Posted by notary4az2 on 3/20/13 1:18pm
Msg #462158

General notary work

I have been doing mobile notary work for awhile now and lately I have found general notary work to be challenging. The call comes in and they ask "what do you charge for your services?" I usually respond depends on where you are and how many documents you want notarized. I had some guy tell me today that I was asking too many personal questions because I asked what he wanted notarized. I find most people do not understand that some documents require witnesses and proper id. I do not just notarize docs just because they are willing to pay. Some People!

Reply by Linda Juenger on 3/20/13 1:32pm
Msg #462161

I'm having the same issues. The very first thing they ask is how much do I charge. I then start asking the questions. Most are nice and understand. Some aren't. Just yesterday I had a guy call me that owns our local Chinese Restaurant in town. I don't know him personally, but see him when I eat there. Can't fully understand what the document was on the phone because it is hard to understand his English so I agree to meet him at the restaurant. I pull up, he comes running out the door and tells me not to go in. He doesn't want anyone to know what he is doing. Ok, so we walk around the corner to his car. He gives me his ID, which is valid, then hands me the document. The document is a "Sale of Business" as the heading in English and the contract handwritten in Chinese. He keeps saying its good and nothing has changed. No notarial worlding, no place for either of us to sign, etc etc. Mind you, I tried to ask him on the phone what the document was and could not understand him. I explain that I can't do this and advised him to see an attorney. He then said that the bank told him that if "I" do it, its legal. No way. The bank sends all gnw to me. I said I was sorry, but I can not do this and just walked to my car. There is no way in h*** I was going to do anything like that, in a language I can't read even though we can communicate well enough. He's trying to pull a fast one on someone and I want no part of it. I think he actually thought that if it was notarized then it was legal and he either sold the business or bought the business. Couldn't read it. Most GNW is fine and we either meet somewhere, I charge by the mile or they come to me. Just depends how comfortable I feel when they call if I let them come to my home.

Reply by Priscilla Witman on 3/20/13 2:03pm
Msg #462173

I have found, through a lot of trial and error, that I can weed out some pretty nasty potential situations by asking questions. If a customer is on the up and up, they do not protest when I ask if they and/or the document signers have a valid ID, if all parties signing the document will be present, etc. I also ask for a first and last name when I set appointments, especially important for mobile appointments in my opinion. I have the right to know what lion's den I'm potentially walking into, and I want my husband to know where I am.

I have been hung up on, cursed out, told I was being difficult and nosy, you name it, because I want to get the whole picture. I do not ask any more questions than I need to ensure the client has a valid form of ID, knows what they're signing, and knows what my fees are. A former client, because I refused to "just take her document at lunch and bring it back notarized", tells anyone who'll listen that I am an arrogant, idiot B!%$& and don't use me if they want a properly notarized signature. Oh well. Can't please everyone, not everyone will always be happy. I have also noticed, at least lately, that cost is usually one of the first questions. Just the nature of the beast, I guess.

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/20/13 2:14pm
Msg #462180

Re: General notary work--it is a challenge

What I've learned (usually the hard way):
1. Don't bother with what the doc is until you've told them $X/stamp or signature, depending upon your state. You will probably lose them at this point and you've saved a lot of time.
2. They OK with that? Cash payment required. (Again--you may lose them.) Note: Have lots of cash on hand to make change for that $100 bill they're going to hand you for 1 notarization.
3. Then you tell them your travel fee and that this payment is required up front upon arrival.
If they haven't already hung up on you, you MAY have a winner.
4. Now you can ease into 'what is the document' and briefly explain 'because they just might want you notarizing a photo or some thing that you can't do and a brief explanation on their part may save them the travel fee if what they want can't be done'.
5. Ask if they have valid, in date, gov-issued PHOTO id...ask them to look (see 3) and if their id is the same name they will be signing on this document or (see 3).
5a. Address the witness issue if you're in a witness state. I'm not.
6. If they are still with you, you definitely have a winner---provided you have the change for $100 when you get there.

Reply by Jessica/FL on 3/20/13 2:18pm
Msg #462182

Credit Card

I always enjoy when the customer asks if I can take a credit card, thinking that I can't. I then whip out my "square" and proceed to tell them the charge for credit card payments.

