Well those four sits were not back-to-back. They were over a 12 month period but two of them were booked well in advance. I agree that this is almost certainly the rationale for THS making this change rather than the stated claims that it would speed up the decision-making process. It’s true that maybe four sitters would pay a membership fee if each got one sit per year but in my case it is unlikely that I will renew as the opportunities for sits is now not only reduced but also more time-consuming having to check the site multiple times a day. It simply isn’t worth the trouble for me.
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Yup, each is us decides what’s worthwhile to us or not. Meanwhile, THS is doing what some companies describe as making chicken salad: “Chicken” is what users or partners consider valuable. If you have only so much chicken, you try to stretch it by making chicken salad, so you can feed more users or partners. Not everyone will like chicken salad enough to feel satisfied, but usually enough do so you come out ahead as a business.
I don’t think the ratio is that important. There are some areas and some types of sits that will get an almost unlimited number of applicants and some that won’t. I have cats – easy. But I have 3 of them and one has to take medication twice a day – a bit harder. But I live in NYC, so if I’m just patient enough eventually a great applicant wiil come my way and usually more than one so it’s a tough choice. If I lived even 20 miles north, and only had one sleepy easy peasy cat, it would still probably be harder to find a sitter.
The ratio of sitters vs home hosts is very important and will be a constant headache for THS
As all members pay the same membership fee, it is the goal of THS to keep us all happy and wanting to renew our memberships year after year.
Too many sitters = some not being able to secure sits.
Too many home hosts = some not being able to secure sitters.
It is a very fine balance!
Not all members are looking for sitters/hosts at the same time, so theoretically, it can just happen that numbers match (which, of course, doesn’t guarantee anything due to other aspects involved)
This is exactly why getting the correct balance is so difficult for THS
I think the idea of the company acheiving “balance” by ratio is impossible. Not all sitters are equal. Not all sitters have availality at all times. Some sitters might not sit for certain animals. Some sitters traveling with partners or children might not work for some sits. Some sitters don’t sit internationally, etc.
Homes also aren’t equal.
I think the idea of making this an essential travel hack for ANYONE who wants to travel for lower cost (petparents, sitters, combined) is the best option. Some homeowners may find that nobody wants to sit for a dog that can’t be left for more than two hours in a suburb an hour from the nearest city. They might become frustrated and demand a refund. Some sitters might find that they can’t click on time or haven’t gotten that Paris sit and might not renew. I think like many companies they are taking churn into account.
There are probably more things they could do within the search and matching to make things run more smoothly. IMO (no marketting expert) they should be advertising more heavily for petparents in major cities and tourist areas. If they could fill offer more sits in popular areas, they’d get more sitters. I’d also like to see them have actual standards for sitters and petparents instead of figuring that no one will accept the totally unqualified sitter claiming to have super powers of telepathic communication with animals or that no sitter willl go to the rickety house that shows black mold in the photos.
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This only works if you can keep the application window open. That’s not always an option, for example if I’m heading out - once you’re disconnected and then later on become online again, it doesn’t work
Yes, exactly this. I’ve spoken to HOs who get 5 applications, none of them what they’re looking for. Nonetheless, they may feel very hesitant about declining a ‘2nd choice’ applicant, because they don’t know if they’ll get better ones when they open up again and the 2dn choice might not appreciate being invited to the sit after all, after first having been declined!
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I’m so with you RKL on your do’s and don’t. I like it when a sitter is specific - it makes for clear communication and minimises inappropriate applicants. I treat it a bit like a dating app!
I am a solo sitter and I have a sit over the winter in LA area for a month. I am staying in southern Cal for the winter because my daughter is at USC. Although, I booked as a solo sitter, I asked if my daughter could stay some weekends. One, it is a 2 dog sit so it is easier to hike with another person, she is great with dogs and it is hard being on a sit in an area without contacts for a month. Vancouver is a great sit for a month, and you can decide what you want to do, it is a cat sit. I think anyone sitting solo could find so much to do in Vancouver without having visitors.
Yes everything Colin has said. By the way you have written this post you might be more suited to a paid sitter.
So basically you just want digital nomads? I hope you live in a very, very nice house in a sought after location because that is what we DN’s are looking for.
With all due respect, if you have trust issues you probably shouldn’t use this service. In my experience home owners have nothing to lose or reason not to be forthcoming in their reviews. Based on those you should be able to make a decision. If this still leaves you wanting and unable to make a decision you should either find someone professional and pay them or stay home.
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My work is fully remote, so keeping the same routine for my pets is always my intention. I’m flexible about it, but do have the good fortune to live in a nice house, which is also in London, so attracting applications is never difficult. The 5 spots always fill up in under 30 minutes.
The biggest issue that I experience now - as a HO - is the huge number of applications from sitters who call me by the wrong name, use the wrong name for my pets, and who clearly haven’t read through the listing in any way at all. These applications make my heart sink… I don’t want to have to decline 5 people (with no reviews) for zero attention to detail - it’s a huge waste of everyone’s time.
Such a basic set of issues could be avoided if the 5 app limit wasn’t in place. It only pushes sitters towards rushing out low quality applications, particularly in high demand areas where they know that the 5 spots will quickly be filled. But here we are. THS were utterly rigid in their introduction of the rule and they’re never going to change it.
The 5 app rule might work brilliantly for some people, but for anyone who’s time poor, sifting through ‘nope’ applications, writing decline notes, unpausing the listing etc has all made finding the right sitter far more time consuming. As a direct result of this, I’m now more likely to pay someone instead of faffing about on THS.
I’m also a sitter, so this state of things really does make me sad. THS should be a nice exchange, based on sitters and hosts finding the best fit. Any application barriers make that harder.
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You need to be very specific in your listing what you are looking for. It may take longer to get the person who fits your needs but eventually they will come along. You received an application from a family because your listing did not say solo or couples only. You had people applying who asked if they can have a guest over because you did not say no guests at sit. As a sitter I read so many vague written homeowner listings that I find it frustrating. I don’t know if I want to apply or not as there are too many questions unanswered. An example would be a listing I saw in an area I was looking to visit said under responsibilities, dog needs to be walked. These are the type of sits if you don’t ask how many times a day and for how long you wind up getting there and they then tell you three times a day for 45 minutes each and three additional times letting the dog out in the yard to pee as well. Not desirable for me as I am not free labor.
When do I have time to sightsee. Or they say, plants are to be watered. You get there and there are 20 potted plants outside and 10 in. The more detailed you can be on your listing for what you don’t want the better for both you and the sitter. Sitters don’t like wasting their time applying for a sit that the homeowner knows that is not what we are looking for. Or later the sitter finds out facts that would have prevented them to apply in the first place because homeowner did not mention things in the listing.
I also believe with this type of exchange compromises must be made on both sides if homeowners like free pet and house care and sitters like free accommodations. I will take a sit where the home and animals fit me that is a little further away from the sights I want to see than apply to something exactly where I want to be where homeowner and pets are not a good fit for me. Homeowners need to be open minded and not say no to a newbie because this is their first sit. Everyone on here had a first sit and every sitter has most likely sat for a newbie. With a long sit and telling your sitter no guests may result from them leaving early because of loneliness. What about no overnight guests but day guests are OK. That can be your compromise. Families may not be great for one shy cat but great for dogs who can never get enough attention. If homeowners want to be so rigid in what they want they need to get a paid sitter. As a homeowner you can’t be uncomfortable with your choosing but you need to look at things differently for a fair exchange.
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I hear you! The 5 limit is not great for the majority of us I don’t think.
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