So your business has been steadily growing and you’re getting tired of finding notaries and managing the document signing process, right? It’s time to find a signing company that can handle the time consuming task of managing your document signings. There are many signing companies throughout the U.S. And as with any business, some are good, some are not so good, some will truly help you, and some will give you a real headache. Knowing the right questions to ask and where to spot red flags will help you choose the best document signing company for you.
Signing company specialties
The most important component when choosing a signing company is to find out what types of documents they service.
- Do they do all types of loan signings (buyer, seller, traditional, re-fi, HELOC, etc.)?
- Do they offer general notarization services?
- Do they specialize in a particular type of signing (example: debt settlement signings)?
You need to know they have the experience to handle your documents.
Technology
The signing company you choose will take over your daily signing obligations. This is a big responsibility so it’s important to find out what type of process they use.
- Do they have an internal system?
- Do they use a large notary database?
- Will you be able to be involved in monitoring the signings?
In this time sensitive industry, you want to make sure that technology is on your side. It’s always wise to ask the company to walk you through their process. Many companies will also be able to provide you a virtual demo from start to finish. It should raise a red flag if they cannot do this for you.
Pricing & billing
It goes without saying that pricing will be a key factor in your search. You will need to do your research and get multiple quotes. Keep in mind that cheapest is not always best; there are many factors to consider when it comes to pricing.
- Do they offer volume discounts and flexible/scale-based pricing?
- Are they willing to provide complimentary or deeply discounted pricing so you can test out their service?
- How flexible is their billing? Can you pay via credit card and how often are you billed?
- Are there additional fees resulting from extra distance or exceptional circumstances?
- What happens if your client doesn’t sign?
- What happens if the notary has to make a second trip?
All these questions should be clearly answered when interviewing potential companies.
Customer support
Besides making sure that the signing company can handle your specific document signing needs, it’s equally important to make sure that you are going to be happy with the support they provide.
- Will you have a dedicated person or phone line you can contact when you have questions?
- How quickly can they respond to you? Many (if not all) signings are time sensitive and you want to be able get responses when you need them.
- Do they offer other forms of support like texting and chat features?
- What are their business hours and what happens when a signing falls outside of those times?
As a client, you need to feel confident in the support you will be provided.
Client reviews
In the digital age, reading third party reviews has become a normal part of the buying process for products and services. Document signing is no exception. Yes, you should look at them, but letting your decision weigh heavily on positive or negative reviews is not recommended. Here are a few things to consider:
- You’ll never know the full context of a relationship in a short testimonial. Take both positive and negative reviews with a grain of salt.
- A lack of reviews doesn’t indicate a lack of business. Reviews often come from asking for them.
- How does the company deal with negative feedback? Is the review left unanswered, or did they respond to make things right?
- If there are a lot of reviews, is there a theme? It’s usually the patterns in the feedback that you can trust.
Clear expectations
Imagine you’ve asked the important questions and are ready to choose a signing company. Let’s do a little review. The signing company:
- Has experience in the type of documents I need processed (check)
- Is offering a fair price based on industry standards and the homework I’ve done (check)
- Seems to have a good handle on technology and I feel comfortable with their process (check)
- Has a billing process that works for me and my company (check)
- Has established customer service standards and protocols (check)
- Doesn’t have any red flags in their reviews (check)
Good on you for finding all this out to make an informed decision for your company.
Now here’s the biggie…do you like them? Do you feel like you can trust them? The signing company that you chose will be an extension of your business. Your clients will connect the signing company (and more specifically the signing agents that the company sends) directly to your business. Choose a signing company that makes you feel confident that they will represent your company as you would want.
Think about the phone conversations you had in your interview process. Who made you feel the best? Who answered your questions honestly and without a lot of hype? Use your experience and business sense to make the best decision. The good thing is there are no shortage of options, so if your first choice is a flop, you’ll know the process and can “choose again” if needed.
About the Author:
Lisa Munyon is the CEO of National Paralegal & Notary (NPN). NPN is the largest managed network of notaries and paralegals in the United States and has been providing reliable document signing services for over ten years. NPN is a recognized and respected leader in the industry and prides itself on the ability to service clients with the highest of standards. Lisa personally handles all new business inquiries and welcomes the opportunity to discuss your company’s volume based signing needs. Contact Lisa today.
