As a new NSA less than 3 months in the business I have completed 63 closings with 0 errors. Now I received a (let’s just say) unfriendly email from a company saying that I missed a date on one of the documents and that it will impact me negatively with them moving forward. Now I have completed many assignments from this company in the last 30 days with zero errors.
Now I do own the mistake and allowed the signer to rush me through the process because “she had a golf game to get to”. I know errors are never a good thing… I get that but a simple date on an application can be filled in…and keep it moving. I appreciate them letting me know about the error but to blacklist me for a date I think is unfair. Not to mention on one of their documents THEY made a mistake and the signer had to cross it out and initial the changes. I didn’t send them a nasty gram telling them about their mistake.
I now see that there is 0 tolerance for mistakes…I will work harder on being less of a human
Sorry ya’ll my ego is a little bruised this morning…
We’re all going to make errors from time-to-time. I’ve seen you “own it” or recommend to others to do so multiple times on the Notary Café forum. This is admirable and speaks well of your morals & integrity. Glad to see that you avoided sending them a hemorrhoidogram.
You’re absolutely correct. There is ZERO TOLERANCE. Just remember, every action you take will directly reflect upon & impact YOU and you alone . . .
I learned after one of my initial signings that I simply COULDN’T allow the Borrowers [BOs]/signers to ‘apply pressure,’ because it nearly always leads to errors being made.
Sorry you’re experiencing this setback. Just roll with it. Be like a quarterback who makes an error and then on his next throw, he’s completely cleared his mind of the history (after having made corrections/adjustments) & focuses on the now/future efforts.
Best Wishes
P.S. Reach out to me directly via PM if you’d like to discuss the company, etc.
My friend, welcome to the real NSA world! Take it as a good learning lesson and I’m sure you will double and triple check docs before you leave the signing table next time. If it’s a new l1003 we can’t miss the initials, signature or the date. Some lenders even require that the customer sign and date the demographic disclosure page on the 1003. If you are working for a good company they will forgive and just give you a warning, and you will make sure to only turn in error-free docs always. Although I hear that some of the signing companies will look for ways to not pay you the full fee by either making up stuff or finding something that is not critical and dock your pay anyway. If you like working with that company again, maybe call or send an email to ask for forgiveness and reinstatement. Basically tell them how much you value their business blah blah blah. If they do not value you, then move on!
Regarding the Demographics page, also most lenders I work with require that the Demographics page within the Closing Disclosure document be signed at the bottom of that page.
We all do it. But, I’ve never had a company tell me that missing something like a notary date will impact me going forward! I would probably not accept any other signings from that company, or at least not work with that particular scheduler or settlement agent. (A lot of times we penalize the company for the deeds of a controlling, knitpicky employee! Neither is good to encounter.)
Three weeks ago was not a good week for me and I made two horrific errors: I brought my briefcase inside to freshen it up and change the ink in my stamp. I put everything back in the briefcase, but forgot to put the briefcase back in the car! It was an evening appointment and I was a few miles outside of my standard radius for this signing. I informed the signers when I pulled up that I would be in shortly with a red rolling briefcase. I was apoplectic when I looked in the back and there was no briefcase!!! (Thank goodness I had earlier put the signing package on the front seat.) To make a bad situation worse, the signer worked for a title company who is looking to staff up their RON and in-office closings. She asked me for a business card, but I don’t really expect a call. #2: I sent back a scanback package without (you guessed it), scanning back the documents!!! I keep a spreadsheet of all offers where I indicate whether or not scans are required. Didn’t make it to the spreadsheet. I also mark SCAN (ID, etc.) in big letters across the order just to make certain I remember special instructions. Went back to my office trash to find the order – wasn’t there either, and it wasn’t listed under special instructions on the order. So, when they called to ask me for the scans, I told them it wasn’t a scan order. They sent me the email with the original confirmation, and it was in bold print in the subject line of the EMAIL. I had totally missed it.
But, I must say, neither of those companies reduced my pay or sent me a penalty notice. And, in all my years I have never had my pay reduced for an error, and I have made my share. (Except for my very first signing – could not have messed up more! There is a story there that I will share one day.)
You’ve just completed your first trial by fire. Have yourself a favorite cool, liquid libation and chalk it up to experience. You will have many new experiences come your way.
Good luck going forward.
So I called the company and spoke to them. I apologized for missing the date and offered to go back out if needed to rectify my error. They said it was not necessary. They also stated that the emails were general in nature as it is a template that they use for all reporting errors. She assured me that I would not be impacted negatively nor blacklisted because of it.
If she asked for your business card, I would follow up with a call asap to get your foot in the door. If she is an experienced tittle person, she can tell that you are professional and know your business, forgetting a briefcase one time in your life as an NSA will not make you unfit for potential opportunities.
That was how I recently landed a local in-house closing. The lady works for title co:). I didn’t know she was with a Title Company until at the end of the closing when she gave me her business card and asked for a stack of mine. She immediately asked if I want to do in-house closing for them and got me set up as their indie NSA that same week. I remember it was my last closing of the day at 7pm. I was completely exhausted. I looked like I was going to fall over and I felt it. But I proceed with a positive attitude and smiled, stayed happy and professional, dressed professional and I was totally focused on the business at hand.
Ding ding. eeek!!! .Wrong advice! …. Nope, no matter how disappointed or upset you are, never ever talk to companies you’re working with in any other way but total professionalism unless you want to commit a career suicide.
Is it more important to have the last word or the next dollar? You opt-in to receive notifications. If you are not interested in working for a company just remove them from your notifications and relegate them to your junk/block/clutter folder. There is no benefit to “giving a scheduler/signing service/company a piece of your mind”. This is a profession for secure adults!
. . . Anytime . . . 
percent Accurate
