I never really thought about it from that perspective!
So you're saying they are going to discourage me from pursuing this at all costs?.... If they can shut me down emotionally then I will eventually give up the game all together... WOW I never really thought about it from that perspective! Thanks
No sense in wasting my time on this forum then! because I don't want to sit around analyzing the information in addition to taking the time to chat about the situation. I would think it would be like a doctor. I don't think doctors try to trip up other doctors just because they want their patients. I would hope it is NOT like that here! I hardly receive any feed back from TN notaries on here, (at least not that I am aware of). It is mostly FL and CA where punches usually come from. I don't think they are trying to put me out of business so they can come to TN and take over. I hope you're not trying to do that now, Are you? You see there I go, now I have to analyze the perspective that YOU just gave me!!! LOL not worth it. But I can tell you this has been nothing but depressing when I get on here. So I will take my blows that life gives me and stick to talking to God I will just have to wait on the Lord to send me my improvements!!!
Reply by HisHughness on 1/19/13 5:23pm Msg #451237
Re: WOW I never really thought about it from that perspective!
***So I will take my blows that life gives me and stick to talking to God***
Well, that would have one major advantage. You know His commission is not going to expire.
Reply by SERVICIO on 1/19/13 5:40pm Msg #451241
Thank you HisHughness.... n/m
Reply by Malbrough_LA on 1/19/13 5:56pm Msg #451244
Re: WOW I never really thought about it from that perspective!
My commission does not expire either; however, I know He has me beat when it comes to that whole omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence type stuff! Well, that and I'm lacking in the whole "created a universe" department.
Reply by linda/ca on 1/20/13 12:53am Msg #451281
Re: WOW I never really thought about it from that perspective!
"I will just have to wait on the Lord to send me my improvements!!!"
SERVICO, not trying to be mean, however, keep in mind that you can't just wait for God because you also have to meet God halfway.
Don't give up on all the good information you can get here. Just like with God, you have to seek it.
Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/20/13 1:05am Msg #451282
Re: WOW I never really thought about it from that perspective!
That reminds of the joke of the 3 boats and a helicopter, and the various versions of it. You can be so busy trying to find what you think you want or need you ignore the very thing being given to you right in front of your face.
Reply by linda/ca on 1/20/13 12:42am Msg #451279
Bavo, CJ! n/m
Reply by Budman on 1/19/13 3:26pm Msg #451214
Did you expect everyone to agree with you?
How do you think we arrive at the best practace or the best way of doing things?
We discuss them and if we talk about them long enough we come up with the best way of handeling the situation. There are differences of opinion. We ask for opinions. If everyone agreed with you, you wouldn't learn a thing would you?
Reply by La Trese Breaux on 1/19/13 3:26pm Msg #451215
They will, they are some vicious rabbited wolves, then theres the Peanut Gallery that put there 2 cents in. They suffer from that disease called INTERNETBULLIEITIS classic symptoms are; Thinking they know everything also known as Smartitis Cronic diarrhea of the mouth Everybody is dumbsyndrome I nerver made mistakeitis If you feel you are showing signs of the symptoms above please contact reality ASAP. lol I'm sorry but i had to put my 2cents in.
Reply by BossLadyMD on 1/19/13 3:31pm Msg #451216
LOL @ La Trese n/m
Reply by SERVICIO on 1/19/13 4:41pm Msg #451232
La Trese Breaux hit right on the nose! LOL
you can disagree without being hateful and mean! You see how it works>>>I am disagreeing with somebody in here. I don't call them names to do it. unnecessary. I DON'T judge the person just the action!
Reply by La Trese Breaux on 1/19/13 4:55pm Msg #451233
Re: La Trese Breaux hit right on the nose! LOL
LOL i hope that hit on the nose made you feel better Like they say at the Bar Drinks All around.
Reply by Clem/CA on 1/19/13 7:34pm Msg #451261
Re: La Trese Breaux hit right on the nose! LOL
chicken suit?
Reply by La Trese Breaux on 1/19/13 11:23pm Msg #451276
Re: La Trese Breaux hit right on the nose! LOL
Clem, i can take my so called chicken suit off can
Reply by BossLadyMD on 1/19/13 3:35pm Msg #451219
THIS FORUM IS FAMOUS FOR ITS 'TOUGH LOVE'
Within limits, because there is never any reason to just be rude and nasty to anyone.
And sorry you had to go thru this, but until you acquire a smartphone maybe ask that they call you when the docs have been uploaded....
Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/19/13 4:35pm Msg #451231
Re: THIS FORUM IS FAMOUS FOR ITS 'TOUGH LOVE'
I think, in this particular case, nobody was mean, nasty or rude. We were, however, quite honest with our opinions. This is a professional network, and tough, constructive criticism is extremely valuable. It may not be what we *want* to hear, but it may be what we *need* to hear.
I think everyone knows (or should know) that if you try to vent about a bad situation with a poorly rated signing company, you're not going to get a lot of hugs and cookies from people.
Reply by SERVICIO on 1/19/13 4:56pm Msg #451234
Re: THIS FORUM IS FAMOUS FOR ITS 'TOUGH LOVE'
It is still not right to hide behind this facade>. 2. : a false, superficial, or artificial Tough love curtain. Just because someone has dislocated a joint you jump with eagerly enjoyment to relocate the joint and tell the person to suck it up! Not buying it! Thanks I'm out!
Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/19/13 5:14pm Msg #451236
Re: THIS FORUM IS FAMOUS FOR ITS 'TOUGH LOVE'
A facade? What facade am I hiding behind I'm posting here with my real name. My information as a notary is a matter of public information (according to the state of California). There's no reason for me to hide. I'm just imparting words of solid, commons sense business advice.
As I noted before, if you wish to be successful, as a mobile business owner, make sure you have the technology without having to drive 35 miles just to check your email rather than taking the word of a signing company that is well known to lie to notaries, not pay them on time (if ever) and cheat them of pay if/when they do pay. I don't work for them and never will. A lot of notaries here won't either.
As I said, I'm very sorry that you missed part of your evening last night, but I think your anger is coming from an emotional place rather than a practical business one. You can't be expected to be paid for travel to check your email. Should you be blamed for a signing not being completed because you didn't receive documents? Heavens no! But to insist on being being aid because you had to leave a family event and travel 70 miles just to check you email to see if the docs arrived or not when you could have (and should have) checked that right at the event is a an issue you should address for your business going forward.
Plus, just some personal advice... don't lay the guilt on the borrowers about missing out on part of a family event after they at least twice expressed concern about the late hour of your visit and they waited up for you to accommodate YOU so you could attend that event. It's just plain bad manners. Sorry... it just is!
As others have said... family first. Just turn assignments like that down. They always have a bad ending, and then feelings get hurt and people get emotional over poor business decisions. It's a tough lesson to learn. I get that... just take it for future reference and make a a wiser choice next time.
Reply by SERVICIO on 1/19/13 5:33pm Msg #451238
Marian you have definately missed the boat!
I was not charging SO-CAL for me driving to check my email! You insult my intelligence by insinuating that. I have been in business probably a lot longer than you have! Although I agree that there was a better route to take. I took the wrong route! I was not here for a confessional! But it is over now! Thank you, advice is not what I need. I knew what was wrong! but I opened the wrong forum to express it. That I am definitely regretful now.
Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/19/13 5:41pm Msg #451242
Re: Marian you have definately missed the boat!
"I was not charging SO-CAL for me driving to check my email! You insult my intelligence by insinuating that."
Then who *were* you going to charge? Because this is what you said earlier:
"Now because they can't get a hold of Title they are telling me they don't want to pay for the 70 miles I had to drive to print docs that were never sent."
Reply by desktopfull on 1/19/13 7:25pm Msg #451260
Excuse me, but who's intelligence is being insulted?
Care to explain this from your message # 451195: "I think it warrants the trip fee because every little tiny mistake that I make I get charged every single time. So all of a sudden they cost me money and time and now they don't have to pay for anything. No that's not right! especially when you turn around and lie about it."
You claim you weren't charging for the trip, but in your own words you claim they owe you for doing just that. I don't believe that Marian missed any boat and that you prefer to keep learning from the school of hard knocks. Maybe you should work on your memory too.
Reply by HisHughness on 1/19/13 5:35pm Msg #451239
Re: THIS FORUM IS FAMOUS FOR ITS 'TOUGH LOVE'
Okay, Servicio, that rips it. You weren't unduly thumped. You did something stupid, and you failed to do something smart. Several people emphatically told you the latter, but none told you the former. I tried to give you something positive you could take away from the exchange, but that wasn't good enough for you. Apparently, you came here looking solely for people to agree with you. They didn't, and they should not have, so now you're going to take your stamp and leave.
You won't be missed. You will, however, be more poorly equipped for your profession hereafter.
