I had a signing assignment yesterday for a Seller’s package. Client was 20 minutes late but I was still able to complete the signing. The Agency requested scan backs and a drop off right after. Prior to the appointment time, I confirmed with my usual drop off location what their last pick up for the day was, which they stated that it was at 5 p.m. I dropped the completed package (at 2:30 p.m.) as requested and sent back confirmation of drop off and tracking information. This leads me to my question, the tracking information hasn’t updated since I dropped it off. It just states that it was received by the shipping company. I have now received several calls and messages requesting that I follow up with the shipping company. Is this also part of the assignment or is the assignment over once I make the final drop for shipment and provide the receipt. I do want to do a good job, but I have other signing to attend to today and I don’t really have time to continue calling and asking for a status report.
You have used that drop without incident?
Sounds like it’s not scanned onto a truck yet. If you have a receipt, send it to the hiring company. I’ve never chased a package when I provide them the shipping receipt.
And truthfully a job isn’t done until everything gets filed with the county. I had a missed stamp get by everyone until it got to County to file. I had to go to the county office and stamp the Deed of Trust - about 3 months after the order was complete.
So just because you got it all signed, and approved and shipped - officially over depends.
But if you gave them a copy of your ship confirmation, I don’t see why they expect you to chase it.
I have used the drop without incident on several occasions. Just wasn’t sure why they kept wanting me to call the drop location because there is nothing I can do to make them go faster.
I’d send them an email with the receipt attached and say tracking number is attached.
I agree it’s not your job to chase it around.
When the check clears. Which does NOT mean you’re obligated to do their job. Where I usually drop (box), tracking will not show up for hours after the pickup time. If you have a receipt, send that & it’s out of your hands…period.
In my opinion, an assignment is officially over when I have met all the requirements set by the client. The requirements would include successfully completing the loan signing, including receiving the signed documents from the borrower(s), scanning any required documents back to the hiring company, dropping off the documents with the shipper, and receiving a receipt from the shipper that the documents were dropped off. I stopped using drop boxes years ago because I couldn’t prove that I dropped the package off there. That also means once the documents are in the shipper’s possession, I am no longer responsible for the loan package. But once, I dropped off a package at FedEx and the client claimed they couldn’t find it. I gave them a copy of the receipt, and it was up to them to follow up with FedEx.
@pioneervalleynotary In a word ===>>> No.
Following up with the shipper isn’t within your bailiwick nor is it a component of your responsibility nor do you have any influence/control over the package once the handoff has been completed.
Agree with the others on this one. If you have a receipt that you dropped the package, email that receipt to the hiring party/title company. They sent you the shipping label (with the tracking number). That receipt you obtained, is your proof that you handed that package to the shipper of their choice with the shipping label they provided. Once you get that receipt, responsibility for that package is out of your hands. It’s up to receiver to track.
For whatever reason, sometimes packages don’t track while in transit. (rare)
Sometimes, packages get lost while in transit. (rare)
Hold on to that receipt. That’s evidence that you did your part.
Let us know how this all turns out.
To answer the initial question: Personally, I don’t consider an assignment officially over until payment clears. 
I had sent the company the initial receipt when I did the drop off but after several calls and emails, I did go pick up the package and drop it off at another location. I know now that it isn’t part of my assignment but the elderly lady whom I did the signing for, was so sweet to me that I felt bad and did it. I will be blacklisting the company and not accepting any further assignments from them.
Hiring parties usually require packages to be dropped at UPS or FedEx store/facility. Many other places (drug, dollar, shipping, etc.) are considered unreliable (they are, as you found out). Even drop boxes can be unreliable as drivers do blow 'em off when they’re running late. I have NO Fed-Ups facilities near me and have discovered (thru trial & error) that the boxes near our town square/courthouse/lawyers/title companies are NEVER skipped by a driver. Other drop-boxes in town near shopping centers or banks are randomly skipped.
It was over & above to pick it up & re-drop it. I’m sure they appreciate it and I trust that you’ve learned from this lesson. Also, if this is your only complaint about the co., I wouldn’t be so hasty to write them off as the issue seems to me to be your inexperience with the ugly reality of overnight company’s hard truths and not hiring party wanting the package delivered…well…overnight.
My understanding is that when I accepted the assignment, I was 100% responsible for delivering a perfect set of documents back to the title company. The so-called icing on the cake is that receipt you get from the shipper after you drop off the envelope. Snap a photo of the receipt, text it back to your client, and you’re free.
Your job is done when you drop off the sign documents at the carrier, never drop them in an outside container either by FedEx or UPS those get broken into all the time.
Just to be safe if you have a sensitive client to get a receipt from the carrier.
But if it gets back and they find errors the Simon continues until it’s done and it is perfect.
Always double in triple check your work.
Send a copy of the receipt and that is it.
I am forunate in that the Fedex service provider (not a Fedex facility, in and of itself) sends me an electronic receipt for my drop offs within a couple minutes of my handing it over. The receipt is right in my phone, clear, clean and ready to forward on if the signing service or final recipient needs proof of my drop off. I LOVE it. No little paper receipts to lose, no waiting in line at drop off (I just hand it to the clerk and BINGO, I have a receipt in about two minutes.), no muss, no fuss. See if your Fedex place has this service.
As far as I’m concerned, when I get that receipt, my job is done, unless I’ve made an error/omission in my work at the signing table, which, of course, I’ve never done (ahem).
Did you upload the receipt?
I upload copies of electronic receipts when asked. It’s easy and it solves the problem fast.
I think it’s interesting that no one recognizes it’s not really over until everything is filed and you haven’t had to correct anything. I once had a Deed of Trust get all the way to county before being called and asked to go to the title office and apply my stamp. It took 4 months to be asked for that correction everyone missed it except for the County Clerk. We don’t ever expect to have errors pop up that far down the road, but they can. It’s over when things are filed. I triple check and haven’t been contacted for any fixing in a very long time, but consider a job finished when there’s no call before the RTC period is done. Over as in finished? When it’s filed.
@ewing_joe Absolutely Accurate 
percent! Deliver a PERFECTLY executed set of documents. 
Performing Quality Control throughout the Signing Appointment is a critical component of Success. Always triple-check the document package PRIOR TO placing it into the Shipper’s Sleeve.
===>>> Once the document package is handed off to the Staff Agent at the Shipper’s Location, that juncture ends the responsibility of the Professional Signing Agent [PSA].
From that juncture, it’s the responsibility of the Shipper & the Title Company to coordinate receiving the package.
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If a Quality Control triple-check is performed, there is NO NEED to fret all the way to filing the document.
In addition, filing legal documents is outside the realm of responsibilities for the PSA - as the Title/Escrow Company [T/EC] manages that component.
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FYI: The OP was specifically querying regarding the following excerpt: