I like lots of detail in this section. It saves a lot of time for HOs & sitters if everything is covered up front rather than at call stage after an application has been written & submitted.
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It would only take minutes to read, you canât be that busy surely?
Wow. I did not know that. I wonder what is the rationale behind hiding this information.
I have a detailed list of responsibilities for house sitters because I want to ensure they fully understand what theyâre dealing with, especially regarding our pets. Our pets are like our children, so itâs crucial they receive the best care. Here are a few concerns Iâve encountered:
- A pet sitter who doesnât take the time to read the responsibilities might lack the patience necessary to properly care for our pets, house, and plants.
- A pet sitter who shows interest but then doesnât follow up disrespects our time. Itâs frustrating to deal with someone who expresses interest and then disappears.
- A pet sitter who cancels last minute, whether a week or a few days before the scheduled sitting, is very irresponsible and concerning.
Our pets are our family, and they deserve the best attention and care possible.
It is how it works here. When I try to fill up a gap between sits, I apply to several in parallel, and when I get confirmed on one I will withdraw the other applications.
Yes, that takes some time, on both sides. For a single night, I donât find it worth my time to do a pet sit, and I pay for an airbnb etc. If you want to save time, you can hire a sitter via another kind of company.
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It would be appreciated if the pet sitter could inform the homeowner if they need to transition to a new task, especially if a conversation is ongoing. This way, it avoids any unintentional cold shoulder and ensures smooth communication.
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Not sure what youâre getting at by
Can you clarify what you mean?
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- Bedtime - I am sure @BonnyinBrighton will agree that the bedtime should also be listed as she was given a 9:15 p.m. bedtime curfew for a puppy on her 1st THS sit.
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If youâre talking with a home owner and the house sitter suddenly stops responding, leaving the homeowner hanging after several attempts to communicate, itâs really disrespectful. At the very least, they should send a simple âThank you, but Iâm not interestedâ to close the conversation properly.
Oh, you mean if youâre communicating in real time and the other party needs to go do something else for a while? Sure. Goes both ways.
I am getting the impression that the sitterâs time is not being respected. They have to read pages-long responsibilities sections of several listings in order to find the information that is relevant to whether they are going to apply. They do apply for multiple sits that could be overlapping. Once I get a confirmation with a sit I cancel the rest of the applications. Last year I had to cancel my confirmed sit because my mother got admitted to hospital and I had to fly out within hours not knowing how long I would be gone. THS is a good experience when both HO and sitter are aware that this is a trade and are willing to compromise and respect.
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Likewise, it could be argued that a pet parent who has clearly read our application but then fails to respond, sometimes for days - I think some wait until they have a full quota of 5 applicants - also âdisrespects our timeâ.
Ditto. In scheduling sits, we have to coordinate not just dates but areas, times of arrival and departure etc. and that means applying to multiple sits and then working out which will best dovetail (assuming we are successful). This means withdrawing applications from those sits which ultimately canât work well within the wider scheme of things. That said, we never just fail to âfollow-upâ, but will send a message explaining the withdrawal of our application.
Part of this problem stems from the fact that sitters can no longer message pet parents, and the only way to initiate contact is to submit an application to sit.
Not always the case. There are a huge number of listings where listed responsibilities are scant or ambiguous (âcare for my dog and homeâ).
I think it would be user-friendly if inclusion of main responsibilities was obligatory in the listings, including issues such as how long pets can be left; any behavioural issues (including separation anxiety, whether dogs are lead-reactive, how they are with other dogs and people, whether they pull on the lead; whether fully house-trained etc.); any health issues or medications; whether they are allowed on furniture; where they sleep; how long dogs need to be exercised and whether they have good recall; whether cats are indoor or outdoor and whether there are litter boxes to clean.
Yes, I know this can all be discussed during the video chats, but a simple tick-box summary would supply an instant visual representation and make it easier for sitters to determine compatibility.
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I am sorry you find that so time consuming but I rather spend my time reading a thorough responsibility section than âpullingâ out information off some HOs as though I was extracting a tooth. You can always choose not to read it thoroughly. I am not so interested in the description of the house and just go over it quickly.
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