Quality vs. Quantity

At OneNotary, we pride ourselves on the level of quality that we provide to our signers.  Although, an efficient signing session is desirable for both the client and the notary, we expect quality over quantity.  Quality starts with you, our Platform Notaries.  No signatory should every feel rushed, intimidated or left wondering if their notarization was completed properly.  Our clientele come to OneNotary with confidence that their notarial needs are being met correctly the first time.

Guiding Principles - Adopted from the National Notary Association (NNA), Notary Signing Agent Code of Conduct

The following ten (10) fundamental principles written by the NNA in the Notary Signing Agent Code of Conduct have been adopted by OneNotary as the foundation to our expectations.

Qualifications

The Notary will satisfactorily meet and maintain all qualifications necessary to perform signing services. 


Notarization

The Notary will follow all laws, rules and best practices that apply to the notarizing of documents.


Impartiality

The Notary will remain impartial to the transaction at all times.


Unauthorized Advice or Services

The Notary will not provide legal, personal, financial or other advice or services to the signer in connection with a signing assignment nor explain the terms of any closing document presented to the signer.


Illegal and Suspicious Activity

The Notary will not perform an illegal, deceptive or harmful act in connection with a signing assignment and will report any suspicious activity to the NSA’s contracting company.


Privacy and Confidentiality

The Notary will respect the privacy of each signer and protect documents from unauthorized disclosure.


Fees

The Notary will follow all contractual obligations in charging and collecting fees for services rendered.


Advertising

The Notary will not advertise signing services in a manner that is unprofessional, false, misleading or deceptive.


Professionalism

The Notary will always act in a responsible manner towards contracting companies and parties to the transaction.


Standards

The Notary will endeavor to maintain and raise standards of practice amongst practitioners in the signing services industry. 


OneNotary Expectations


Notaries Public that serve clientele on our platform have been individually selected and are expected to be fully bonded & insured.  E&O Policies are to be no less than $25,000.

Additionally, our notaries are expected to be NNA Certified Signing Agents and provide their NNA Profile Link as evidence.  

For more information on how to become a NNA Certified Signing Agent we recommend visiting the NNA's website for more information. 

Conduct on the OneNotary Platform

While performing each and every notarial act on the OneNotary platform all Notaries will adhere to the following Code of Conduct: 

  • Profanity and / or unprofessional and profane gestures of any kind are never acceptable and will result in immediate revocation of platform access.  Regardless, to whom it is intended / directed, (signatories, client(s), business partners or OneNotary colleagues).  
  • Notaries must work in a professional, clean, quiet secluded area designated specifically for notarial acts without distractions or interruptions;
  •  Notaries must present themselves on camera to the signatory in business casual or professional attire;
  • Notaries must maintain a professional demeanor;
  • OneNotary profile images must adhere to the following minimal standards:
    • Photograph or "headshot" in a well lit area with a common or neutral background;
    • Clean, pressed business casual or professional attire;
    • Remove hats or sunglasses.  Your profile photo is used as identification purposes and is presented to the signer when they are "Ready to Start" the session.
      • Please avoid the "selfie" while driving, while on vacation, etc...
    • If you require additional information on how to take an appropriate business photograph, we are happy to make recommendations, simply email support@onenotary.us.
  • Notaries must maintain professional composure, confidence and control over the meeting.  As the Notary Public, you are the individual hosting the session and should hold yourself as the leader, speaking slowly, clearly and with professional candor and confidence at all times.
  • In addition to the above, expectations and Code of Conduct, every Notary Public that serves on the OneNotary platform is expected to follow the Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility set forth by the National Notary Association (NNA). 

Uniformity  & Consistency


Business partners and signatories alike have grown accustomed to our platform and notaries.  They demand the highest level of quality and have pre-existing expectations that we must maintain or exceed in every transaction.


Your interaction with the signer(s) should be polite, engaging and controlled.  When performing notarizations for our clients all notaries are expected to follow the OneNotary script.  Every signer, in every session should be presented with the four (4) basic questions that maintain the integrity of Remote Online Notarization.  The script can be found in the following solution article: OneNotary.US - Notary Script.  Anything beyond this is the notaries responsibility, (e.g. when to place a signer under oath).


Troubleshooting


During a notary session if you notice the signer(s) having technical difficulties, OneNotary expects all notaries attempt a fundamental level of troubleshooting prior to terminating the session.  If you must terminate the session, you must re-attempt the session at least three (3) times while, attempting to connect with the signer via email or phone.  OneNotary will provide all Platform Notaries access to our VOiP Phone system for making and receiving phone calls as well as, a company email address to communicate with our clientele.


OneNotary Contracted Notaries

OneNotary offers two (2) variations for the independent contractor.  We have notaries that are contracted by the hour and notaries that are contracted by the session.


Regardless of your contract, all notaries are expected to show up to the sessions accepted and that are assigned in the notary's ejournal.  If for some reason, you are unable to initiate and complete a session, you are responsible for requesting the session be reassigned to another notary.  Simply email support@onenotary.us and request the session ID be reassigned; this option must be done as quickly as possible, preferably after contact with the signer has been made.


Those notaries contracted by the hour have additional requirements which, include:

Clocking in/out of your schedule shift(s) on-time;

Adherence to the mutually agreed schedule;

Requesting cover or trading when unable to fulfill scheduled shift(s);

Timely entering of intended days off.


Notarizations


As an independent contractor and a commissioned Notary Public in and by your state, it is your responsibility to maintain a level of education and understand of the laws associated with your commission.  OneNotary may provide educational recommendations on occasion however, the responsibility of legal notarial acts and knowledge of your state's notary rules, regulations and laws remain solely on the shoulders of the commissioned notary public. 


*Performance Metrics


All notaries will be measured on the following:

  • Accuracy and efficiency of notarial acts and overall sessions;
  • Appearance of attire, grooming, surroundings;
  • Following commissioned state laws;
  • Professional composure, tonality and knowledge;
  • Timely session acceptance;
  • Number of Accepted sessions;
  • Number of Terminated sessions;
  • Number of Missed sessions;
  • Overall rating as provided by the customer, signer, client or business partner;
  • Time to connect with the signer(s);
    • Time the signer(s) are "Ready to Start" before connecting with a notary;
  • Adherence to shifts and reliability;
  • Maintain an average rating > 4.8 stars;
  • Each hourly paid contracted notary will execute no less than three (3) notarizations per hour without sacrificing quality;
  • Refunds due to notary error will automatically issue a Written Warning, see below for explanation.


Written Warnings


A notary found in breach of  the above Code of Conduct, (inclusive of: ethics, expectations and performance metrics), can be issued a Written Warning.  After, the fourth (4th) Written Warning the notary will be barred from the OneNotary platform indefinitely.  OneNotary reserves the right to advance the process therefore, bypassing the issuance of a Written Warning and bar the notary from the platform out our discretion. 


Additional & Misc. Policies


All notaries serving our clients will be held to the above standards that OneNotary may change or alter at any time without notification to platform users.  These policies and any alterations will remain posted in Knowledge base for ease of access to all users. 


*all policies are written as an expectation for company expansion and current volume may not support full enforcement.  Additionally, any punitive measures will be issued (or not) at the sole discretion of the Director and Supervisor of Notary Operations based on several factors.  The above policy is not an all-inclusive list of metrics, rather a list of examples and may change periodically.