Reply by BossLadyMD on 1/19/13 8:43pm Msg #451269
I never said a particular person was rude in this thread
I was apologizing for what the company had put her thru. I dont wear my feelings on my sleeves and know how to handle this forum. And I certainly dont come here for hugs, cookies or roses
Reply by emilysigns on 1/19/13 3:53pm Msg #451225
take what is good and valuable
And leave the negative. This is a public forum and it seems you wanted the opinions of the group...you got it.
Hang in there, better days will come.
Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/19/13 4:09pm Msg #451226
I don't think she wanted an opinion so much as
she wanted to vent and, maybe, get validation that she deserved to be paid. Unfortunately no one else saw it that way.
I, for one, won't say something just because it's what someone wants to hear. I don't think that does anyone any good. I'm sorry if that hurt the OP's feelings..
Reply by Malbrough_LA on 1/19/13 4:13pm Msg #451227
A Treatise on the Valuation of E-cupcakes and E-hugs
Well a short paragraph or two at any rate because I'm lazy..
This subject reminds me of something I hear on a daily basis from another group where I'm a member. This other group has nothing to do with work, notary things, or anything else, and it's ALL about tough love there. Take what you like and leave the rest. Now this sage advice, not mine since I'm no sage/yogi/shaman etc, comes with a very important caveat. It's predicated on the fact that you have any clue of being able to differentiate between what is best to take and what you just "like." Bear in mind what you like might not always be that which is "best" for your current situation or predicament...and those things can and do change from day to day.
I like these simple rules: Rule #62 - Don't take yourself too damn seriously. Rule #63 - Don't take others too damn seriously.
Either way, always consider the message rather than the messenger. Plus, what's an "e-hug" or "e-cupcake" really worth? Nothing when compared to the advice of others in text. That's why I'm here.
Reply by desktopfull on 1/19/13 7:07pm Msg #451255
Like your simple rules! n/m
Reply by Carolyn Bodley on 1/19/13 5:45pm Msg #451243
Not one post chewed you up and spit you out
Maybe you didn't get the pats on the back or the hot chicken noodle soup you were looking for .. instead, what you got was some good and sound advice, in addition to a plate-glass window's view, i.e. knowledge that you can't buy, from some very experiened signing agents.
Further, not one of the responses had anything to do with you and the poster being competitors -- if that was the case, you wouldn't have gotten any response.
Reply by La Trese Breaux on 1/19/13 6:19pm Msg #451247
Re AS THE LATE RODENY KING SAY
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG LOL I know we are suppose to be professional here But today is saturday some of us had a hard and dry week at the salt mines. If he made a mistake then let be. Do you talk to your mothers with tuff love or your children. Ya'll all need to Take a deep breath and let it go. OK on the count of 3 ready........ 1-2-3 woooooooooooooooooo now LET IT GO......... ALL BETTER NOW I feel Great living life and loven it
Reply by Carolyn Bodley on 1/19/13 6:34pm Msg #451251
I'll pass up singing Kumbaya around the camp fire, thank you n/m
Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/19/13 6:42pm Msg #451252
Re: Re AS THE LATE RODENY KING SAY
"Do you talk to your mothers with tuff love or your children. "
I would hope that parents DO talk to their children with tough love. That's part of being a PARENT.
Reminds me of an opinion piece I read the other day:
At any rate... back to this being a professional forum. Nothing said here today was bullying mean. It was solid constructive advice and criticism. That's what this place is for.
Reply by Clem/CA on 1/19/13 7:41pm Msg #451263
Re: Re AS THE LATE RODENY KING SAY
I had to learn to forgive. I couldn't sleep at night. I got ulcers. I had to let go, to let God deal with it. No one wants to be mad in their own house. I didn't want to be angry my whole life. It takes so much energy out of you to be mean. Rodney King Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rodney_king.html#MPOxJh5FsaE1dZod.99
Reply by jba/fl on 1/19/13 6:58pm Msg #451254
Y'all need to get to y'alls own pep rally where yellin' is
fine. While there, learn to at least get the spelling of peoples name correct. I am just so freshly out of ideas of how I am to interpret what is written here lately. Most I can overlook, but yours is simply atrocious.
Reply by La Trese Breaux on 1/19/13 7:15pm Msg #451257
Re: Y'all need to get to y'alls own pep rally where yellin' is
JBA " you all" is that better, Not be rude but go relax or get some docs signed. Better yet do both.
