Easier to compare, Clearer to choose

Product Updates
1

Hello everyone!

We’ve launched two updates designed to help members get a clearer picture before saying “yes!” whether you’re a sitter weighing up a listing, or an owner reviewing who’s applied.

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What is changing?

The first is an improved experience when owners add photos of their home. Adding captions, and organising photos is now simpler, helping sitters to get a genuine feel for the space before they apply. This is rolling out to a small group of owners first, before being made available to everyone in the coming weeks.

UPDATE 13/07/26: Improved image upload experience now available to all.

We’ve also updated applicant profiles in the TrustedHousesitter app. When reviewing applications, owners will have everything they need in one clear view, putting the application message, reviews and sitter experience front and centre.

Together, these updates make the information members rely on easier to find, compare and act on.

Why?

Choosing a sit or sitter can mean piecing together information from different places. We’re not changing who you choose - that decision is always yours. We’re making the information you already use easier to see, so you feel more confident you’ve made the best decision.

For sitters, listings should be easier to compare. Clearer home photos help you to understand the space before you apply, helping you to focus on the sits that feel right for you. When you do apply, your application message is shown alongside your reviews and experience supporting you to stand out.

For owners, managing your home photos should feel more straightforward, helping you to build a stronger listing. When sitters apply, you’ll then see the most important information together in one place, providing a clear sense of who feels like the right fit.

For more information about the new profile designs, check out this blog.

2

I’m in the middle of my first experience with the new layout for sitter applications/ replies to sit postings and I’m really frustrated.

I clicked on the first applicant and was met with a list of reviews and references but no “application”. There are tabs for “experience” and “about” but I couldn’t find their application. I finally tried “messages” at the bottom of the page and there it was! Odd but …

I clicked on the second applicant and I was met with their application, just like I’m used to. And tabs for reviews etc. Turns out the first applicant had applied for a previous sit so evidently their “application” ended up in the thread of messages (!). I was about to discount them as an applicant, thinking they hadn’t bothered to actually write anything, and only found their submission by literal “hunt and click”.

The 3rd applicant was also a repeat, but his application popped right up.

What is most troubling to me is that the reviews only show a month/year, not the length of the sit! We post for sits from 2 days to 2 months and it’s VERY important, for long sits in particular, to see whether a sitter has experience with longer sits.

Now that the initial shock has faded a bit, I do like seeing the review summary right away. And if we had dogs it could be very helpful to see what breeds, size and quantity they’ve care for.

Thanks

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@stephenia

Does the review summary clearly distinguish reviews from THS sits completed and references ?

4

Hey @stephenia

Thanks for the feedback!

It’s great to see that overall the new layout is working well, you like the positioning of the review summary and see the benefits of the sitter experience! :partying_face:

You also mention a couple of things which you didn’t like;

This was a conscious decision. We find it makes the page easier to scan and can also have benefits for owners who travel on consistent dates. Though, your point is fair and we’ll consider it as we move forward. :slight_smile:

Sorry for the confusion here, this was caused by a bug which has been seen in a small number of instances. We are currently working on ironing it out (likely to be fixed early next week).

Update: the teams behind the scenes completed this faster than I expected - this has now been fixed

Yes, reviews are labelled as ‘Verified Reviews’ :+1:

Thanks again!

5

Thanks @Mark_B

How are the references referred to ?

6

Thanks for clarity on the bug. Excellent!

As for showing the length of a sit for each review, yes, rethink that! I’m not sure how not showing that supports any host, much less why that’s a benefit for hosts who travel on consistent dates. Not including the number of days, don’t need the actual date range, makes filtering applicants significantly more difficult. I now need to drill down into each sit (and one of my applicants has 55 reviews!) to see if they’ve done a long sit and how it went.

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Updated Siter Profile
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A little while ago, we shared that applicant profiles were changing in the TrustedHousesitters app. The feedback has been positive, so we’re rolling it out further and adding a little more along the way.

What’s changing in the app?

A more consistent profile experience
The newer sitter profile is what you’ll see throughout the app, whether you’re browsing your inbox messages or searching for a sitter.

Sitters can see their profile in the new layout by tapping “review my profile”.

Sitter experience, front and centre
Some of the most important things pet parents want to know include; has this sitter given medication before? Cared for a senior pet? Spent time with a specific breed? For owners, the answers to these questions will now be easier to see, right where it matters most.

If you’re newer to TrustedHousesitters but not new to pets, this is your moment. Make sure your profile reflects everything you’ve done and we’ll help you shine. We’ll highlight the most relevant experience for each sit, based on what you’ve shared in your profile.

