Post moved as it was the wrong thread.
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I might be mistaken, but I think there may be a bit of crossover between two different threads here. The OP in this thread is asking about sitters cancelling before a sit begins.
When you mentioned that unpaid sitters aren’t committed, I was just replying to reassure the OP that on THS members agree not to cancel unless both parties agree or there are extraordinary circumstances.
The situation you described happened during a sit, which I believe is being discussed on another thread, so it’s a slightly different scenario from the one the OP is concerned about here.
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@PV592 Considering the OP has been let down on several occasions, it would make a lot more sense to focus their search on sitters with a high number of 5 star reviews for sits similar to theirs. Especially if those reviews mention their ability to problem solve and deal with the unexpected.
You have made similar comments regarding choosing premium members on multiple threads. I also note that you have yet to receive your first review, so you are probably quite new to THS. I wish you luck in your housesitting journey. There are some very experienced members here who are happy to offer help and support. Some are premium, some are not.
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@PV592 I’m not understanding how this approach would actually help the OP ?
Having a premium membership doesn’t really indicate a sitter’s level of commitment. It’s simply an optional upgrade that you pay an additional fee for, and it mainly provides extra perks such as lounge passes and no booking fees.
A sitter’s track record is probably a much better indicator. A history of strong reviews from completed sits (rather than just references) gives a clearer picture of their reliability and level of commitment.
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It serves @PV592 because he is a sitter who has taken out a premium tier membership.
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Hi Heidi. It’s me again. This is a cut and paste from my reply for advice on choosing a housesitter with more confidence. I hope this is helpful!
I have been on THS for one year and used 6 Sitters, all were great. I would encourage you to learn all you can on HOW to choose a sitter that fits YOUR needs. You sound SUPER SUPER nice and forgiving and easy going, this can lead to the wrong kind of sitter taking advantage of your home/sit. When I choose sitters I treat it like a full time job until I have secured THE ONE. It takes a lot of time and effort, and you have to do it in a timely manner or risk losing the best ones who apply. If you have a low application situation, things change a bit. If you have low applications I would work on improving your listing to really make it shine and attract a lot of applicants. You can make a NEW post here and ask for feedback to improve it, make sure you link your HouseSit listing to your profile (you can ask a moderator for help if need be, its a bit complicated, this forum is kind of wonky and old school IMO).
Then study up on techniques to find the RIGHT sitter. My successful methods involve:
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Read every application note, comb through their Sitter profile (ALL of it), read ALL of the reviews, and check for the sub star categories under the General 5STAR rating. Read ALL of them of at least MANY if they have a lot. I read 10-15 reviews at minimum if they are available. I also ONLY consider people with at least 5X5 Star reviews. (Adjust this to YOUR needs, it might need to be higher to make you comfy to try THS again).
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Reply to EVERY sitter you like within 24 hours and tell them thanks for applying, I really like your Sitter profile and would like to set up a video chat asap. Do any of these times work for you? (Provide at least 3 time options in the near future.) Decline apps with short reason for those that dont match your needs. Make sure you dont leave the Sit in Pause status once you get to 5 applications and decline some.
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Conduct video chats with EVERY applicant that you like 1st. Tell each one at the end that you appreciate their time and have a couple more people to chat with and will make your decision asap (give timeframe if possible).
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Videochat questions: write a list, it can be just to get a vibe check OR can be very specific. (I do them freeform because its not hard for me, others need a list of questions).
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Once you complete the chats, choose the Applicant you feel most matched with by experience, personality, number or reviews, location the come from, etc. Send them the invite and shoot a text or whatsapp if youve take the convo offline during the reviewing of applicants / videochat process (I use WhatApp or FaceTime). Ex. Hi Gina. I would love to have you and James sit for us on X dates. Are you still available? I can send the THS invite asap. THank you. (I do this because sometimes sitters have found another sit before you make your final selection - which is why you need to do this all in a timey manner and with good communication)
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Sit is confirmed - now Share Welcome Guide (make sure this is complete and thorough and hits ALL the things you find non-negotiable (walking & feeding schedule, use WhatsApp to communicate, bring mail in the house, etc). Be careful not to be TOO nitpicky or you can turn off the sitters. I have to remind myself that the MOST important thing is that my pets are taken care of the way I care for them is the MOST important thing.
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Message sitter that you shared the Welcome Guide and to let you know if they have any questions. Sometime sharing of a Welcome Guide will result in a Sitter wanting to cancel because its not a good fit once they read it. that is why I mention not to be too nitpicky.
One thing that really helped me finally choose a sitter after stressing about it was advice from a friend already on this as a Sitter - she said “You will know when its the right one”. I didnt understand that until later, but it means you will relate to, feel good about chatting with, feel at ease during the videochat. If you do not like the person, do not choose them just because they have a lot of 5 star reviews. Keep searching if you have the option to be picky.
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That’s a fair question wrt an outlier situation. Medical is medical/sometimes unavoidable, and it sounds like you did the right thing. Depending upon the specific circumstances (how serious/likely I could have follow-up issues) I’d definitely have let my hosts know and given them that option.
I think the point is communicating & being collaborative. You’re not canceling on a whim there, nor do I imagine you would do.
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Paid sitters are expensive and some view it as only overnight, but most paid sitters we’ve used stay in far more than THS sitters who want to sightsee.
Our paid sitters leave in 2-3 hour chunks, in the morning, then again mid day, and sometimes the evening. For other clients or to run errands. They don’t need to sightsee.
And most paid sitters do the ‘job’ because they love pets, same as THS sitters, not because they are punching a clock.
Our paid sitters are amazing and it’s wonderful to see a bond grow where our dog and knows and recognizes them. And our shy cats even come out of hiding to say hello.
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@PV592 you keep saying the same thing on multiple threads so I will do the same here for the benefit of the OP
@PV592 I strongly disagree with your generalisation that premium membership sitters will be more responsible. I say that as I’m a premium dual member sitter and home owner who selected premium membership as a newbie for the perks that come with that tier as they benefit me, not an owner. If I was on any other membership tier I would still have the same level of responsibility. Many of the comments you are receiving are from long term very experienced responsible sitters who I know are not premium members. I would ask them to be my sitter in a heart beat, actually I have.
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My motivation is to guide, specifically, the original poster to continue to use this service and hopefully not detract against THS – which would be bad for all.
This is great advice! We do all of this too, but I know many sitters would consider this (even videocalls) a burden and would self select themselves out, which is fine, because this is the process we need to feel comfortable we’ve found the right one. In fact it’s been so successful we haven’t needed to find a new sitter in 18 months (6 sits) because of sitters we clicked with and returned more than once.
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TOTALLY AGREE! Simple transparency on both sides about cancellations would encourage best behavior.
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