Answer Your Phone
5 posts, 5 voices
| joanbergst 73 posts |
You want to work in this industry? Answer your phone and I don’t care where I am I answer my phone except when watching a movie in a movie theater and then I put it on vibrate with blue tooth in my ear so I can get to the lobby and talk. I bet I answer my phone 98% of the time. It is one of my key ways to receiving an assignment. This policy of mine hasn’t changed since 2002 when I became a CA Notary/Loan-Signer. I was teaching a notary class today in CA (Pasadena) and it killed me to turn off the phone during the 6 hour class. I turned the cell on at lunch and got a call and missed 2 others. Those 2 assignments were gone with the wind. You will miss assignments if you don’t answer your phone particularly, when you do a day time signing because that is when most signing and title/etc companies call. Don’t stay on the phone for more than 1 minute and don’t answer a 2nd phone. Don’t answer your phone if it is your family/friends unless it is a dire emergency. Your phone at a loan signing is not to be answered to settle a fight between your kids. Hang up on the kids immediately! |
| maggiemae 35 posts |
Joan, that’s the best advice you can offer to someone in any service industry. I turn off my phone at a doctor’s appointment (while I’m in with the doctor) and that’s it. |
| cindynguyen 2 posts |
Hi Joan, you always come up with something good for our notaries. We are lucky to have you in our forum. |
| maureenlazar 30 posts |
I always answer if it is an unrecognized number. I have several numbers that I know the prefix too and know they are companies I do business with, I then also answer my phone. I do know that it is rude at times but I then explain my line of work “they call once if no answer they move on down the list”. Usually everyone understands. ( except my kids who think it’s rude) |
| lkthornton 26 posts |
I have my phone with me and will answer it at all times, whether I’m doing dishes, at the grocery store, or waiting at the dentist office. I will not answer my phone while serving a notary customer. They are paying me for my full attention at the appointment. To answer the phone and start negotiating deals while I should be notarizing their paperwork is rude, in my opinion. They are not paying me to take the next deal. They are paying me to notarize their doc and pay attention and focus on the task at hand. If I miss a call, oh well, my loss, but I will NOT shortchange the customer by taking my attention away from them for a phone call. For loan signings I will inform the borrowers ahead of time that an incoming call may be the SS or TC and I may need to answer my phone. But for regular notary work…the calls can go to voicemail until I am finished. I hate it when people are on the phone when I am their customer, therefore, I will not do that to others. I am willing to lose a client on the phone because the person sitting in front of me I value as #1 and a top priority. |