Hi all, we’ve been using THS for a few years now and have overall had really great experiences. So much so that I’ve always been able to leave great 5 feedback for every sitter we’ve had. Unfortunately that was until our most recent sit which definitely fell below the standards of all our previous sits; despite the sitter having excellent feedback on their other sits (aside from 1-2 pieces of feedback which were not 5). I’m now in a real dilemma as I don’t feel I can honestly give a 5 review but I also know that if I am honest and give a lower rating that she will retaliate and I don’t want negative reviews on my profile.
I believe I’m a very fair and reasonable owner and my dogs are very easy going and low maintenance. Essentially all we ask is that our dogs are happy and our home left as found. We do ask that the dogs are not left for more than 5 hours (which I feel is reasonable) and ideally given a walk first thing in the morning (at this time of year due to the climate - other times of the year timing not important). All our previous sitters have been more than happy and we’ve had repeat sits.
What would you do? Answer honestly and justify why and then worry about the retaliation after or just chalk it down to a bad experience, be nice and just don’t rebook? I just then think everyone will see her great feedback and have different expectations to what they will get? My last trip away was so stressful due to all her communication and issues (and my then worrying about my dogs and home) that I couldn’t wait to get back
The reviews are blind which means that she cannot see your review of her until you have both posted a review. She will be able to respond to your review of her, and she may go into a lot of lengthy, defensive, detail. If she does it actually would reflect more badly on her than it would on you.
I really do think we need to move away from the constant need to give five stars for everything, it is important to be truthful. If you write your review in a non-emotional way simply stating the facts, it is of great benefit to other homeowners.
Reviews are now blind. The sitter won’t see your review until after the 2 week deadline to write a review has passed OR until after you’ve both left reviews.
Sometimes if one side suspects a bad review is coming they might write a bad review inadvance. So nothing is stopping your sitter from giving their side in a review even if you don’t leave one.
Neither side can change a posted review.
Both sides can leave a comment on the review they recieved. The comment appears on their own page, so if you leave an honest review and the sitter disagrees they are commenting on their page not yours.
The most effective critical reviews read as factual and objective. They aren’t about your disappointment. They are about what happened. So if you know the dogs weren’t walked first thing in the morning as you requested, then that is mentioned as well as how you know – ring camera, sitter told you, etc.
If the dogs eliminated in the home and there was evidence of this, write about that.
You mention communication issues that stressed you out. Your reaction isn’t that important in the review. What happened is. So specify what the communication issues were.
Explaining what happened is more important for future home owners than docking stars. Stars can be docked in specific categories but you decide the overall star rating.
If you can explain what happened in this thread, people might have opinions about how many stars to dock.
Reviews are blind . The sitter won’t be able to see your review before they wrote theirs . Please be accurate and honest in your review . You do a disservice to other hosts and good sitters by rating a poor experience as 5 stars .
That is very disappointing for you @MrsC0207, especially as you have had great sitters previously.
As @anon55123711 has said, your sitter cannot retaliate with a “bad” review of your sit because reviews are now blind, so neither sees the other’s review until both have been completed within 14 days of it finishing or after 14 days if one party did not review the other.
Your sitter will have the opportunity to respond to your review (as you will have to theirs) but it will appear on THEIR profile and not yours.
We have many members come to the forum for exactly the same reason as you have. The advice is always to give an honest, factual and unemotional review to help future owners in your case. If you were thinking of not giving this sitter a review, keep in mind there will be no evidence on their profile that this sit took place so other owners would be completely unaware of the issues caused by this sitter. If they didn’t give you a review, it would show on your profile with just the sitter’s photo, name and the dates of the sit. Yes, there’s a discrepancy that THS has created and made no attempt to bring into line!
As you write your reviews, ask yourself, what should future owners know about this person? This is the main purpose of the review, in my opinion.
After both reviews have been published, you also might consider giving the sitter some constructive feedback, if you think the sitter might be open to it. Perhaps the sitter can improve their performance in the future. Your feedback might help them.
Thank you all for your advice… I do agree that I should be honest; I guess I’m just apprehensive with this being the first time I’ve not been overly satisfied. And I left details out so as not to make the sit obvious if the sitter was looking at these forums . Don’t even know if PMs are possible between home owners but I’d happily expand in a PM if anyone wanted more details to give their opinion?
I get that. I don’t think you have to explain exactly to get advice about how many stars, but really make sure the review isn’t about your feelings. Regarding the stars, there tends to be 5 as a kind of default here, so realize people will pay attention to a four but may not take it too seriously if the reasons aren’t specified. If the reasons are set out fairly and objectively, the message will be received. Three mens “fair” which also should specify the issues. You could give a 3 or even a 2 in something like communication, but still give a 4 if you felt that the sitter did an overall “good” job even if you weren’t satisfied, but if you feel the overall was really not “good” than it’s a 3. Two implies poor at least to me and as a homeowner I probably wouldn’t give a two unless there was some kind of serious incident and I felt my pets were in danger or something bad actually happenened.
If you feel like DMing me, I’ve got no problem giving my opinion. But that’s all it is – somebody’s opinion.
@MrsC0207, an understandable situation.
There are many THS Forum threads on the topic of reviews, and negative reviews.
Typical advice - under current blind system - is that reviews should be brief, specific and evidenced. Avoid speculative statements and focus on objective facts. The housesitter will clearly have the opportunity to post a reply to your review - but if your review is brief, specific and evidenced then it is probably more difficult for an unreasonable housesitter to take issue.
Having DM’d with another member of the community I am reassured that my opinions are valid and that I’m not at all unreasonable so I will be leaving what I consider appropriate feedback although I may not rate them quite as low as I potentially could…
I feel for you, as I was in this exact same situation a few months ago. My second sitter had 5-star reviews, and I liked her on the video call – but the actual sit was a nightmare – multiple messages a day about my dog, and then even asking me for help! I was so stressed about my dog and home. I struggled with whether to leave a leave a review at all…and was also worried about what she might say. But I was encouraged on the forum to leave an honest review, as it’s an important part of the TSH platform, and how future HO’s choose the right sitter for them.
I wrote and re-wrote my review over several days, and then put it through ChatGPT and asked it to ‘make it nicer’ In the end I was very diplomatic, and I gave her an overall 4 out of 5 stars, but then marked her down for self-sufficiency etc for example. In the end she didn’t leave me a review at all.
It’s a really difficult process to go through – good luck!
Thank you for your post; it’s so good to know I’m not the only one that’s been in my situation. I definitely can’t give full stars for self sufficient for many reasons…. Don’t think I can for reliable either or clean and tidy
I’ve been drafting and redrafting my feedback since I got home but will post close to the end of the feedback period I think
I totally understand how you felt while you were away about wanting to go home; that’s how I felt for almost the whole time I was away… I think she only walked my pups about twice (and that’s if she did at all)
My last trip away was so stressful due to all her communication and issues (and my then worrying about my dogs and home) that I couldn’t wait to get back 
. I’ll keep trying to work it out and DM you if I do…
In the end I was very diplomatic, and I gave her an overall 4 out of 5 stars, but then marked her down for self-sufficiency etc for example. In the end she didn’t leave me a review at all.