That makes sense, because it’s something that will never end.
I agree, please please lets stick together and refuse any thing below $60/- Thanks
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This is so true. I’ve been emailed requests to do signings with scan backs for $70. The signings are far away. I started this journey over 30 years ago. I have not established myself to work for pennies.
Prices have gone up. We have to pay for paper, ink, gas are some of the few things that have gone up since I’ve started. They pay those low fees because they know that the newbies will take it. What the newbies will start to notice after they gain more experience is that they will not be offered more money because they have set the standards so low.
@amichelle_notary Absolutely Accurate! Thank You for your reinforcement of my often expressed suggestion to remain profitable. 
Unfortunately, it will be AFTER the “damage is done” to the industry/business sector.
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This is the primary impetus behind reinforcing Notary Cafe members to Create a Schedule of Fees & to adhere to in order to ensure they’ll have a profitable business.
NOTE: If you haven’t yet created your own personalized Schedule of Fees, here is a thread I’ve created that contains the Guidelines to support you in creating one tailored to your professional services:
You have to know your expenses. I do not care if it is one page or a hundred fifty, my overhead does not fluctuate. I have a minimum per job. Period. If I have a job scheduled already, near the one they want, I might give them a small break if it is urgent, and if they are regular contributors! Pay my price or find a cheaper alternative and live with the consequences. Some of my contributors have figured out that $60 bargain ain’t a bargain. I upgraded my fee schedule the first of the year with a couple of signing services and the NNA. First upgrade in 4 years. Has not been a problem and I am having a GREAT year with little blowback. Set your price appropriately and go with it.
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Sometimes this works out well for everyone, but it often doesn’t–the 1st one cancels or some glitch occurs and you end up having to make a separate trip for each signing. My standard is ‘each signing stands alone’.
@roblinked5 Concur with nearly 
percent of your post (excluding a small component of the excerpted segment as noted above).
Why (one might ask)?
Suffice it to say => Learned the “hard way” on that one . . .
- Regular Fee for initially scheduled Signing Order [SO].
- Subsequent SO nearby for a different business entity - Provided a discount as they’re a loyal client.
- Later, the initially scheduled SO was rescheduled for a different day.
So, from that point forward the Fee for each SO is calculated individually.
It was sagacious of you to only provide a “small break if it is urgent.” For that one, I provided a larger break. It was a Learning Lesson.
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No one says being an Entrepreneur is easy! 
For the San Jose Fidelity office. Have you contacted them to just discuss the situation they put you in and explain how you handled it the only legal way you knew how? Explain that it was for their protection as well as your own. They might have lost sight of the legalities on your end and need a refresher course. It’s not worth the argument but to save the business end it’s worth the discussion with them. They have someone else doing it for now but you might see the business come back to you eventually. Don’t burn that bridge.
What bothers me more than anything is the fact that notaries have put themselves at the mercy of these signing companies. We work in States for which we have been licensed to perform a service to these companies and individuals. I read…“I get bad reviews”…etc. They work from reviews as well and Google is the main search engine for doing such. example: “A difficult company to work with.” “Disrespectful” “Questionable integrity”. I believe the passive attitude notaries have and feeling like they are at the mercy of these companies has created the disrespectful atmosphere in which we deal with at times. I’m seeing way too many of these signing companies come and go to jeopardize my integrity for them. The ones that show respect to notaries are still here. Low Ball offers…I counter and leave it at that. They can get what they pay for. We are not retail conglomerates competing with McDonalds. Win them over with professionalism, courtesy, and do what you say you are going to do. For instance, the receipts for dropping packages. I tell them immediately that it’s not available in this area but for another $50 I will drive to the closest location and drop the package and get a receipt. No one ask for a receipt anymore. I’m not being hard nose, just respectful to myself and setting boundaries for a professional atmosphere. (They won’t respect you if you don’t respect yourself) Everything with a smile!!!
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I have found that lenders and title companies don’t give two hoots about notary law. They just want their documents signed as quickly and painlessly as possible. If that means that the notary has to bend the rules a little, then so be it. The fact that you refused to do that obviously got you off of their “preferred” list. Don’t be surprised if you hear from them again when they’re in a bind and need a notary “right now”.
Absolutely, but some notaries just want to stay busy and don’t really care about making a profit. At least if you hold out for better paying jobs, you won’t end up being sorry that you took them.
That’s a good policy, one that I also try to enforce. The only problem comes when a company gives you a double or triple signing and they want you to give them a discount because you only have to make one trip for multiple signings…even though they’re getting paid full fee for each one.
I got a triple from Mortgage Connect last week but they didn’t request any discount. And I didn’t offer one. So that was a really good day.
Well I can appreciate the response. I’d have to play devils advocate and disagree. I definitely will not be doing a revisit (Not worth my Time and efforts). Not all money is GOOD MONEY. and the same goes for business relationships. Somethings do not need to be said.
I’m a Professional through and through. I’m also flexible, accommodating and my availability is around the clock. Best of all I cover all counties in the San Francisco Bay all of that should have prompted them to want to keep someone like me on there team. They also had some internal operational issues Escrow Officer and her Assistant, they were never on the same page always contradicting one another. so that alone tells a story. Some Bridges were never bridges at all.
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I fully understand and appreciate what you said here. Lesson learned. I just posted about being accused of scamming. Burning that bridge and blocking my phone for that number! I didn’t know how to word this, but I love “Not all money is Good Money.” I’m not looking for any compensation from this last situation. I’ll pay to be rid of the bad feeling it left me with.
@Ntrylsa84 When I initially entered this business sector (nearly two decades ago) I & many others were greatly appreciative of the correlative LOYALTY that was demonstrated on an ubiquitous basis.
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Once the “six-figure/used-car salesman” training/hawkers entered the business sector, along with the subsequent saturation of Professional Signing Agents [PSAs], the correlative LOYALTY - sadly - became nearly EXTINCT.
Currently, the loyalty is expected unilaterally (the hiring entities expect it from the PSAs), but correlative loyalty is now very rare indeed.
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Remain true to your scruples & morals. You’ll find abundant success with that demeanor.
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