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/20/13 2:29pm
Msg #462186

Wondering...do they then pay cash? n/m

Reply by Jessica/FL on 3/20/13 2:33pm
Msg #462188

I accept the Credit Card n/m

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/20/13 3:17pm
Msg #462199

<<< The call comes in and they ask "what do you charge for your services?" I usually respond depends on where you are and how many documents you want notarized.>>>

That's a vague response that doesn't answer the caller's question. Simply answer their question, i.e. "The notarization fees are $X per signature notarized for each document, plus a travel fee that's based on where we meet." You can then go on to ask how many signers, the nature of the docs and how many, and where they'd like to meet with you.

Reply by HSH/WA on 3/20/13 4:36pm
Msg #462223

Re: Never get any general notary work

$25 for the drive and $10 per notarized doc is too much. They just say I'll get back to you and never do. But, I want to make money off the effort, any cheaper wouldn't work out.

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/20/13 5:23pm
Msg #462229

Re: Never get any general notary work

If you are within 5 - 10 minutes of a McDonalds or Starbucks, consider meeting the customer there and waive the travel fee. Some notaries don't want to waste their time for one notarization. But I can tell you from experience that, more times than I can count, those $10 jobs have resulted in $100 - $200 cash referrals. You just never know who your $10 customer knows!!! But of course, that decision is yours ;-)

Reply by jba/fl on 3/20/13 5:50pm
Msg #462234

I do the same as LKT - it always amazes me how much

work comes from the 1/2 mile drive to the grocery store w/McD's next to it.

Reply by ikando on 3/20/13 6:07pm
Msg #462236

A lot of my GNW calls are from buyers who want me to notarize a vehicle title. In Oklahoma, only the seller's signature gets notarized, so my first question when they ask about fee is, Are you the seller?

I got a call the other day from a man who had "some papers to be notarized." He didn't ask the usual how much question. Rather he asked, "Is there a charge for that?" I responded, Of course. You did call a business.

On another note, last Saturday I got a call that ended up netting me $500. It was an attorney who deals in mortgage transfers, and his office decided that he needed to sign off on a very large number while he was on vacation. He called me. I went to his parents house and spent an hour and a half changing the venue and notary information before sealing, and took home cash. Additionally when I mentioned I do remote closings, he suggested that I may be his multi-state firm's go to person in this area. Woo-hoo!!

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/20/13 7:59pm
Msg #462252

YEP!!!

A lady I notarized for on two different occasions - met with her at Starbucks near my home and only one doc each time called me to say her sister (an attorney) was in town and needed "several docs" notarized. I met them both at their mom's home just a few miles away and in just under 1.5 hours, I walked away with $190 cash AND homemade cinnamon rolls. The attorney loves to cook and said she only cooks from scratch. I then asked if she would adopt me <heehee!>

I have had many referrals just like that from the single doc, $10 jobs.

Reply by Michelle/AL on 3/20/13 7:42pm
Msg #462249

Notary4az2, I have found that General Notary Work offers the least amount of hassle. That was definitely the case for me in Huntsville, AL. But many of my customers were business people who traveled a lot so as long as my fees were around $50 I didn't get any push back. They tended to tip as well. They were just happy for the convenience.

There would be the occasional person who balked at my travel fee but what I would do is tell those individuals that I would be at such & such place at x o'clock and if they wanted to meet me there I'd waive the travel fee.

My suggestion to you is to try and target a different market for GNW. Is there anyway you can do some focused advertising to attract those individuals who are willing to pay? I just met someone who works at an area hospital facility and she passing out my cards to unit secretaries.

Don't give up yet. I consider GNW gravy due to so little expense.

Reply by ikando on 3/20/13 8:38pm
Msg #462260

Michelle, I agree with you that there is little expense in comparison to NSA work. However, the other side of the coin is that people see it as an easy, quick buck, and have no idea what they're doing. I've had occasion to follow another notary who met a family at a hospital for the patient to sign some documents. When I asked for the appropriate ID, they said the other notary had just looked at the patient's hospital bracelet, which unlike the type indicated in another post, only has the hospital's identifying information, not a copy of DL.

Obviously that other person had decided that the easy work was not worth knowing what the job required. I always shake my head when I hear those stories, and pity the people that have to deal with any future issues that may come up.