Actually these agencies don’t ever want experienced notaries to pay for quality work. They only care about raping our industry. When you get experience they won’t pay more unless you’re Fidelity approved and that’s the problem how they’ve hacked our fees. Ten years ago they wanted experienced notaries. They rely on revolving door newbies now.
One of their tactics is to never adjust fees for inflation and material costs. Ten years since 2011 it’s a $20 loss due to inflation when they don’t raise their $100 fee offers. This doesn’t include cost of living nor materials. They now take 50% or even more of our fees listed in the Settlement Statement so they took our inflation rate raise for themselves and gorged on 50% or more of our wages offered by the title companies. This is the way these agencies have manipulated notaries to rob us of what was once a good living.
After 5 years working with X marks the spot 2010-2015, I asked for a raise she paid once then never again discontinuing my services. In 2021 she is still offering the same $100 fee to notaries because they use revolving door newbies. She recently sent me a 200 page signing of Stewart Title’s sloppiness for $100 to travel across the bridge. These agencies throw a pittance trashing our industry this way.
When you get experience it no longer matters and you might be furious this has all been rigged.
Not at all because we share genuine issues and facts building understanding so we can better assess what to do next as a group. Experienced notaries especially can provide helpful insight.
If you think we’re just frivolously venting you’ve seriously underestimated the situation for genuine grievances.
Melinda you need to market to the locals and get a Regus Virtual office for location on Google. You can notarize in the business lounge or go to their locations for extra mobile fee. I only came back to this due to my local customers being gone since the pandemic. They are your competitors taking your business and upping customer costs.
Never charge your customer for the costs you pay. A business requires profit to exist. Always mark up your expenses so that you make a fair profit. The fair profit should apply to every service you perform. If the signing company doesn’t agree, ask them to hop on a plane and do it themselves.
Today, I had a surprise. Took an order from C2C for a small fee. It was a wet signing when most was already e signed. Docs came in almost full docs. More printing and more time at the table. Once docs were here and I saw the package size, I countered back asking for higher fee. I was removed from the signing for later on the day!!
Has anyone else seen this?
The ol’ bait and switch, common tactic with the lowballers. When I take an order I set expectations from the onset. I will take this order for this fee based on these parameters. $150 for under 150pgs, 2 signers, no POA, no trust, no scans etc… 150-200pgs add $25, Scans add $25 etc…
I think I barked too loudly, I haven’t received an order from this particular company in weeks. They are stuck in the mindset of making as much profit as possible and paying notaries as little as possible.
I have been asked to go clean up their orders due to the mistakes the lowball agents are screwing up. I will fix it for them for no less than $75 for a single page in town.
So rather than pay me $150-175 they pay someone else $100 and then yet another person $75ish to fix mistakes, as their mistakes increase their clients will have to make a decision to stay or go find someone who can maintain their service level agreements.
Now ask me if I miss dealing with them…NOPE NOPE NOPE…Want to shoot yourself in the foot? Fine, but I am not going to help!
Nice letter, but there is a bottom line here. Back in the day. I worked for a huge company. There were some management problems and I took issue. On old timer took me aside and said, " fill a bucket with water. Stick your finger in. Take your finger out. Is there much change in the water? Nope. That is how important you are to this company." So, these assignment companies don’t care one whit about us or about any bottom line we have. They only care about their bottom line. If they can find someone to do it cheaper, the assignment will go to them. I’ve been pulled as close as 1 hour before the signing as I printed a 300 page packet and asked for an increase. There is someone else out there who will take a last minute assignment of this huge package, and the 2 hour closing time for a wholeclot less.
Think about Making $100,00 as NSA. Let’s say for a moment that you booked $100,000 in business. There is a huge difference in what you booked verses what you made. Booked income minus all costs, minus additional share of income taxes equals what you made.
Think about what it costs for your driving your car. IRS allows approximately 55 cents per mile. Please take note of the word ALLOW. The IRS does not say what it costs to drive your car that tell you what they will allow you to deduct for tax purposes.
Now think about a company that hires people to drive their vehicle. Do they pay the driver in addition to paying the costs to operate the vehicle? Is paying the driver part of the IRS’ mythical 55 cents per mile? Say NO. Does your notary business use a person to drive your vehicle? Say YES. Are you that driver and are you paying yourself, for time behind the windshield?
That’s the way they are. It’s sad, we work hard too!! You are right, You get called for a assignment, but it’s now and there’s 300 pages and a copy set . Living in a Rual area , how fast can you drive 70 miles one way and if you have to scan the documents back ASAP. Will there’s 70 miles back and then 30 miles to the FedX . Was it Worth $40.00
