Posted by Malbrough_LA on 11/22/13 10:25am
Msg #493675

Would love an outside perspective on this one.

I was scheduled to do a closing by someone named Steve at LTS. They didn't meet my fee, but they were fairly close. Against my better judgment I said sure, why not? I scheduled the appointment and all was fine. Then things change and it needs to be rescheduled. No problem. We set a new day and time. Then it gets rescheduled again. I've been moving things around to accommodate the changing time, but that's not a relatively big deal. I get this email this morning:

"See attached. This is being rescheduled again. I apologize for all the changes. Same day, just different time. Please advise if you are available? Thank you."

I replied with this:
"Steve, this has been all over the place. I understand it's not your fault as a middle scheduler, but that can be taken up on your end with whomever contracted LTS. I'll move a few things around again for the time change, but this is the third time I'm having to restructure my schedule, general notary assignments, and family. The time of 7pm is after my usual business hours. The original fee quoted was $xxx. Increase the fee to $xxx with no fax backs and a non excessive package of less than 150pps, and I'll accept the assignment as an after hours call. Please reply as confirmation." [the increase asked for was $35 - $20 of which was to pay for my children's sitter which would be required, but more on that later].

This is what I got back:
"You know what, if this is the case and you feel that I have inconvenienced your entire schedule and Family, plus it is an hour after “normal” business hours, then please disregard this closing and I will be removing you as a preferred notary from my national database. I do not appreciate the way you come off in emails, and I do not want you to be an extension of LTS or ANY of my clients with this sort of attitude. Good day, Ryan, and good luck on your future endeavors. "

This one caused me to have an RCA dog moment and ask...."What?"

My reply:
"Steve, I'm sorry you feel as though anything was personally directed at you. It wasn't. This is business. That is why I began the email with this, "Steve, this has been all over the place. I understand it's not your fault as a middle scheduler". I receive this in reply: "I do not appreciate the way you come off in emails." I'm not certain what that means. Where did I "come off" unprofessional in any of our correspondences other than stating an obvious fact that this has been all over the place due to three reschedules? A simple statement that you could not comply with theses new changes would have been more professional. In so far as "inconveniencing" me, you haven't. It's not a problem for me to adjust my schedule. It could be a problem for my other clients who come to my home office, my wife who has a hospital shift that night, and the sitter for my two children I need to schedule to accommodate the closing.

I have no problem with you removing me from your list of preferred notaries, but do not think I have taken any offense to this. That's a professional decision you have made. I do genuinely wish you all the best, and I am sorry if you feel slighted that we could not reach an agreeable contract."

The last reply from him:
"Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry you feel the way you do and have a hard time balancing your personal schedule with your work schedule. Again, good luck with your future endeavors and I wish you prosperous business in the coming new year."

I'll sum the replies up in what I believe a concise manner: toxic and personal rather than professional. Either way, I'll apply my standard philosophy: I'll be placed where I'm needed most today; deus providebit.

Reply by Judy/TX on 11/22/13 10:32am
Msg #493679

I am totally on your side. Many title companies and signing services have the misguided impression we work just for them. They don't get it that we are juggling 10-12 different title companies and SS during the month end period. I always try to accommodate everyone, but I agree that in this case it was not possible. I would have turned it back also.

Reply by Darlin_AL on 11/22/13 10:43am
Msg #493680

the guy is an idiot w/problems n/m

Reply by Linda Juenger on 11/22/13 10:47am
Msg #493683

Re: the guy is an idiot w/problems

I try not to say anything about family commitments if possible. I don't think they like to hear that. They need a loan closed. I must admit I have told little white lies when I can't accomodate and tell them I am already booked for that time. I offer a different time.

I agree with you on this, don't get me wrong. After the 3rd time, they are going to work around MY schedule.

Why is 7pm after hours for you? That's a pretty popular time.

Reply by jba/fl on 11/22/13 10:51am
Msg #493686

Re: the guy is an idiot w/problems

Wife's nurse schedule - expenses increase w/babysitter in the mix now.

I do the same - I now have to charge enough to cover this new expense, or sink.

Reply by Malbrough_LA on 11/22/13 10:56am
Msg #493690

The 7pm time slot was already booked with a local

constituent that needed a testament drafted. I try to schedule most of my GNW well in advance so I can coordinate the other jobs around it.

Reply by 101livescan on 11/22/13 10:44am
Msg #493681

Unbelievably arrogant. I had a closing yesterday with no wiring instructions for $38K and no airbill, WTF? How can I act proficiently with no tools.

Good grief. Finally at 7pm I get an email with FEDEX airbill to use to return package, too late to get to FEDEX.

I had already received one from the Lender in TX who wanted these docs TODAY, not MONDAY.

