Patrick,

Thank you for responding to Kevin's suggestions for NALTEA.  I have been a NALTEA member since 2005 and I believe that they are doing the best job they can to promote the Abstracting Industry with the resources that are available.  The more members they have, the more can be accomplished. It is my hope that over the next couple of years I can offer some of my time to assist these efforts as my duties of motherhood are declining.

I did wish to comment on your response to Suggestion #2.  In the past few years that I have been doing independent abstracting I cannot recall any V.M. asking me what my experience in the field was.  They want to know "how much?", "how quickly?", but never "how accurate?".  The only potential clients that have ever seemed concerned about what my knowledge of title searching is have been local attorneys/law firms.  The fact that most so called V.M.s do not CARE about experience is evidenced by the fact that they will "drop" an abstractor who provides timely, accurate and complete reports for anyone who offers a lower cost to them.  I believe this is what Kevin was referring to with his suggestion that NALTEA "teach the virtues of using experienced, insured and licensed" abstractors.  It is not the Abstractors who need to be taught, it is our potential clients who need to recognize quality over cost.

Secondly, with regard to your comments about abstractors "not answering their phones".  As an independent business owner, I understand the importance of being available to my clients and potential clients.  However, as a one-person operation, I am not always able to take that call and therefore often rely on voice-mail to answer my telephone.  When I am in the office, I answer the phone.  When I am out in the field, the phones are forwarded to my cell phone so that I can retrieve calls on the road. However when I am in a vault doing a search it is often impossible to retrieve calls, and frankly it is rude to the other people working in the office to be talking on the phone, so therefore I send the calls to voicemail.  My feeling is that if someone truly wants to discuss working with my company, they will leave a message and I WILL return their call.  If they are just fishing for info, prices, etc., and can't be bothered to leave a message, they probably were not going to send me work anyway.  Possibly this is another example of my warped view of how the world should work, but that's just me.

I wish NALTEA much success with the conference and in the coming year.  I am truly sorry that I cannot make the trip to New Orleans - I will be there in spirit.  Happy New Year to all.

Lori