Heads up TRUSTED HOUSE SITTERS. Please consider these changes.
All the “helpful” things that THS has put into place has made it less user friendly for sitters and, maybe, home owners; specifically, limiting to 5 applicants and not letting us communicate with home owners, when we are booked for any part of the sit.
If you live in the US and are interested in sits, like UK and Europe, which are 5-6 hours ahead of us, the sit is cut off before we even are awake and see them. Instead of a flat “5” applicants, I would like to see it open for 48 hours or 5 applicants, whichever comes last. I agree that it should not be open indefinitely and do appreciate some limit, but feel that 5 applicants max is detrimental to a lot of sitters. Along those same lines, I would like to see a limit on how long a home owner can take to decide who they are choosing for the sit; may 48-72 hours, max. The sitters are many times left in limbo waiting to see if they are even being considered while wondering if they should apply for/commit to another less desirable sit so they have a sit for that time frame.
Now, this is the one that really frustrates me: blocking us from communicating with the home owner if even one day of our sit overlaps another sit. In “the old days” before the change, I was booked for a sit that overlapped another sit. I was able to communicate with that home owner to say, “I really wish I could do your sit, but I already have a sit that overlaps your first week. Please keep me in mind for future sits.” The home owner contacted me, telling me she had looked at my profile and I was exactly what she wanted and asking that, if she could find a sitter for the first week, would I come and do the last two. Yes! In addition to the lovely two-week sit, I was able to meet, and share dinner with, the nice couple who sat the first week and did a handoff to me. Another benefit to meeting this couple is that we have been able to refer each other for sits that we have been offered and can’t do and for giving us heads up on things (such as hidden cameras) that they have discovered, at sits we may be considering.
I wish there was a way that we could speak directly with previous sitters to learn more about the sit before we commit. I know, sitters may not want to put negative things in their reviews that might preclude them from getting a repeat sit; however, that negative might be something that’s OK for them but would be a deal breaker for someone else. (People coming and going from the house, meddling neighbors, etc.)
THS please consider these changes and/or suggestions from others. Oh, and please don’t give home owners the idea that we love animals so much that we are willing to give up a portion of our life and pay our own expenses just for the honor of coming to their home and hanging out with their pets. They should understand that there is reciprocity involved and that the sitter should be getting as much out of this exchange as the home owner. TIA