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T O P I C R E V I E W
jbelmont	Posted - 03/16/2011 : 01:44:48 AM Honestly, this was the stupidest notary situation I have ever been in. Some really slow people keep me waiting for close to an hour while they took their sweet time. I got irritated and then they asked, "Do you like your job?". Read the details in the blog! What a bunch of jerks!!! http://blog.123notary.com/?p=617
10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Lee-AR	Posted - 03/18/2011 : 3:56:03 PM Paying all fees due as you walk in the door is a given and they are told that right up front. Trip fee of $XX is due in cash immediately when I arrive..along with the $XX per notarization. If, for some unforeseeable reason, no or fewer notarizations are completed, only the notarization fees will be refunded to you. I have been there/done that and will not allow game-playing. Frankly, under the circumstances I've outlined, they usually go to someone else--which tends to indicate to me that I dodged a game-player. If I have already been paid, then my previous statement ought to light a fire under them, yes?
DianaNotary	Posted - 03/18/2011 : 1:04:34 PM Posted - 03/18/2011 : 09:39:45 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Could be this is the proper time to politely ask "Would you prefer to reschedule this when you have the documents ready and have fewer demands on your time?" That ought to get their attention. I agree, but the clients should first consider paying for the trip. I think that would be fair..... http://www.DianaNotary.com
Lee-AR	Posted - 03/18/2011 : 09:39:45 AM Could be this is the proper time to politely ask "Would you prefer to reschedule this when you have the documents ready and have fewer demands on your time?" That ought to get their attention.
jbelmont	Posted - 03/17/2011 : 6:17:44 PM Honestly, with my other appointments that I did as a notary for eight years: a few were not prepared, but they didn't just sit and do nothing while I was waiting. The other unprepared people took a few minutes to prepare, and no harm was done. I don't mind a few minutes waiting. I used to do 40 appointments per week and didn't have a check list of questions to ask people unless it was a jail job. If I went back into doing signings, I would keep a laminated check list for every type of job in my wallet. I would be like these hotel reservation 800 numbers where I would tell you each time you called that you have to cancel at least 24 hours in advance, and that we will reserve the room until 7am and ramble on and on with standardized text for five minutes while the client went to sleep. Proverb: Its better to bore others with endless questions and reminders than to be kept waiting for more than 20 minutes.
DianaNotary	Posted - 03/17/2011 : 11:14:39 AM I am 100% sure that all of us at some point had a similar experience as Jeremy did. It�s easy to judge what he did or did not do correctly, however, just put yourself in his shoes�.it�s very annoying when people don�t account for your time and the internal anger grows with every minute that the clients just keep waisting your time. TIME IS MONEY! We know that, and the clients know that as well. BUT, they don�t care, because they know that they will pay a flat fee (per signature and per travel) so they take all the time in the world to make sure they get all the attention in the world for their $10 bucks spent. I am sure that was a good lesson. I had a similar one. I came to an appointment exactly on time and called the client that I am by her house. She said, that she is coming from a store and asked me if I could wait just a few minutes, I said O.K. �..10 minutes later I called the client again only to find out that she was still in line at the store�..and that the store is just 2 minutes away from the house??? WTF, RIGHT? At that point I said that I will be waiting for another 5 minutes and just leave. And that�s what I did. The client then called me 3 times, and threatened me that I offer bad service�.In any case, my point is that there are jerks out there, and we all have to be ready for situations like this but in no way have them waist our precious time. On my web site I have the following fee structure: Regular Fees: � Acknowledgment/Jurat - $10 per notarized signature � Certified Copy of Power of Attorney - $10 � Loan Signing - Starting at $125, includes travel � Travel Fee - $30 within San Francisco and San Mateo Counties (no taxes, parking charge, gas charge or additional mileage charges will be applied) � If you travel to my home office in Daly City, no travel fee will be charged. � Impartial Witness to estate planning documents- $40 (includes travel) � Full fees will be charged for a no show, a no sign or incomplete signature session at time of the appointment. � Appointment cancellations 2 hours or less before appointment time will be a charge of $35.00. � A "Waiting" fee of $15/per quarter hour will be charged for each quarter of an hour that documents or clients are not ready or are available to complete the signature process. GOOD LUCK AND STAND UP FOR YOUR TIME! http://www.DianaNotary.com
PWinFL	Posted - 03/17/2011 : 06:31:09 AM quote: Originally posted by jbelmont This was many years ago. Since my OTHER clients were generally prepared, or at least got prepared fairly quickly, I ASSUMED that these people would have their act at least reasonably together. Obviously they didn't respect other people's time. Well, we all know what "assume" means. IMO, you never assume anything, because once you do, it will come back and bite you in the assumption. quote: Originally posted by jbelmont Don't call me a jerk. That is an unfair accusation and rude of you! I guess you figure that you can call others "jerks" but no one else can. It was you that stated: quote: Originally posted by jbelmont Read the details in the blog! What a bunch of jerks!!! I even stated that it was not the word I would use. Never drive any faster than your guardian angel can fly. I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Florida, and I may not give legal advice or accept fees for legal advice. Visit us online at http://www.PAWnotary.com
jbelmont	Posted - 03/17/2011 : 04:00:07 AM Hi Linda, You are very very right... My complaint is NOT that they didn't have the document ready. The complaint was that they were wasting time socializing for thirty minutes without even thinking of getting the document ready. They basically treated me like I wasn't even there. I am complaining about their attitude of disrespect and not their preparedness.
