I get an offer from a signing service that prefaces it with “Only “X” number of pages”.
The next part is usually a laughable offer. Number of pages is only one factor in determining a particular signing’s degree of difficulty. There is also time of day, travel distance, signing location, scanbacks, number of notarizations, and other factors, all of which don’t immediately come to mind, but the bottom line is that they are making you commit to a “block of time” in which you can’t take any other assignments. Page count does matter to some degree but it isn’t the driving force in determining what the fee for any particular signing should be. You have to look at what the total time commitment will be (including everything involved) and how it will impact your ability to take other jobs.
I’m just curious as to what your thoughts are on this subject.
Agree with you on this. It doesn’t matter if package only consists of 5 pages. If drive time to signing location is 1.5 hours (one way), it still take me away from other income possibilities for over 3 hours.
That was almost the exact scenario I had on 2/11th with Servicelink. Signing was a 24-page modification. Drive time was 1.5 hours; we met at UPS to allow for immediate shipping. $300 payment received on 2/19th.
My only thought is that it’s a ploy to set you up for a low fee by deliberately ‘disclosing’ but 1 of the important minor factors in calculating a profitable fee. Granted, they have no way of knowing many of the variables we must take into consideration, but actual LOCATION is KNOWN–and location is a major factor in both Time & Expense.
I believe most offers are deceptive because the offers all withhold at least one or two of the major factors used to calculate a fee.
I find those are usually larger than they say. But I general charge what I charge based on location. And based on scan versus drop only. I charge what I charge.
I actually like the last week of a month because so many jobs get grabbed for low fees by newer notaries the higher paying jobs are available to those who are patient and didn’t get roped into 3 hour assignments for $75. I missed several jobs for this week because I’m no longer taking jobs that lose money. It’s nerve wracking for sure. But I live in rural Eastern Washington. Almost everything involves travel time.
This is the exact argument that I give to schedulers when they call and try to get me to do a job for cheap because it’s “only” whatever number of pages.
Believe it or not, some have used the argument that drive time doesn’t count because in a regular job you don’t get paid for your time driving to and from work.
@steves11 – " … drive time doesn’t count because in a regular job you don’t get paid for your time driving to and from work." To that I would say: This is not a job. I am not your employee. This is MY business."
'zactly right! And, Steve, just goes to show you how very little some schedulers know about the difference between an employee (them) and an Independent Contractor/NSA (us). OR that argument probably works with a lot of the newbs we’ve seen lately.
Schedulers who are located hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the signing location also know nothing about local traffic patterns and how long it’s going to take you to get from “Point A” to “Point B” and back again. They’ll say something like “It’s only “X” number of miles” (as they quote a number from Google Maps). Maybe so, but it will take an hour to get there in heavy rush hour traffic! They don’t seem to understand (or care) that time is money!
i always ask to know type of package.then location and time and scans… then I ask when do i get paid ?
If they want to take 3-5 hours of my day they have to pay well and fast.
Yes, I’ve had schedulers inform me that the signing location is only 7 miles from my location. And I have to explain that yes, as the crow flies it is only 7 miles from one peninsula to the other peninsula. However I must drive my car on the freeway and so in reality it is much farther LOL
Agreed that number of pages is only a part of the equation, but it really matters when the offer is for a refi and it turns out to be over 200 pages with scanbacks. The ones with many pages often entail documents that need to be completed by the borrower with specific information about trusts, property info or other data that requires searching while I play with their pets. I now consider a pre-determined minimum fee to show up,regardless of job or # of pages, taking a cue from plumbers and electricians I have hired.
Many years ago, when I initially was accepting Signing Orders [SOs] within this business sector, an unusual scenario arose & fell . . .
There was a scheduled appointment in a distant county (1.5-hour drive one-way + turnpike fees).
Received a call for an additional SO in the same distant county (different hiring entity).
They requested the lowest rate possible.
Their fee was adjusted downward, since I was already scheduled in that county on that date.
The 1st scheduled appointment abruptly rescheduled for another date.
The other SO remained on the schedule at the discounted rate.
LESSON LEARNED?
I’ll never do that again!
.
.
Therefore, regardless of whether already out & about OR already in the same county on the same date - calculate your fees as if it is a SOLO engagement, because the other SO may reschedule or cancel.
Yes, ALWAYS set a rate as if it’s the only signing that you have. I too have been burned by doing what you did and I learned my lesson. NEVER tell them that you have another signing in that area. They’ll always expect a discount.
percent. 
Thankfully, it just took once . . . 