Reply by La Trese Breaux on 1/19/13 7:15pm Msg #451258
Re:You all
JBA " you all" is that better, Not be rude but go relax or get some docs signed. Better yet do both.
Reply by CJ on 1/19/13 9:08pm Msg #451270
The forum: my 2 cents.
Things I think about this forum: 1. It's never appropriate, to be rude, insulting or call people names. 2. If someone posts their mistake here, there is going to be a feeding frenzy. 3. If someone wants to vent, they better make that clear, or all the pharisees are going to jump in with their opinions about "what you did wrong". (They will probably jump in anyway.) 4. If you need a sympathetic ear, you better take it to your Recovery Group, where they validate and give group hugs. (Not that that's bad, it's just not happening here.) 5. Because success at this job requires super-picky perfectionism, most people here are super-picky perfectionists. 6. People here are only going to "help" to a certain degree, because we are, by default, in competition with all the other signing agents.
I am sorry that the op had such a terrible, frustrating day. And this has become quite a lively thread about the whole thing, which seems to be making it worse for her. Tomorrow is a new day, and the forum will have something else to dissect and debate.
Reply by JanetK_CA on 1/20/13 12:49am Msg #451280
Re: The forum: my 2 cents.
Pretty darn good advice, CJ! I pretty much agree on all points, with just a minor qualification. I believe that the response a person gets depends on what the reader thinks they are looking for - and I think the default assumption is that they're asking for advice. So, yeah, if someone just wants to vent, it's real helpful to say so. If they just want some warm fuzzies and they tell us that, I'd bet there's a good chance they'll get some. Otherwise, expect people to offer their honest opinions.
[The rest of this, after reading both threads, is a compilation of thoughts from my late night "philosophical soap box", so my apologies in advance. ]
Re: the issue of competition, I'd have a hard time believing that anyone would intentionally give bad advice here to try to thwart a potential competitor. There's probably a certain amount of truth to item #6 in CJ's post about only helping to a certain degree, but I'd strongly suspect that it would more be in the form of not posting at all rather than anything said on the forum.
In many ways, I think that when a person posts something that someone else disagrees with, the least helpful thing they can do is to just pat them on the head and make them feel better about a difficult situation. There's nothing to be learned that way. We rarely agree on anything on this board, but we learn more from those who are willing to challenge us on things than from those who just agree. This isn't to say that the challengers are always right, either, but if it makes us think, that's a good thing, imo. Ultimately, we will have to make our own decisions - and live with the results of those decisions.
As for the situation in the original post that started this whole discussion, I'm in the camp that believes that lots of very good advice was given. In any difficult situation (and in our business we are going to run into lots of them), there are two types of events: those we can control and those we can't control. For the former, the more we examine our choices and decisions about those events, the more we learn about how to handle them better in the future. And for the latter, we may not be able to change the circumstances when they're beyond our control, but we CAN change our attitude about them and how we choose to react to them - unless we're unwilling to listen to other opinions and/or advice, and we close ourselves off from examining and evaluating how we can grow and improve. (That's a never-ending job for me! )
One more thought. Just today, I came across another example of how easy it is to misinterpret the tone of a written message. Sometime over the last several days, I included a question in a response to a post. Today I got a PM from the person to whom the question was directed apologizing if I was offended. I was very surprised, because I had meant the exact opposite. I was far from offended and was genuinely interested in the response (which, happily, was provided in the PM). Perhaps I didn't do a good job of communicating my intent, but regardless, that person read the message differently than it sounded in my head when I wrote it. I'm sure that happens constantly in any written media - especially when messages are dashed off quickly.
Which leads to my final thought. I realize it isn't always possible because of time constraints, but it could potentially save a lot of grief if people re-read and edited their posts for grammar, punctuation and tone before hitting the "post" button. Clearly, that won't eliminate all confusion or missed interpretations, but it would probably help a lot...
Reply by Moneyman/TX on 1/21/13 7:38am Msg #451361
<Like>
Reply by LKT/CA on 1/19/13 10:50pm Msg #451275
No one will pat you on the back or agree with your "vent" when you do something ridiculous and then complain about a company for YOUR lack of business acumen. No one else will care about your business like YOU will. YOU need to put procedures in place so that your business runs profitably. If you allow yourself to be taken advantage, that's not the company's fault...that's YOUR fault!! And you cannot then come here and whine about the company. You will continue to have problems if you run your business in such a poor fashion. Good luck, you'll need it!