I sometimes wonder how these companies keep their clients, and yes, they are SPW members!

Reply by pan/nd on 11/22/13 10:46am
Msg #493682

Title was out of line...I'm with you....I would have turned it back as well.

If they delete you, so be it...there are many others around who do appreciate a notary's

time and profession.

Long story short..title or lender or both..didn't have their act together and decided it should

be the notary that suffers. Typical. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down.

Interestingly..I have one of those today...where it's already been rescheduled twice....so

we'll see.

Reply by Malbrough_LA on 11/22/13 10:50am
Msg #493685

Not looking so much at his side. That NEVER does me any good

I'm instead looking at my side of the street which is something I can do something about. The words of Reinhold Niebuhr ring truest: "...accept the things I cannot change...courage to change the things I can...wisdom to know the difference..." Obviously I can't change other people, but I can change myself. Just looking to see was I out of my gourd anywhere (it happens from time to time)

What I find more disturbing was the ranking on SC wouldn't have led me to believe this would be problematic, but things are always in a constant state of flux...not to mention one contact does not necessitate a reputation for an entity.

Reply by Notarysigner on 11/22/13 11:23am
Msg #493696

Funny, to me....at least they didn't tell you that you had a "bad attitude" Like was told by a different hiring party.

Reply by snowflake/PA on 11/22/13 12:24pm
Msg #493705

You did the right thing. I work with a title co. and if the closing gets rescheduled more than one time, title allows me to then select a convenient closing time. Keep searching. There are awesome title companies out there.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 11/22/13 12:43pm
Msg #493711

My .02 FWIW (well, maybe $.25 - inflation and all)

I don't know that I would have given him all that information on the third reschedule. You are either available or you're not (and I have to admit that by the 3rd time I'd have been out of patience too) - it's just a simple "that an additional $xx for after hours", all other agreements on the assignment remaining as is (although faxbacks on a Friday night - I dunno). But he's had enough problems with scheduling this file - he doesn't need any more lectures.

I agree with Linda - they don't want to hear how you have to juggle family or any personal commitments, and honestly IMO that's occupational suicide - changes in schedule and late appointments are the nature of the beast.

As for 7:00 being after hours, we all set our own hours and I, for one, won't start signings after 6:00 except special companies and close to home - I definitely won't start any at 8:00 any more - I don't want to be out all night and I don't like driving at night - with it getting dark earlier my cutoff time is 6 now - til spring. I've also found that, for me, the later the appointments the more difficult the file - but that's just my experience.

Too bad you burned a bridge - if you liked working with this company you might consider a mea culpa letter to him to try to repair it. If not, or if it fails, then move on..

Good Luck...and all JMHO

Reply by Malbrough_LA on 11/22/13 2:17pm
Msg #493723

Re: My .02 FWIW (well, maybe $.25 - inflation and all)

Hehe whether it's .02 or .25, I'm not certain it's worth anything these days with the way economics and inflation is going

I do agree with the perspective and next time that will be my approach: y/n - here's new fee period. (short and to the point without being curt - some people still practice manners and it is appreciated).

With regard to: "Too bad you burned a bridge - if you liked working with this company you might consider a mea culpa letter to him to try to repair it." I don't consider it a bridge burned with the incendiary device located in my grasp; however, I suppose those details--in the grander scheme of things--are irrelevant. Never having worked for the company, I consider nothing gained and nothing lost. It's a wash.

Reply by Art_PA on 11/22/13 1:35pm
Msg #493716

You asked so.... My $.02: Too many explanations. The SS is not interested in a notary's other appointments, personal life, time you walk the dog, or other family responsibilities, only whether you can do 1 job - the job they are calling about.

By throwing in all this other stuff, you are making it very complicated, and perhaps this gave the SS the feeling that it doesn't want to take a chance that you will do that job correctly on time, and that you will not make the borrower uncomfortable by discussing everything you did to accommodate this signing.

How and/or why would you keep rearranging your schedule to do this job for a company unfamiliar to you for less that your usual fee at times when you were very busy?

Reply by Malbrough_LA on 11/22/13 2:24pm
Msg #493725

I can see your perspective, and it makes perfect sense to me. That's why I posted this though. I learned long ago that when something breaks down in a communicative front, it almost always is a break from two sides--not one.

As to the latter question, I was operating from the star rating in SC at the hopes of gaining a little more work. Some work is good. More is always better though. Next time, I'm sticking to gut checking like I usually do based upon first contact. [I believe my glaring weakness here was this: Well, we can't match your fee, but we can do xxx. My immediate thought was, well, that's only a little under my fee..holidays are right around the corner..good rating...sure take a chance.] No. I went against my own better judgment on that one. Either way, the company may be an excellent one. Like I said, I cannot base a judgment from one interaction with one individual. That's faulty reasoning.

