I’m confused. You’ve been in this business for 12 years and you are telling us that it takes you 2 hours to print and prep docs for one loan? You asked newbies for a better process? 
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That question occurred to me too, @VIPnotaryCO - along with 12 years in the business and still 2 hours to scan? Doesn’t pass the sniff test, does it?
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Fortunately some of our documents are send directly to the signer, so we don’t see them until we are at the table. We do a hurried perousal of the docs and launch into the signing. So maybe 10 mins. spent. We hand deliver back to the TC so no scanning.
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It sounds like you are studying the documents rather than checking the documents…I guess it takes me less due to the years of experience I have with knowing most of the documents. For me… I too print and prep the documents with flags. I use different color flags for each signer. Blue for the male , Pink for the ladies…I always get a chuckle when they see it. This help cut down the signing time at the table to 45 min or less for most refinance packages. So far ( knock on wood) I rarely have a closing that last over an hour. I set the expectations on what my role is in the process and what I can and cannot due as dictated by the Code of ethics. That way I don’t get bombarded with questions that I cannot answer and the closings are clean. Before I leave the signing table I ask for 10 min to review the package and as I go through it I remove the flags to check my work. This takes 10 min. If it’s a loan app and one signer I sometimes will QC my work as they hand back the documents to me and remove the flag at the same time. That way I can quickly come back to my home office quickly scan the docs if needed or just drop the docs off at FeDEx/UPS on my way to my home or next appointment.
So far this process has worked for me with the exception of one signer who I allowed her to rush me ( my fault for not setting the expectation on the time I needed to QC my work) and I missed one date. I have now 60+closings with only one error since I started on DEC 16th.
So that is my process
45 min prep time / 60 min closing table / 1hr total drive time and 10 min scan back … on average
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The only time I have ever had a situation where the documents were sent to the signer was in a split signing. Still then I was at the closing table for less than an hour.
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There is no way it should take an hour to scan unless they are using a flatbed scanner and doing it one page at a time.
I’ve learned that in most cases you have to keep going back. I usually visit twice a month and email twice a month. When I am told they have somebody I reply just keep me in mind. If your regular is booked, out of town, sick, ect. just give me a call. I also let them know I may be willing to travel father than their regular. Remember to tell them what YOU can do for them not the other way around. Good Luck
Say what?!? 12 years a signing agent and [still] you spend 2 hours prepping docs??? Two hours scanning?? SEVEN hours for a single signing job??? While all this may be true, what it suggests to me is that this job is really a hobby and not a career. You’ve indicated that you make $150 per job… per day, really. If that works for you, that’s perfectly fine. In that case, you don’t need any advice, just reinforcement that you have a fun pastime where you make a couple bucks. Keep doing what you’re doing. No worries.
So I do direct signings for a couple of title companies by me. Meaning, I go to the office with the docs and the borrower already sitting at the table. No time for “sign here” flags, sticky notes, review, etc. It takes a lot of responsibility off of you being you didn’t print the docs, but the expectation is “you know what your doing.” The “plus” is they are right there if you (or the borrower) has any questions. I treat all my off site signings the same way (comes with education and experience). As far as workload goes, you answered your own question, interest rates go up, sales go down, especially for REFI’s. Interest rates will continue to go up until demand for housing goes down. This is obviously location specific. Nationally, the demand for housing can go down, but you may live in an area where there is a population boom or there is like massive building going on (like multiple new subdivisions). Also keep in mind, we only get business from those who don’t already have contracted notary signing services in house, or their in house notaries can’t keep up with their case load (hence the push to get title direct work). Hope this helps!
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gosh I wish you luck with that! Please post as you go with that $175. Here in Tennessee it just won’t happen. Seems notaries are paid according to their location I’m told.
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Not location… N E G O T I A T I O N !
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100% agreed. Yep ! Yep ! Needed more lines.
Absolutely, @Arichter
This is why the “BONANZA: Get-Your-6-figure-income now” program is a complete & total BUST for so many across the US . . . location, Location, LOCATION!
@FBagnato123 Surmised it perfectly yesterday:
Best Wishes 
Understoodt! Give them what their looking for and then SIGN SIGN SIGN, that first born over to the lender hahaha
The signer is being charged $375 but is is not just for us to notarize/perform our LSA duties… It is for all the other folks that touch it. In the title co, the Closing Agent, the people who work in the title company for the closers, escrow officers, etc. It is rare to have it broken down at $X for notary, $X for closing agent, etc.
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It is amazing how low the fees that we are offered these days. The reason the fees are so low is because we do not work tohether. There will always be those among us that will accept lower fees. Those notarys make it hard for us to ge better fees and and allow the signing companies to continue to disrespect us with lower fees. A lawyer who conducted my homeowner loan refinancing informed me that we should be receiving $150.00 for our services.
100% agreed with your lawyer. NSA fee should be $150 across the board.
Actually probably more than that as $150 was not an uncommon fee in 2012.
Who hasn’t had a raise in 10 years?..besides us, that is~~
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$150 should the minimum
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The shame is the client thinks that WE are getting the whole amount. It should be separated showing the Notaries amount, not everybody’s added together. I’ve had clients tell me they want my job because of that pay amount and I couldn’t blame them.