Reply by CJ on 1/20/13 12:24am Msg #451278
Okay everyone, time to move on.
She had a very bad day, and lots of people got to rub salt in the wound. I think she gets the picture. Let it go.
Reply by LKT/CA on 1/20/13 5:12pm Msg #451310
Re: Okay everyone, time to move on.
Many posters get into the game late - meaning that by the time they log into NR, the thread is already 30 or 40 responses deep. So their added comments aren't belaboring the point - they just got into the game late. Therefore, whether or not others continue to comment, let it go, or move on is up to them...not you. And this very bad day she had....she *created*...and by her responses to others, I very much doubt "she got the picture".
Reply by linda/ca on 1/20/13 10:58pm Msg #451349
Re: Okay everyone, time to move on.
"Many posters get into the game late - meaning that by the time they log into NR, the thread is already 30 or 40 responses deep. So their added comments aren't belaboring the point - they just got into the game late. Therefore, whether or not others continue to comment, let it go, or move on is up to them...not you. And this very bad day she had....she *created*...and by her responses to others, I very much doubt "she got the picture"."
My thoughts, exactly, LKT/Ca. I was thinking "mama" CJ must be feeling pretty good about herself right now. I am one of those who got into the game late and thought I was free to express my opinion. With that said...I've read CJ's post over the years so I know she's a sweetheart and feel that she probably really was feeling uplifted due to her post.
Reply by Moneyman/TX on 1/21/13 10:15am Msg #451375
I don't think she, or you, got "the picture" at all, CJ, ...
at least not according to her last post in this thread. "... I knew what was wrong! but I opened the wrong forum to express it. That I am definitely regretful now." Msg #451238
She posted something that she obviously expected everyone else would agree with her 100% on and it appears that's all she wanted to read in any of the responses.
She has legitimate complaints about the docs not being sent, not being able to reach anyone at the SS, and about her being blamed if the docs were not sent. Other than that, she created the rest of the issues she is complaining about (both the signing as well as her "bad" treatment here on NotRot). I can understand that she is upset with the situation and the outcome, but as others mentioned, perhaps she should have turned the signing down from the start and enjoyed the evening with her family. That's not "being mean" and neither is telling her that she is wrong for expecting the SS to pay her a trip fee to drive to her own office.
She must be under the impression that anytime any NSA complains about any issues with any SS company, especially one that does not have a stellar reputation, that everyone will automatically be on the side of the NSA, regardless of the situation. That is not the case, nor should it be.
I went back and found the original OP she posted and read the thread. I didn't find anyone's responses to be out of line. If anything, most seemed shocked that she would even consider trying to charge the SS a trip fee for the situation she described. She said she has been in business for 19 years, I have no reason to doubt that. That being the case, you would think that she would have developed a thicker skin than she appears to have when other professionals point out to her that she made some decisions that added negatively to the situation. She was offered advice on how to handle a similar situation in the future by some that she seems to be taking offense to.
With that being said, IF she had said that she felt she should charge the SS for the time they booked (wasted) but did not send the docs, the fact that they were not available for her to contact them (even by the "after hours" number they provided), and that they were now blaming her for the signing not taking place, I would have agreed with her (for those reasons and those reasons only).
I honestly believe that may have been what she wanted to charge them for. However, due to her emotions involved (missing her son's event) she did not do a good job communicating those points in her original posting or any of her responses to others.
Her "70 mile drive" is irrelevant, as is the information about her having to leave early and miss the event she was there for in the first place. Those things would have still happened had the docs been sent because she accepted the signing request.
If she had actually "gotten the picture", as you believe she had, she might have realized that her wording, and including irrelevant information in her original post, made it appear that she was being unreasonable and unprofessional to demand the SS pay what amounts to a trip fee for her to drive to her own office. She was so busy taking offense at what she perceived to be others "chewing her up and spitting her out" that she responded as if she was being attacked, when in reality, she wasn't.
Then she proceeds to post another message (this thread) complaining about the other posters. Having thin skin mixed with a lot of emotions about a situation that she didn't communicate to others very well are not a good combination, imo.
Some people look for things to be "offended" by in what others say as if there is some kind of reward being offered. I'm not saying that is what she does, but I'm sure you can see how it can come across that way when she says things like, "But I can tell you this has been nothing but depressing when I get on here." Msg #451229
Respectfully, I didn't see anyone rubbing any "salt in the wound" here, CJ.
i hope that hit on the nose made you feel better 