The “round robin roulette” of online signing services has become a nightmare for independent contractors and remote workers. These platforms distribute assignments through rotational systems that theoretically ensure fair work distribution, but in practice create a frantic digital hunger games.
The fundamental flaw? Timing is everything. Miss the notification ping by minutes, and your assignment vanishes to the next signer in line. This forces workers to remain perpetually tethered to their devices, constantly refreshing dashboards and jumping at every alert sound.
The system punishes those who dare to step away whether for family time, meals, or basic human needs. Workers report anxiety, sleep disruption, and resentment toward platforms that claim to offer flexible work while demanding constant availability.
The solution? Fairer assignment windows, predictable scheduling, or quality-based distribution rather than pure speed contests. Until then, signing services continue prioritizing quick turnarounds over worker wellbeing.
Not by minutes but by seconds. He/She who hesitates, loses. An assignment can be lost simply by a typing error when entering your password. By the time you correct it, someone else has grabbed the job. All of this means that you have to have your phone with you when you take a shower, use the toilet, and go to bed at night. Either that or risk losing out on jobs. Also, when you’re driving and even sitting at the signing table during a closing. Needless to say, responding to beeps on your phone while you’re driving is dangerous, but most of us do it anyway.
Do the signing services care about any of this? Obviously not, or they would change how they dole out assignments.
I’ve experienced nano seconds! I have had my text open, clicked the link at the same time, and it was already assigned. I just assume their preferred notary is faster. LOL. Some days I win…some days I don’t.
One particular platform that is very popular was having technical issues within the last few days. They were sending out assignment offers, but their password verification system was down. Several notaries I know, myself included missed out on the ability to even respond because we were getting an error code.
To show you how valued we all are, the platform sent out emails to anyone who opened a tech support ticket followed by a telephone call from a staff member saying that we can all leave their platform if we desire. That is how valued we are a professional signing agents.
with out naming names, I know “exactly” who you are referring to. On top of the fact that they constantly treat your device like it’s new and force a pointless verification email to complete before you can login. Your mention of a “staff member” is probably seeing over saturation of agents on the platform. I hate to say it, but this business is in decline, until rates come down below 5%, we are nibbling at pieces of a carcass.
A few of us sages on the Notary Cafe forum have been expressing that status (“this business is in decline”) for multiple years . . . hoping those new to this business sector would heed the clarion call.Some have heeded it - others haven’t and decry the waste of their funds launching their business.
This is why we state it’s particularly egregious that those who lack scruples & morals are engaging in misleading and delusional marketing tactics ; i.e., falsely espousing 6-figure incomes, etc.
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Anyone who is knowledgeable of this business sector has been cognizant for multiple years that the false 6-figure claim hasn’t been valid for a very long time.
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I regularly express the insight that as a business owner one is to perform their own due diligence PRIOR to launching entrepreneurial pursuits within this business sector . . . in essence, to safeguard their financial assets.
It’s currently a very difficult ‘row to hoe.’ Plus, when coupled with the advent of the forces exerted on moving forward with Remote Online Notarizations [RONs] & “centralizing” the Signing Orders [SOs] into warehoused organizations - there’s a further decrease in signing opportunities.
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Certainly not being a ‘negative Nellie’ - simply categorically identifying the milestones witnessed via direct experience over the most recent decade.
Performing a Search via the TREASURE TROVE (Notary Cafe database) also reveals the vast number of those new to this business sector attesting to the lack of available SOs.
Recently I was contacted direct by a scheduler and got seven assignments in a row from one platform. The title company for the transactions was a title company that recently added me to their preferred notary list for nearby counties.
Decline is a strong word. I think saturated is certainly fair. But if we return error free clean documents consistently we’ll get more work. Rates don’t decide how much work we get. Record of performance will always be a factor. JMO.
Having worked as a 35-year career executive, I believe this new second act I have been training for is likely a poor choice. I appreciate others speaking out. I’m used to leading teams through a collaborative work environment and fostering team building. I also find the scoring, signing instruction wording an intimidation quality. I can secure work directly from attorneys and title companies. Anyone want to join me for a collaborative TEAMS discussion?! I can set up a meeting.
Count me in!, We sound very similar, I am on the cusp of retirement from my 33+yr career in tech sector, and wanted to dip my toe into this space, but so far I don’t like what I am seeing.
I don’t think it’s necessarily that someone was faster than you in responding. They just got the offer first. It’s a mystery (to me, anyway) how signing services prioritize their text blasts.
Yes, however this is not about missing the offer, it’s about the entire model of how it works These services are manilpulating a lowest bidder model, that’s clear. I’m trying to thread a line here of not outright complaining, but pursuing work via these services is a fools errand. I can deal with being low-balled, but don’t put me in a quue of fighting others for scraps.
That’s exactly what they do. The only way to fight that is to respond with “your” quote for the job, no matter what they offer. Depending on the signing service you’re dealing with, you’ll get some of those counteroffers and lose out on others. That’s just how the game is played.
I got this text at 2:30 in the afternoon yesterday. The signing was located in a mobile home park.
Hi Joe, Are you available to do a 171 page purchase signing, open time today 7/16 in V—a and Scan the docs back before shipping them out by tomorrow morning at the latest? We pay $100 on our purchase signings, will that work? The full address is
Did you pass because of the fee, “mobile home Park” distance? with my ROI tool I show that job would net you $-6.88 effective hourly wage. assumptions of 60mi round trip, and establishing a $30.00 per hour target wage (varies per persons needs)
If the purpose of being mobile is to have notaries go to signers why would a signer travel to the notary?
Seriously I am curious because in My area trying to change a signing venue can result in being removed from an approved notary list by some title companies.
I have had my text open, clicked the link at the same time, and it was already assigned. I just assume their preferred notary is faster. LOL. Some days I win…some days I don’t.
Graphic illustration !