Reply by MW/VA on 11/22/13 1:56pm
Msg #493720

IMO it was a situation of TMI (too much information). I

wouldn't have gone out of my way to accommodate that many scheduling changes. I also can't believe that he said he would remove you from their list. If we're too accommodating, they think they can push us around. I learned a long time ago not to wait around all day for docs. Life goes on. ;-)

Reply by Malbrough_LA on 11/22/13 2:25pm
Msg #493726

Re: IMO it was a situation of TMI (too much information). I

"If we're too accommodating, they think they can push us around."

This, this, and a third helping of this, please!

Reply by JanetK_CA on 11/22/13 6:21pm
Msg #493753

Re: IMO it was a situation of TMI (too much information). I

I'm pretty much in agreement with the rest. They don't need explanations. However, I feel that they should (but rarely do) appreciate the inconvenience involved with repeated reschedules and the possibility that we lost out on other work for the time slot we saved for them. There IS a cost to us involved in those last minute changes. When they jerk you around more than twice, it would be nice if there was a little extra consideration (even if it was just a "pretty please"), rather than a lash back. What I REALLY hate, is when they get rescheduled over and over, then they want to sign during prime time on EOM! That's sooooo frustrating!

Some people believe, unfortunately, that the best defense is a good offense - and it sounds like your guy was one of them. He could have simply said "I understand. I can't go any higher, but don't worry about it, I'll find someone else." But instead, he took his frustration out on you and over-reacted, imo. With his lower fee, he's probably used to people being willing to jump through whatever hoops it takes.

His attitude may have given you a small window into how he might react with any other issues on future assignments, so you may not have lost much.

Reply by MW/VA on 11/22/13 6:24pm
Msg #493755

Another example of this. I had appts. scheduled for 3 pm

& 4:30 today. Got a call that the 3 pm had to be at 4:30 because that was the only time borrowers were available. Ok, I moved my 4:30 to 6 pm, and I don't usually do that. It was a good client, so I tried to move things around. Then docs never arrived in time to meet that 4:30. Call the borrowers to see if they were available later in the evening--no go. I decided to move the other one back to 4:30 again. I know that I should have told them I was already booked for that time frame when it came up in the first place.
Late docs are to be expected here at EOM, but it can't be accommodated if the borrowers don't have any flexibility.

Reply by LKT/CA on 11/22/13 6:38pm
Msg #493756

You offended him.....

.....when you called him a "middle scheduler".....so he showed you he isn't a "nobody" and that he has clout - i.e. " I will be removing you as a preferred notary from my national database." Notice he said *I* will be....from *my* national database.

Saying "I understand it's not your fault...." was sufficient. Adding the "middle scheduler" to the sentence struck his nerve. Also, I agree with the others that said you gave TMI and either you're available, or you're not. The restructuring of your schedule is not their problem, nor do they care, which is why I learned a long time ago NEVER to forego time booked for family for a loan signing. The loan signing may or may not happen. The family event can't be recaptured.

Reply by BrendaTx on 11/22/13 7:34pm
Msg #493769

Yep. Good assessment, Lisa. n/m

Reply by Malbrough_LA on 11/22/13 9:07pm
Msg #493784

Re: You offended him.....

Wow. That thought didn't dawn on me until I read your post. I didn't intend the phrase "middle scheduler" as an insult, but I can see how it may be misconstrued as one. I meant he was in the middle taking orders from title and just passing them along to me to complete them on the firing line so to speak. Which would logically place me at the bottom if anything. (Does that make sense?) I completely see where it could be understood the way you reference though! A lot can be lost in translation or added to with type : / At any rate, thank you for your perspective. I'm going to add that to my toolkit of communication.

THAT'S why I love this place. So many different eyes, someone's bound to help me catch something about myself which could be slightly out of whack or use a fine tuning. Thanks to everyone for the differing perspectives and the always needed introspection. Always appreciated!

Reply by BrendaTx on 11/22/13 7:31pm
Msg #493767

>> I am sorry you feel the way you do and have a hard time balancing your personal schedule with your work schedule. <<

Before this conversation took place, I would have been too frustrated and probably just turned it back with a "Sorry, all slots are full; maybe next time." and would not have explained further.

Then, the result would have been, "Gee, sorry you are the kind of person who cannot manage time."

Fantasy response:
Dear Steve,

Thanks. I appreciate your feedback and understanding. Oh, and I am very sorry that you are not even a real person.

You are just an empty shell that apparently cannot manage its time, either.

Reply by Karla/OR on 11/22/13 8:48pm
Msg #493781

LIKE button! n/m