There’s a major issue with signing service companies treating independent contractors (signing agents) like underlings. I’m a businesswoman. I’m taking assignments from signing services optionally. It’s a little silly when an employee postures over me and makes threats such as noting my file, or restricting me from offers. If we have gotten to that point in our communications, the chances are that my business has disapproved of their business already. I don’t take orders from people on payroll, that is why I started this business and that is why I do it.
Coast to Coast signings has a “compliance manager” who called me when I was on my way to a signing and demanded that I make a second trip the following day to the next town over to drop these documents at their preferred shipping location. She tried to bully me into working for free. I told her I would not go do the signing at all, and suddenly she said it was okay to use the drop location I chose.
You don’t have to tolerate bullying. You can say “find someone else, I don’t tolerate this treatment”. What if they make a bad note about you? What if they don’t call you for any more signings? GOOD. We didn’t start our own business and we don’t work as hard as we do to work with companies with employees that treat us that way.
I let the compliance manager at Coast to Coast know that due to our interaction, her score has been lowered in her file and her opportunity to work with me in the future maybe permanently restricted because we have a high standard of conduct at my business. I’m the boss.
You don’t have to work for rude people. Don’t let them push you around.
Who do signing services think they are, rating the people that they are providing services to? Their job Is to connect notaries with escrow teams and lenders. They are serving us. They should be a bit more polite, and appreciative.
They’re in the business of providing a service to us. They need us a lot more than we need them. Who will a bully signing service hire if no notaries will work for them? Maybe it’s time for them to mind their manners.
Sorry but signing services are not in the business of providing notaries service. They are in the business of finding notaries for the title companies and the lenders who hire them.
I didn’t mean for my phrasing to sound the opposite. Signing services provide notaries, who work by choice for them, to escrow and lenders. They are providing a service by being a middleman to all of us. Since it is completely voluntary that I perform work for them, they’re dealings with me should be extremely professional and polite. They cannot provide notaries if they don’t have any notaries. We are not employees.
I’m new to this entire process, I’m only a little over a month in. I see on a lot of their instructions we are not to drop the packages off at dollar generals or Walgreens? The closest shipping store is 30-45mins away (depending on traffic).which makes it very difficult for me to drop docs. It’s like I have to choose between one more signing or the drops. If I could drop them at the dollar general that would make it more convenient for me. Then I could drop them right after I scanned. It seems like here in Western PA the actual stores are far and few between. I guess my question is, why is it like that? I’ve dropped many off at DG and never had an issue.
It’s like that because they’re in southern California and they don’t understand rural areas. I’m willing to make a special trip the following day to the next town, for my fee. Not for free.
If a location is RELIABLE…use it. IF they include ‘do not use…whatever’, tell them there are no stores near you, but you have a reliable drop location.
I am in Western Pa. I use my DG and drop boxes all the time. The FedEx locations are all closing. Duncansville next month, Johnstown by fall, State college I believe I was told they have one to close. I had only used Duncansville and JTown. The woman in Duncansville said that it seems like almost all them will close in the area. Usually when I tell people that I have no other shippers and it’s DG from 5pm-noon the next day for at least a text or a drop box from noon-5pm signings, they’re alright. I just explain that I’ve been using my DG for almost 4 years now and they’ve never not picked up.
I’ve had success in explaining when my local carriers are available - i try to do that before i even go to the appointment so the signing company is aware up front. i make sure to get a receipt (i know that seems obvious), but then i can prove i did my part. in south carolina, shipping locations are few and far between; and if it is going to be hours before scan backs are approved, then i will rely on my local, trusted carrier locations. recently, a company wanted me to wait at the carrier location but they didn’t approve the scan backs until after that location closed. while I was willing to wait, i couldn’t do anything when the carrier kicked my out the door because they were closing and the signing company was delaying approval. at that point, it became my policy not to wait. if i get alerted on my drive back to my office that the scans are approved, i am willing to pull over and find the nearest location to complete the drop. otherwise, i will alert the company that i will visit the carrier as soon as they open. seriously, though, some carriers’ offices are open all day but still only have 1 pick up at the end of the day. if the siging company delays approval until after the carrier is closed, then there is no choice…even if dropped off at 8am the following day, it isn’t shipping until 6pm anyway.
