I have never been given a tip, but what is especially nice is when the HO brings back or leaves a small gift of appreciation. One of my HO gave me a tea towel w/a map of her town. It was so lovely to receive this. It hardly takes up any space in my luggage and will be lasting memory.
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I don’t expect a tip but have been fortune to have been treated to a nice home meal or taken out for a meal by the HO upon arrival. I have also been left some beers as a thank you.
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Some call them tips … an owner giving one would probably rather say “A gift to express my gratitude, after all you kept one of my most precious family members safe and happy”
There are owners who use TrustedHousesitters as their preferred site because of the calibre of sitters and their motivation for what they do but who also feel slightly uncomfortable about not giving some financial reward, even though they know that’s “How it Works” …
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My very first sit the owner left me a $30 gift card to the local health food grocery store (appropriate, as I am a vegetarian) and another $15 card to the local coffee shot/ bakery. I found these incredibly thoughtful and generous and not inappropriate whatsoever.
Another sit left us a lovely bottle of wine (they had read on our profile we enjoyed wine) and some healthy snacks for our arrival. Again, very appreciated and, IMO, quite appropriate as we had traveled all day (by plane and train) to reach their home and pets.
We used to be pet owners and always thanked sitters with gifts and if we were still pet owners we couldn’t imagine not doing so. Especially when the sitter is also doing other tasks like bringing in the mail, taking out the trash, watering gardens, etc.
When you consider what it would cost to hire pet sitters/dog walkers to come to your home once or twice a day for as long as you are away (or worse yet, a kennel or doggy day care) a thank you gift is very modest in comparison.
We’ve done sits with no thank you gift and are not resentful, but personally we would never do this.
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Is tipping sitters customerary or expected? … if so, how much?
Never expected. And honestly, I would be uncomfortable being tipped. Both parties gain from the exchange, just as it is described on the THS site. The homeowner can relax, knowing their pet is enjoying some stress-free time in their own home and that the property is secure as well. The sitter gets to hang out with a new pet and stay in an interesting location. If there were money involved, that would throw off the balance for me. Kind of like I wouldn’t tip my dentist, although I adore him and think he does amazing work. There are agreed-upon parameters in advance.
Other sitters may feel differently, of course.
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Impressive response…thank you
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Nope, absolutely not. I’ve never been offered money & wouldn’t take it if I was.
Reimbursement of vet fees or emergency pet supplies would be another matter.
Some kind HOs have sent us lovely gifts after we have left; completely unexpected and so very appreciated but again entirely un-looked for.
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Well, this sitter totally agrees with everything you have written. May I reinforce I would be embarrassed if a pet parent tried to tip me. I love what I do and the love and joy I receive from the animals is enough of a thank you.
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Not been tipped and don’t expect such. I have been cooked some lovely meals, booked a takeaway, groceries and finally beer and wine.
I do this for my love of animals and travel so no tip is needed. I appreciate if the HO does these small gestures but not necessary.
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I don’t expect a tip. One HO who I had sat for before left me money for fuel expenses/ trips with the dog, which was kind, but it does feel like it throws off the balance somewhat and can put the sitter in an uncomfortable position. They were generous and also bought a lot of food and a Christmas gift (this was a regular sit).
It was offered freely by the HO and, as such, I accepted. However, I have also been asked about money directly by other HOs and I reiterate the fact it is a mutual exchange. I don’t think money should exchange hands during a sit (unless, of course, you have to buy additional pet food or similar). It can put you in an uncomfortable position.
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I’ve never been offered a tip, nor would I want to be. Little tokens, offered in both directions, are nice, but unnecessary.
The best way to show appreciation is to follow up with a review.
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@joegrushkin - Some home hosts on occasion do offer small gifts/meals/vouchers/cash tips/ etc as a token of their appreciation. - none of these are customary nor expected from sitters.
I would say we get given something roughly around 25% of the time. Unlike some other sitters, we are always happy to accept anything offered whether that be a bottle of wine, a meal out or cold hard cash and never feel embarrassed or uncomfortable in doing so.
Personally, as a frequent tipper myself, I find it embarrassing and awkward to have my tip rejected.
As for the 75% of home hosts that offer nothing? - that is absolutely fine and we feel no less towards them. Why would we as we were never expecting anything in the first place?
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Like you @Colin, I’d happily take anything that was offered to me - I think it would seem rude to decline. I haven’t yet been offered any money (except for private sits outside of THS), but I have had some food items given to me - at the start of the sit and brought back by the HO from their holiday.
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It also looks like attitudes are very different towards tipping sitters. We do paid sits as well (not through THS), but don’t expect anything from HOs on THS (and we have maybe been offered a tip twice after almost 4 years of full time house sitting in Europe). Wine, chocolate or other food items are not uncommon, though!
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I have not received a tip and it would even feel strange to me. But I am European, I expect this to be more of a thing in the Americas. But I am quite happy with the bottle of wine or the chocolates. But it is only a nice extra, a surprise, so I will not be disappointed if I do not receive it.
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I agree. When a homeowner leaves a card with cash inside or with a gift card, I treat it as a gift. I think it would be more rude to leave behind or reject a gift card to a restaurant they mentioned than to accept their demonstration of gratitude.
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@CatDog @colin, I cannot agree with your contention that it’s rude to decline a cash tip. The whole nature of a tip defines the rôles of the tipper and the, er, tipee. One is providing a service or benefit to the other and those rôles are never interchangeable. Your waiter never gives you a couple of quid does he? Neither does the chap who took your bags to your room or the taxi driver who brought you there. He/she is doing a service for you and you can do nothing in return but splash your cash. This is entirely, 100% contrary to the concept of quid pro quo - the foundation of (in this instance) THS where the two halves are equally beneficent.
Thank-you gifts, welcome packs and departure presents are all polite gestures. Tipping is a whole different symbol of dominance & subservience.
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@Saltrams We totally agree. Cash is, to us, an uncomfortable transaction in this equal exchange between sitters and homeowners.
If we were offered a cash tip, we would politely demure because we are uncomfortable with the idea. It is not “rude” to stay true to oneself.
If there are not-positive things that you might need to include in your review, would a homeowner expect a certain treatment since they tipped you? I don’t know, I am just posing the question because tipping can be seen as part of a power dynamic.
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@Saltrams - Just for the record - I don’t think that it is rude to refuse a cash tip and have never said that I do
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