LindaH	Posted - 03/17/2011 : 03:46:44 AM '...After keeping me waiting for 45 minutes and seeing my facial expression, the lady asked, �Do you like your job?�. I said, I like it better when my clients are prepared and have the document ready BEFORE they call me. I killed myself to arrive on time for that job. I had other things to do. I rushed to the hospital in Pasadena to serve a family of unprepared and unconcerned people whose kids were running around, and parents were casually talking. I tried to be very patient, so I wouldn�t rush them. The clock was ticking. It was late at night, and there were no other jobs to go to � just my comfortable bed, and television. I sat staring at the wall and the minutes went by..." IMO this is a monster of your own creation - by not taking control of the matter you let them use you for a doormat. However, there's also an element of "customer service" to be inserted into any notary assignment, a certain amount of patience and understanding that the signers deserve from the notary. Yes the document should have been completed before you got there but YOU let it go that long. 15-20 minutes IMO is sufficient time to know if they can get their act together or not. After that, if you truly have other things to do, then POLITELY bow out and reschedule. I had a call last weekend - Living Will - (family wanted it notarized) get there and although it's complete the elderly lady's ID had expired - family was a bit confused about the proper procedure and they were getting very upset and frazzled about getting this done - I was there for about an hour while they straightened things out...ended up signing as a witness on the LW and Surrogate Appointment - family relieved and I didn't charge - they were such NICE people...point being it was MY choice to spend that amount of time with them even though I knew I couldn't notarize. POA's don't take that long to fill out - boilerplate forms that just require names and addresses - sounds to me like they put the cart before the horse and got the notary there before they decided who was going to be the AIF - or worse, before the principal agreed to sign the POA!! Either way - it's on the notary to keep control of their time and the signing situation - WITHOUT showing annoyance with the clients. You said "..the lady asked �Do you like your job?�. I said, I like it better when my clients are prepared and have the document ready BEFORE they call me." I, personally, find that comment to the client very offensive and I would never talk to signers like that. MHO Linda www.notarydepot.com/notary/lindah http://www.notary.net/websites/LindaHubbell
jbelmont	Posted - 03/17/2011 : 03:14:24 AM Excuse me... I was the notary on that job, and I was very polite and patient while these folks wasted my whole evening and then insulted me by asking me if I liked my job when I looked aggravated. This was many years ago. Since my OTHER clients were generally prepared, or at least got prepared fairly quickly, I ASSUMED that these people would have their act at least reasonably together. Obviously they didn't respect other people's time. Of course the docs had to be prepared before they were notarized. I'm not going to notarize something with blanks. Don't call me a jerk. That is an unfair accusation and rude of you!
PWinFL	Posted - 03/16/2011 : 05:08:02 AM In my opinion, the notary was a "jerk" (not the word that I would use) also. He/she needed to instill on the family that the documents must be completed in every aspect, except for the signatures and notarial certificate, among the other things necessary for the execution of the document and the notarization to take place. Upon arrival and finding out that the process of drafting the document (POA in this case) was not done, the notary should have reiterated the requirement that the document must be completed prior to the arrival of the notary. Then the notary should have rescheduled the appointment and excused him/herself. There will always be a small group of people who do not take into account the other persons time or efforts. It's all part of being in a service oriented business. Never drive any faster than your guardian angel can fly. I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Florida, and I may not give legal advice or accept fees for legal advice. Visit us online at http://www.PAWnotary.com