I had my first bad experience with a sitter and I can only hope that sharing my experience can spare other PP/HO.
We had a death in the family so we had to head to Texas for the funeral. It was a very fluid situation and we were really uncertain of exactly how long I would need to stay so we posted the dates on THS for worse case scenario which was a little over 3 weeks.
We got many applications and landed on a sitter that we really vibed with. The only concern: this was their first sit with THS which means they had no reviews. But they interviewed so well that we decided to take a chance on them.
We made it clear that we needed flexibility and that there was a chance that we would return early. However, in the event we returned early, we were still willing to honor the original listed dates. We explained that we have a finished basement that provides privacy, lots of room and it’s own entrance. The sitters had no issues with this so we moved forward with confirming the sit and they accepted.
A week before the sit is set to begin, I get a call that the funeral has been moved up by 2 weeks which cuts our our 3-week trip down to 9 days. I contact the sitters immediately and let them know. They are totally fine with all of it. The final arrangement: the sitters would be staying with us for a little over 3-weeks even though the actual sit was only for 9 days.
@Rlean808 can you clarify how this was a bad experience? It sounds like you planned for unforseen circumstances and the sitter agreed to accommodate that flexibility and made plans based on your request. Now things have changed for you, both parties are still committed to the agreement. How is that a bad outcome?
Hello
At first glance, it seems like something is missing from your story, but upon re-reading, I am seeing a different interpretation perhaps, based on how you worded the last sentence in particular.
You knew in advance the sit may be cut short, but perhaps you didn’t expect the trip to be that much shorter. So did the sitter’s decision to take you up on the offer to stay for that much longer seem inappropriate to you?
If it was a matter of a few days, I would have taken you up on that offer as well if I didn’t think I’d be able to find another sit . But if it was for that long, I probably would have looked for another opportunity. As a full time sitter currently in the US with my own transportation, our flexibility with dates and location would have made it very easy to find another sit. Last year we had a sit cancelled within a few days of starting and I filled the dates within the hour. But that might not be the case for everyone, and being able to stay there would be much more preferable obviously.
Let’s say for argument’s sake, you are correct in that she is more interested in free places to stay than pet sitting. If that is the case, she saw a good opportunity there so of course she would do that and you can’t blame her. If that is something that will be a big concern for you moving forward, you may feel better looking for sitters with certain criteria that may make you feel more comfortable, such as being older, having a lot of reviews, people that clearly only sit part time and have their own homes,etc.
What is the issue here? The person absolutely needs a “free place to stay” considering that they were able to accommodate your fluid circumstances. Unless you were planning on finding them alternative accomodation, or dealing with MS on their behalf so they can locate another sit, then the main thing I see here is some potential social awkwardness.
I’m very sorry for your loss, and know you’re probably in a vulnerable place right now. Nor is this instance likely to be repeated. But this would likely be a better place for a paid sitter, considering that you seem to expect them to clear off upon your return, despite what on the surface seems an open invitation to stay for the sit duration.
I sit part time and have my own home. When I leave my home and pets I have someone from THS in my home; leaving early is a domino effect that affects more than just me. I would feel terrible about kicking out my own sitter because of things beyond my control.
The way I read this is that it was a very fluid situation, you had someone who went with the flow, you invited them to stay in your suite if YOUR plans had to change, and they accepted the invitation. They did what you had expressed, after all.
I believe you should look at the situation from a “worst case scenario” point of view: how would you have felt if you had confirmed a sitter for a 3 week sit, who understood the need to be flexible, but when you curtail the sit by 14 days (which is a very long time, going beyond simply being flexible) they cancel on you?
As with many others, I’m a bit confused. The sitter had to make travel arrangements and plan for this in a schedule. It’s not just about a “free” place to stay. The sitter was willing to spend a full three weeks taking care of the pet. You changed things up after the agreement. You offered free private accomodations in return for working with you and being flexible. In the current situation even if the sitter WANTED to move on to another sit, you’d need to contact THS about “cancelling” the sit in order for your sitter to even apply for other sits before yours ends. You still got free pet care for 9 days. I’m very confused about the issue.
Yes, very unclear post. If communication is unclear, things go wrong.
Perhaps that’s what happened here too. The sitter thought they were doing what you wanted, yet somehow you feel dissatisfied.
Or there might be a paragraph missing in the original post!?
But they interviewed so well that we decided to take a chance on them.