Young people typically know that you can find whatever instructional videos you want on YouTube, including cleaning videos. People who aren’t motivated to clean aren’t going to be helped by videos.
It would be great if there was a sort of questionnaire people fill out about what they expect. For example, sitters could choose different options for what amenities they want in the house, or what pet behaviours are OK and acceptable, if they have cared for sick pets, etc.
Owners could say what kind of duties they expect beyond pet care, if any.
I’d also love it if people could say what relationship they hope to have with each other, like a friendly relationship or a business relationship.
(I always hope for a friendly one where I can feel relaxed.)
But I guess that would never happen because many would see it as too technical. However reading between the lines can be hard and people end up in the wrong situations, and then it can get really stressful.
It’s probably not in THS’s interest, but they could make it possible for HOs to vote and give sitters badges for cleanliness and tidiness, for example, and to make that filterable.
@Marion I like your idea of a video. Better than the rather over-the-top email that sitters sometimes get.
@Maggie8K Owners could lie, and what counts as clean for one person doesn’t always for someone else.
So based on that reasoning, why have reviews and ratings at all?
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Why rate cleaning separately from other things?
Because it’s something that’s come up again and again as a problem from HOs and sitters.
I still don’t believe that badges or hired cleaners would solve that issue.
I helped build a startup that eventually IPO’d. When we started, no one cared about our ratings for various companies’ products and services. Once we got enough volume going, companies started paying attention. That’s because once consumers noticed the badges and built trust, they’d actually avoid companies with products and services and few badges. They instead gravitated toward ones with great ratings and badges — so much so that the companies started changing their offerings to win badges, because it meant significantly more revenue. The logic is similar and it doesn’t have to be in the same industries. Like there’s a reason Airbnb awards super host badges. Such badges put pressure on individuals who do poorly to do better, because a HO would gravitate toward those with clean badges, for example.
Perhaps some of the members suggesting changes could apply as a CEO for THS?
I have been offered better C-level roles. THS is a niche business with limited growth potential. It’s actually not a great career opportunity unless you started it and were able to sell equity for a lot. It’s what’s described as a lifestyle business among business types. Talented startup execs can make millions or more in equity alone at businesses with high growth potential.
Thank you for educating us.
Hello 
Just jumping in here to say it is okay to agree to disagree. Everyone has different ideas and experiences which are all welcome here, but please remember our kindness and respect values. Thank you
But shouldn’t that go both ways? Of the homes I’ve been a guest via THS maybe a 1/3 were clean, 1/3 fine, 1/3 dirty.
@lou28
Good idea. Owners could get cleaning badges too.
For me though, badges for other qualities would be more important. For example, easygoing, welcoming, prompt communication.
Sure. There’s no reason they’d have to be limited.
If each home owner and each sitter was truthful with their reviews/feedbacks this would not be an issue at all.
Those with dirty homes as well as sitters who leave houses dirty would not have much opportunities anymore . It’s actually as easy as that.
I think this is the crucial point. The problem is that cleanliness is really the only thing you can judge when you come home. I feel like this is a flaw in the rating system.
Yesterday I came home to a place that had clearly been tidied up but not really been cleaned the way I expected. I had to clean the bathroom and the kitchen. And now I don’t know how to rate them. My cats seem perfectly content (which is my main priority!) but it was a bit annoying to come home and have to clean before I could start cooking. I guess the sitters did not know how to clean a ceramic glass stove and or pans that are used on it.
They seem to have done a good job besides the cleaning and I feel bad about not giving them a top rating. But on the other hand, they did not leave the place the way it was when they arrived.
Now, should I pay for a cleaner so I don’t get upset about my place not looking its best? As that would cost me at least 100 $ (we don’t have a big flat, we just live in Switzerland) and we don’t have a cleaner that comes regularly I really don’t think this expense should be necessary.
That choice would be entirely up to you even if THS offered such referrals. Some HOs might by contrast figure they’d saved so much on pet care that a cleaning service would be reasonable to save them hour(s) of cleaning. Ultimately, some HOs will just do their own cleaning if sitters don’t return things to handoff state.
Except that THS wants to grow membership so it can grow revenue.
On the forum, enough complaints have been raised that clearly THS isn’t going to intervene in most cases, because they want to retain members on both parts of the marketplace.
And both HOs and sitters worry about their reviews. So ultimately, unless THS can retain and grow members, and revenue, folks who are unhappy with cleanliness and tidiness are stuck.
Note: There aren’t enough good sitters to go around vs. sits. Many folks pursue the same sits, which is why so many complaints about the five limit.