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Posted by  JanetK_CA on 2/17/20 3:48pm
I don't track how much of my business comes from GNW vs. loan signing, but these days it's a pretty significant portion. Like Matt, GNW can be pretty lucrative in my area, too, but that's largely because of more than a decade of marketing and focus on building that side of my business. That includes work with attorneys, financial firms, small businesses with busy executives, etc., etc., and lots of people in the general public who lead busy lives and/or don't want to wait in line at UPS or somewhere public where their docs could be visible to anyone walking by.
Folks in my mostly upscale coverage area also tend to understand the value of time and appreciate the convenience, so not only do I seldom get complaints about my fees, it's not uncommon for people to add a tip. Obviously, that's not going to be the case everywhere. The ones who are concerned about my 'mobile service fee' go find someone else and are immediately forgotten. Once in a while, though, I offer to meet them at the coffee place down the street for a small service fee. (I used to just charge the notary fee, but so many of those were evenings, weekends, and just 1 or 2 sigs, that I've started adding a $10 service fee for when they do the travel. My time has value, too!)
The other side of the coin is that I'm also frequently willing to do difficult appointments (within legal and ethical guidelines). That includes the 1 or 2 signatures for someone in a hospital (I've had to suit up in a gown, gloves and surgical mask more than once), dealing with elderly (who I carefully screen), and the odd single signature appointment for a wide variety of things. These don't pay a lot, but there's usually no prep work and no follow up. I notarize and get paid on the spot. A recent example was the POA signing for a Spanish speaking husband and wife in their 90s, one of whom signed with a mark. They were so sweet - and so grateful! For the amount of time spent, it wasn't much money, but many times, the biggest reward of all is the feeling of doing a public service.
BTW, I also always leave a card. In states where very fees allowed for GNW are low, this may not make sense, but I'm not infrequently amazed by getting calls from people who start out saying "I used your services a few years ago..."
Not sure if this was what you were looking for, but here it is regardless.
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