I’ve just finished my second house sit.
I gave the HO a five star review.
The HO’s house was immaculate when I arrived, and I thought I’d left ut it as I found it, apart from a couple of minor things. Ive just had a message from HO to say that they had to spend an hour tidying up. Although she was very grateful that i had looked after her pets and sent updates.
HO has been very polite saying that they thought honesty is the best policy, and I could chat if I wanted. I don’t really. I’ve replied saying that I’m so sorry and could she give be a little more specific.
I feel a little aggrieved because I helped her with another sit too and I was also very patient with HO because she kept changing her plans which I went along with even changing some of mine.
I don’t really know what to do?
There’s probably a few things in there @Amanda56 - if you didn’t leave the house as you found it then it’s fair for the HO to flag it and polite that she has said it privately and offered to discuss. Helping her out with another sitter & transport aren’t directly related to the cleanliness issue so best to separate them although you have indeed been helpful. As a sitter it’s always wise to wait until your review comes before you offer feedback. That said, it doesn’t seem like a tit for tat situation. Perhaps you should talk to her, explain the extra lengths you went to in different areas and say you’ll learn from the experience. It sounds like it may just be a 4 star in clean & tidy and off you go onto sit no 3 which is far from disastrous. Try not to overthink it, we all learn new stuff on every new sit and each one is different. Hope it all works out okay.
I agree with Piet, but will add that it’s just a feeling and I have never met these people…
However, I think I recognise the pattern. I just had something very similar happen to me. The HO asked me to do lots of things we hadn’t discussed before arranging the sit, and in the end complained about my less than perfect cleaning.
There are people like that around unfortunately. They think that a pet sitter is a sort of employee and a 5 star cleaning service is included in this “job”. It is very subjective though what counts as clean or very clean. In future I will try to sound out how important a perfectly clean house is to people, and if they seem too fussy about it, I won’t sit for them.
The house was immaculate when you arrived. So did you actually leave it immaculate? Floors, shower, bath, worktops, skirting boards, dusting, vacuuming, mopping etc? Did you leave it immaculate? The fact you helped her out with another is neither here nor there and plans changing is all unrelated to me.
If you now don’t feel you left it as immaculate as you found it, then she’s gave you a lifeline by saying she’ll discuss it with you privately, rather than in a review. I’d take the opportunity to listen to what she has to say and learn from it to make your future sits get 5* reviews.
@Amanda56 I have just read your 5* review from that owner and it is very positive, giving you 5* in all categories and not addressing the cleanliness of her home at all. You have been upfront in your response to her which I congratulate you on. She has been a very considerate owner in discussing this with you privately and not deducting a star. It’s been a learning experience for you. It would be wonderful if more members like yourselves could privately discuss any shortcomings in a positive manner.
@Amanda56 Temba couldn’t have said it any better. In this life of ours, we never stop learning. We make mistakes sometimes even if we believe we did nothing wrong, but we did and we learn from them. You will probably make many more mistakes in your life, but you will learn from THEM. Who doesn’t make mistakes?? But generally you only make the SAME mistake once. Some things you just have to cop on the chin, right or wrong - avoid conflict unnecessarily. Be very happy that you got a 5* review and the HO discussed it with you privately and not in the review, most wouldn’t have done this. Put it all down to experience, learn from it, and move on. Even though you feel it unjustified, it’s happened but the outcome was still positive. Can’t fix the past but you sure can prepare for the future
HO is expecting the home to be left as you found it? IMO that is not your job. Leave it reasonable? Yes. You are there for the animal live and care. You are not a servant. We owners can all show our deep gratitude and make this relationship more equitable…
I am sorry to disagree. As a HO I spend a lot of time trying to make my home as lovely as I can for the kind sitters who have agreed to look after my pet.
Too often I read moans about sitters arriving at houses that are not as clean as they would like.
May I suggest that treating others as they have treated you is a good yardstick. If you are lucky enough to go to a home where the HO has gone the extra mile for you, why don’t you go the extra mile for her and return the house in the condition they left it for you?
I would like a sitter who respects my home as well as my dogs. I think it is part of the agreement. I still believe in treating others as I would like to be treated.
Immaculate - such a subjective word.
I have received reviews stating that I left the home in an immaculate condition. There is no way I did - it was far from immaculate when I arrived.
I’ll take it but it’s not true
