New Notary Business Series
For me, an appointment is not finished the moment the last signature is completed. There are a few things I do before I leave the client and a few business tasks I handle afterward.
None of these steps are complicated, but they help me close out the appointment properly, keep my business records organized, and make sure the client feels appreciated.
I also try to remember something simple: the client could have chosen another notary business. They chose Five Star Notary Service, and I do not take that for granted.
- What I check before leaving the client
- Why I make sure my journal is complete
- How I handle payment
- Why I track mileage while the trip is still fresh
- How I thank the client and request a review
- How I transition to my next appointment
What I Have Learned
How you finish an appointment matters just as much as how you start it.
I want the client to remember Five Star as organized, professional, appreciative, and easy to work with from beginning to end.
Before I Leave the Client
I Check the Areas That Are Specific to Me as the Notary
Before I leave, I review the areas of the document that were my responsibility as the notary.
I am checking for completion, not legal correctness.
I make sure the notarial section I completed is filled out, signed, sealed, and completed as required for the notarial act I performed.
I am not reviewing the document to determine whether the legal terms are correct, whether the document accomplishes what the signer wants, or whether the signer should have signed it.
Important distinction: My final review is limited to the areas that are my responsibility as the notary. I am not performing a legal review of the document.
I Ask the Client to Take a Second Look
I also ask the client to look over the document before I leave.
I consider this an extra set of eyes for basic completeness. I want them to make sure they completed the areas they intended to complete and that nothing obvious was unintentionally missed during the signing.
Again, neither the client nor I am conducting a legal review during this step.
My goal is simply to avoid discovering an obvious omission after I have already driven away.
I Make Sure My Journal Entry Is Complete
Before the appointment is fully closed out, I make sure my notary journal entry is complete according to the process I use for my business.
I also make sure the appropriate parties have signed my journal when required by my process.
I prefer to take care of this while everyone is still together rather than trying to reconstruct information later.
I Thank the Client in Person
Before I leave, I thank the client for choosing Five Star Notary Service.
I mean it sincerely.
There are other notaries and other businesses they could have selected. They chose to trust me with their appointment, their time, and often important personal documents.
I never want to become so focused on completing transactions that I forget there is a person on the other side of the appointment.
A Business Lesson
Gratitude is part of customer service.
A simple thank you costs nothing, but I believe people can tell when a business genuinely appreciates their decision to become a client.
Closing Out the Business Side
I Make Sure Payment Is Complete
I accept payment by cash, Zelle, and Venmo.
If payment has not already been handled, I make sure the agreed payment is completed before I consider the appointment closed.
Keeping the payment process simple gives the client several convenient options while still allowing me to keep the business side of the appointment organized.
My Cash Routine
I Set Cash Aside for My Weekly Deposit
When a client pays me in cash, I do not treat that money as cash in my pocket for personal spending.
I set it aside for my weekly business bank deposit.
This is simply part of how I keep business money organized and separate from my personal spending.
I Track My Mileage
Mobile notary work means driving is part of the business.
I track my mileage so I have an accurate business record rather than trying to remember where I drove weeks or months later.
I am not trying to turn each appointment into an accounting project. I simply want my mileage documented while the information is still easy to capture.
I Follow Up With a Thank You and Review Request
After the appointment, I send a thank you message by text or email, depending on the type of service.
For a mobile appointment, text may be the most natural follow up. For a Remote Online Notarial Act, email may make more sense depending on how the appointment was handled.
I thank the client again for choosing Five Star and, when appropriate, invite them to leave a review.
Reviews help future clients understand what it is like to work with the business, but I do not want the review request to overshadow the thank you.
The appreciation comes first.
Why Reviews Matter to Me
A client's experience can help the next person decide whether they feel comfortable choosing Five Star.
That is why I ask for feedback after the service rather than assuming a satisfied client will automatically think to leave a review.
Then I Turn My Attention to the Next Client
I Let My Next Client Know I Am on My Way
If I have another appointment scheduled, I send the next client a simple text letting them know I am on my way.
I have found that keeping people informed helps put them at ease.
I do not want a client wondering whether I remembered the appointment, whether I am running late, or whether I am actually coming.
A short message takes very little effort but gives the client useful information and reassurance.
Five Star Practice Tip: Good communication does not need to be complicated. Sometimes a simple “I am on my way” message is enough to make the client feel informed and prepared.
My Appointment Close Out Routine
- Review my completed notarial areas for completeness
- Ask the client to take a second look for obvious omissions
- Make sure my journal entry is complete
- Make sure applicable journal signatures are completed
- Thank the client in person
- Confirm payment is complete
- Set cash aside for the next business bank deposit
- Track business mileage
- Send a thank you and review request
- Notify the next client when I am on my way
A Good Appointment Has a Beginning and an Ending
It is easy to focus on the actual notarization because that is the reason the client contacted me.
But running a mobile notary business involves more than the moment I apply my seal.
I want to finish the current appointment properly, complete the business tasks that belong with it, thank the client, and then transition professionally to whatever comes next.
The appointment may be complete, but the impression I leave with the client can last much longer.
Previous Article
How I Prepare for a Mobile Notary Appointment: My Simple Routine for Arriving Ready and On Time
See the simple routine I follow before leaving for an appointment, including confirmation, supplies, phone preparation, gas, and travel time.
Read Article Three →Next in the New Notary Business Series
How I Handle My First Contact With a Potential Notary Client
In the next article, I will move into the customer service side of building a notary business and share how I handle an inquiry from the moment a potential client first calls, texts, or reaches out online.
Educational Disclaimer: This article shares my personal experience and business practices as a Florida notary and is provided for general educational purposes only. Notary laws and requirements vary by state and may change. Notaries should verify current requirements with their commissioning authority and official government sources. References to my journal, client review process, payment practices, mileage tracking, and business routines describe how I choose to operate Five Star Notary Service and should not be interpreted as universal legal requirements. Five Star Notary Service LLC does not provide legal advice, select legal documents, draft legal documents, interpret legal language, review documents for legal sufficiency, or advise anyone about the legal consequences of signing a document.
