Had a refinance today, takes about 45 minutes I’ve done a bunch of them for this lender.
The wife was fully reclined laying back using a neck pillow. Said she was going to use a binder to sign on. Fine with me.
No table present. Offered and accepted a couple of TV trays so I could have enough room. Not problematic I’ve dealt with it before.
The wife in the recliner got involved in a text conversation so documents were going from the husband and getting held up by her because she was busy texting.
This was happening on every single document. The signing was dragging on way too long and I wanted to say something. But I don’t like to rush anyone either.
My mentor would have said “I can leave and you can text or you can sign documents and hold off texting for 40 minutes” - but I rarely scold a signer. But today – I really wanted to.
Then when we were all done, over 90 minutes later, she puts her chair up and I realize she could have sat up all along.
I reviewed documents and got on out of there and figured okay that was just one of those things.
Well, when docs start piling up due to one person… I just stop with the next doc and explain to the not-holdup person that docs have to be kept in order and am concerned that I’ll get confused by ‘the pile’. Now we have 2 people waiting on holdup person… That usually prompts efficient signer to get the ‘stop the nonsense’ message across… and I didn’t say it.
Don’t ever be afraid to RESPECTFULLY speak up for yourself. There is nothing wrong with it. If it was clear from the husbands manorisms that what she was doing wasn’t pressing I would have kindly asked her to focus please. I had an issue just the other day where signers and realtor were carrying on endlessly. I got to my boiling point and respectfully told them I needed them to please let me the focus instead of the realtor because I needed to leave by a certain time all of a sudden the non-essential chatter stopped and I was outa there. (that was a lie and I’m not afraid to do so, we are not paid by the minute) Never let your time be manipulated by non-essential.
I’ve had this happen only a couple of occasions. My response is generally something like: “Excuse me, Ms. Doe, if I may, my window to confirm to the lender that the signing has been successfully completed is 90 minutes. It seems you have competing issues requiring your attention. I am perfectly willing to contact title/the lender to let them know that you may need to reschedule? What are your wishes?” I’ve never had anyone challenge me. But, if they respond that they can do both, I will give them an update of the time already spent, and give them an (inflated) estimated of how much time it will take to complete the remaining part of the stack, plus an additional 5-10 minutes for review. I always place the responsibility on them to decide which is more important. Then follow up with a sorry, thank you.
I would defiantly let the signer know professionally because you are handling business this is not a personal visit . I had to walk out of a signing because I asked the signer to please not smoke at the table as I have asthma he refused said it is his house. I let title know and the signer had to go into the office to get his documents signed. The nice thing is I still received my full pay from the signing service.
That’s a great question. Handling difficult signers can be challenging, as we always aim to ensure they feel comfortable, unpressured, and respected. Working with the public means interacting with individuals from all walks of life, diverse personalities, and varying physical and mental conditions. It’s important to remember that residential loans often represent one of the most significant financial commitments in a person’s life.
I’ve encountered a variety of signers, such as those who meticulously read every page before signing and others who question every detail of their loan documents. To mitigate potential complaints or liability issues, I’ve developed qualities like patience, understanding, and flexibility when working with signers. When necessary, I pause the signing process to make phone calls—whether to inform the hiring company or to adjust scheduled appointments—ensuring the situation is handled smoothly and professionally.
UGH. I probably would’ve made up a non-existent appointment that I had to get to after theirs and said that I had to leave by X o’clock. Although that might not have fazed these people. Once I got in the car and left, I would probably blast some classic rock to let the frustration out.
explain to the not-holdup person that docs have to be kept in order and am concerned that I’ll get confused by ‘the pile’. Now we have 2 people waiting on holdup person… That usually prompts efficient signer to get the ‘stop the nonsense’ message across… and I didn’t say it. 