And, over the coming weeks, we’ll also be introducing…

A fuller picture, right on your profile
Alongside the most important experience surfaced at the top of the screen, we’ll now show owners up to 10 examples of sitter experience in the profile, so owners get a real sense of why a sitter might be a great fit for their pet.

We’ll tailor what we highlight to each sit, so owners are seeing the experience that’s most relevant, and not a generic list.

More about the pets you’ve cared for
Every pet has their own story. In reviews, owners will be able to select a pet a sitter has cared for and see a little more about them, including their photo (where we have one), breed, animal type and their age.

Missing reviews
You told us that seeing whether a sitter repeatedly goes unreviewed can help you decide if they’re the right fit. So, we’re making that a little clearer.

EDIT: this will retrospectively apply to when the account was created.

A clearer view of profile photos
Finally, a small tweak to make it more obvious when a sitter’s profile has more than one photo to explore.

…and here’s a little sneak peek. Check out these mock-ups of what’s on its way to the app over the coming weeks.

Updated Sitter Profiles
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Why we’re doing this

As we’ve mentioned before, choosing the right sit or sitter can mean piecing together bits of information from different places. We want to bring that all together, so you can feel confident in the decision you’re making.

If you’re an experienced pet carer who’s new here, this gives you a real chance to stand out.

For owners, you’ll have a clearer, richer starting point for finding someone you trust with your home and your pet.

There’s more information available in this blog.

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@Mark_B

So I have had a look at my sitter profile since this change and for at least 14 of the sits reviews the information about the pets cared for is inaccurate -

There are many different sits where we took care of 2 dogs or 2 cats and the profile now says 1 dog / 1 cat .

10 chickens has become 1 x chicken ! 3 x aviaries of finches parakeets and parrots (80 birds ) shows as 1 x bird etc etc

This completely misses the point of showing a sitter’s experience .

These are listings that had 2 dogs / cats at the time of the sit - they have photos of each of the dogs/ cats and names and descriptions in the listing and these hosts still have the same 2 dogs/ cats on their current listing .

(I can DM screenshots )

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The number of pets on some of my reviews is inaccurate as well. They do not match the number of pets in the HO’s current profile either, so it’s definitely not a case of changed pets. Just wonky coding.

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The majority of pets are missing from my reviews.

The reviews haven’t been correct for a while. The pet care category disappeared from some reviews which resulted in the overall score showing as a 4 when it was previously a 5.
What a mess!

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I’ve only just looked at this. Every single review i looked at, has got the wrong amount of pets. For example, 2 rabits, no mention of any cats, 1 cat instead of 3. Some are missed out altogether. Very misleading for HO. Not very happy with this. Only looked at the first 15 reviews. Dread to think what the other 60 are like.

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Yes, inaccurate pet counts. And some with specific breeds are missing that info. Two toy miniature schnauzers has turned into one dog.

13

Yep, numerous inaccurate pet counts (listed as 1 cat but actually 2) or missing pets (listed as 2 dogs but actually 2 dogs and a cat).

THS never fails to surprise.

Moderators: can you please get back to us confirming that THS tech team is aware and the timeline for fixing this EGREGIOUS error.

14

And two of my reviews from the same home owner are missing overall stars. They were there before. I checked her listing and reviews she has given for others and they too are missing overall stars from her.

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“This booking fee helps us continue to deliver a smooth, consistent experience for every sit, while keeping membership options flexible and accessible.”

Your booking fees in action. It was never smooth OR consistent before.

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And is there no way to program the software that compiles this to write “dog” after the number 1 and not “dogs”?

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I’ve got catts!

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Thanks for sharing!

I’ve highlighted the comments in this thread to the tech team.

I’ll update this thread as soon as there is new information. :slight_smile:

Thank you :folded_hands: I’ll wait to hear back from the team and if required, I’ll drop you a DM.

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@Mark_B

If the tech team could in the meantime “undo” the update as the reviews were a lot more accurate BEFORE the update !!!

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@Jenny @Mark_B Add me to the list of those who have inconsistencies.

  1. Request - please have them at least include the number of days of the sit, given they’ve chosen to omit the date range. A 3-day sit vs a 3-month sit is widely different and likely generates a different review.
  2. Link to listing - many of my owners have since left the site (keep in mind I sat for some many years ago). The review therefore can’t link back to any listing to confirm details not in the app e.g. length of sit.
  3. Labelling of pets - some of mine are inaccurate, missing pets.

Forum members: I have added a note to my sitter profile, at the start of the first section (My Experience) outlining these issues and suggesting they view my reviews on the website to assure they see accurate information.

Staff: I will delete that message from my profile once the app matches the extent and accuracy of the details shown on the website.