If someone is shopping around for Notaries and you either don’t answer your phone — or worse, you answer only to tell the caller that you can’t talk because you are at a signing, you will not be at the top of many people’s list unless your work compensates for your poor phone etiquette.
Signing companies don’t have time to waste. They might have to call twenty people to fill a job. The faster you answer your phone, the more headache you are saving them. If you are at a signing, that is not the only signing you will do for the rest of your life. To keep in business, you will need other signings. By not answering your phone, you might be losing out on a new clients who will give you five jobs a week for the rest of your life, but you blow it by not picking up. Or, it might be someone who used you once before who will become a regular, but not if you say, “Sorry I can’t talk, I’m at a signing.”
If you answer your phone (and please do,) give the person calling you some respect. Give them ninety seconds before you cut them off by telling them you are at a signing. If you start the conversation by saying, “I’m at a signing.” They will feel pressured, uncomfortable, rushed, and not like talking to you. People do this to me all the time. I just say, “Never mind, I’ll talk to someone else.” What I have to tell them might really help their career, but they’ll never know because they didn’t give me a chance.
How much business do you lose each average hour you don’t pick up? If you do $200 in signings per day and the calls come in little by little, you are losing $25 each hour you can’t pick up. So, if the signing company instructs you not to answer your phone, tack on an additional $25 to the total cost, or don’t agree to those terms. If a signing is 90 minutes, you lost $37.50. My numbers are based on my experience back in the day and might not be representative of today’s world or your world. But, they make a point. The point is that your time is valuable and so is your ability to communicate with the rest of your species. Think about it!
I would never answer my phone during a signing. Very rude to borrowers and I’m paid to do that job. I do call back my missed call afterwards, however. And, I always answer my phone if I’m not in a signing.
Comment by Evelyn Turner — June 12, 2016 @ 8:23 pm
Yes I agree. As a professional, you have to answer your phone every time it rings. Preferably on the first ring. If I’m at a signing,I professionally tell the client I need to answer this call, it might be information pertaining to your documents your currently signing. I have never got a negative response.
Comment by Daniel Bradford — June 13, 2016 @ 4:43 am
Funny how contradicting because instructions from all title companies and even the training manuals say to turn your phone on silence and to not answer the phone that we are to give the borrowers our time. I can only imagine in a purchase how everyone would be complaining that I picked my phone up.
Comment by LauraM — June 13, 2016 @ 11:59 am
I agree with your information information to a certain extent. What you have not mentioned is how the Borrower feels about you booking assignments in the middle of their appointed time!! I feel it is disrespectful to them. How would YOU feel if you were meeting with your banker, lawyer, etc., and they take a call from another client!! Very rude. THEN, the notary stands the chance of getting a bad review and losing that SS’s/lender/title business.
Comment by Karla Hand — June 14, 2016 @ 2:59 am