You ask where the issues come from. Assuming you mean waiting on documents, IMHO, it is the Lender. Waiting on approvals. The lender is the fount from which all loans and signing blessings flow. Just keep that in mind.
Title is at their mercy. Title has to wait for lender approval before they can send to SS.
SSs want the documents to give to you. They are not withholding them, or sitting around twiddling their thumbs.
When you are scheduling appointments with borrowers, always prepare them for a window of time. It's all about the window. Don't promise a specific time. They have already been told that they WILL do their signing at x:00 on the dot. It seldom happens like that and you'll need to help them overcome that mythical thinking.
Explain that it is a process and that many factors depend on the delivery of the documents to assure that their loan documents are accurate.
If they have to have an exact time--and, there are legitimate reasons that exact times have to be honored, inform hiring entity ASAP and give them a drop time for your schedule.
If you prepare the borrowers right, you build flexibility into your schedule.
Say you have a 5:00 pm and a 6:30 pm. If the 5:00 pm documents are late, don't delay all the appointments, unless it makes sense. Go do the 6:30 pm; do the 5:00 pm at 7:30 pm or 8:00 pm.
Excuses that you will hear from hiring entities:
--Lender's entire computer system is down--nationwide!!!!! (Always my favorite! Countrywide's system going down -- crashing -- NATIONWIDE -- every single EOM. You'd think that they'd fix that, wouldn't you? It wasn't broken. They were just processing so many mortgages at EOM.)
--Title's computer is down. Yeah. Sure it is.
--We emailed those documents an hour ago...let me check to see where they are. In the meantime, you go check your spam folder. (Hey, it kills another 30 minutes.)
--The person that emails the documents had a family emergency and had to leave...hold on, we are getting someone else to get them out to you. Please call the borrowers and try to get them to hang on. The lady who has security clearance to fill in has to commute 1.5 hrs. We are pulling out all the stops to get this done tonight. (Clever. Turns the lender/title/whomever into a hero.)
--Title had to re-do the hud one more time because they figured out something that might shave some off of the closing costs. The lender is looking it over RIGHT NOW.
--The website crashed. It won't accept any passwords. It's because we just got a new server and the discolator fused out because of a power surge. Technicians are working on it and promise it will be back up in 45 min. to an hour.
--The truth? "We are doing a million loans in the space of one day." Be patient.
The only time you tell the borrowers that you have another appointment is if you need to leave for another one and they are being indifferent to getting the documents signed. Make them feel like they are the most important people in the world when you call them; be warm, gain trust from the first call forward. Tell them to get comfortable and go on with their evening, you will give them ample notice before you show up on their doorstep...and, by the way, what is the latest appointment that they feel comfortable with?
Be prepared to fall on your sword; don't place blame on any person or entity for late documents. This is business. Don't take it personally if the borrowers are disgruntled. Empathize. Just keep saying that it is a process and there are many phases that documents go through during last three hours of finalization.
Blaming any entity is a sure fire way to get yourself removed from the *A* list.
Learn to manage the shifts in priorities and schedules.
Laugh in the face of a sink full of dishes.
Mock the trash in the floorboard of your car.
Listen to audiobooks that you get free from the library.
Make personal calls that you need to make but you know that they will talk your ear off so you avoid it. After ten minutes, say "oops...I'm at my appointment...it's been great talking! I've missed you!" (You have missed them, you just didn't want to talk to them for two hours.)
If you memorize scripture or pray, that's good for car time.
Meditate; think about a goal.
Every time you see a red sports car, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are awesome Then, do it again, but WITH FEELING!
Be a conscious missing link in a chain of road rage--smile and take a deep breath when a rude driver cuts you off.
Be aware of what you think about and don't let the stinking thinking prevail.
Use your phone recording device to make lists of things to do.
Okay...maybe not everyone needs that much to do while in the car, but I do. I hate car time and try to use it wisely and safely. |
