How would you see when a HO writes on a review that was expecting something to eat on their return?
The HO had purchased some fresh fruit for me, which by the way I didn’t eat it all.
I appreciated their gesture, but the way I see it is that giving something while expecting something in return is not considered true generousity or altruism. I have been invited by differents HOs who kindly cooked, purchased or invited me to eat their food without expecting anything in return and always had full 5 stars. In consideration of the gesture, I always bring a gift for the HOs like some chocolates from the Country I come from (which by the way I brought also for this last HO) and so far they’ve always appreciated.
Said this, I don’t think that buying food was necessary anyway. The fridge was completely stuck with edibles including fresh fruit and vegetables and the HO is living alone.
I would see a host that has effectively warned off future sitters who read the review.
We try not to leave ANY perishables for sitters. If they ask for fruits or veggies to be stocked before their arrival, we accommodate. But too many of those times, we’ve returned from our trip to find they did not eat what they asked us to stock.
We’ve never had a host ask for anything, I don’t like the sound of that. I wouldn’t sit for her.
However, we do let the host set the standard, so if they left bread and goodies, we’d leave something similar just to a lesser degree. If they cooked us a meal or deliberately purchased food for us, we’d leave them 1 meal for their return, but slightly less than they left us, usually something pre-prepared from the supermarket (because I’m not cooking on the final day). If they leave us home baked cake or biscuits, we leave them chocs.
And if they leave fruit and veg that are obviously past their best and not deliberately bought for us… we rarely replace any of that.
I don’t use the host’s food, but I always check in with them a day or two before they return to ask if there is anything they would like me to have on hand when they arrive. I will let them know if they have expired milk in the fridge. Most say “no, thank you.” One or two have asked for milk if not too much trouble. Your host may have had past experiences with sitters that shaped their expectations.
@mdarden1x Yes, as a courtesy, I also always ask if hosts want anything stocked for their return. I would be perfectly happy to do that - though most decline the offer. (Also, in my experience, it is usually so easy these days to pick basic bread and milk up from the airport on the way home - I do this myself. Or have an online shopping order already set up for delivery). I never leave a cooked meal for hosts - and prefer not to be offered one on my arrival. However, I will leave hosts a little gift from my home country - chocolates, special coffee, or similar, and a card.
I’m wondering whether you were docked a star for this and that is why you are asking @Mokina?
There is no obligation to leave any food for an owner. However, like others have mentioned, I usually decide depending on whether the owner has left anything for me or we’ve shared a meal the evening before.
If that’s what’s worrying you re your other thread about responding, I wouldn’t waste my time or energy responding unless there were other issues.
My husband enjoys cooking and is good at it so we have always made a meal for our HO’s return. Sometimes we share it with them at handover, mostly we leave it for them for their first night back. All have been immensely appreciative and a couple have requested the recipe. We feel like it’s a nice thing to do, and we discuss it beforehand to check their preferences.
I would think that person’s completely off the rails Waittt… not actual edibles, like a Hollywood buffet? Cause I suppose that would explain it Absolutely nuts!
Agreed but probably not for the same reason. The host basically self-destructed by writing in the review to the sitter that they expected to be fed when they returned.
That’s like writing their own negative review and broadcasting how unreasonable they are to future potential sitters.
One of our sitters told us she picked up some food for us as she knew we arriving after a day of traveling. It was a nice gesture and when sitters do this sort of thing it reflects highly on them so it’s win/win all around.
Hi @Mokina If I’ve met the hosts at the beginning of the sit and shared a meal with them, I’d find it difficult NOT to cook a meal to share upon their return if I was also staying overnight at the end of a sit, just to return the favour.
But that said, sitters are under no obligation to provide food in this way, and it’s certainly not something that you should be marked down on, or reviewed badly for. I would just ignore it and move on - I think most future sitters reading the comment from the home owner would be a little taken aback, and wonder what other expectations they may have.
i often ask whether hosts would like for me to get them something or whether they’d like to place a grocery order and I take delivery before they return. But that’s my choice. If any hosts expect a meal or such on their return and I read that in their review of other sitters, I’d pass on their sit without missing a beat.
I do that as well, usually leave a small gift, something baked or a home-cooked meal. Once did a full Sunday roast, as the hosts had friends flying in from another continent on the very evening of their own arrival. Admittedly a touch above and beyond, but that particular stay was also beyond exceptional.
Hosts are always very gracious and most mention it in reviews - others should, of course, never be confused into thinking that this is therefore customary.
Just a small gesture of appreciation, nothing more… not a new tradition in the making
I’m confused by your post. It’s not quite clear what you mean by “something to eat”. Do you mean, the HOs expected you to leave them with the basics to make some toast and have a cup of coffee? OR, did they expect you to cook a meal for them? If the former, they’re not being at all unreasonable. If the latter - they are.
You say they left you with some fruit. Which implies that all they expected in return was something similar..
No. I was asking exactly what was being expected of the sitter. The phrase @Mokina used was “..expecting something to eat.” That could mean they expected the bare minimum and they wouldn’t come back to an empty store. i.e They were expecting something to eat.
Or it could mean they were expecting their sitter would have a cooked meal ready for them.
I don’t expect anything left for me by sitters. I didn’t take the question the way DieFledermaus did. I guess I do expect that I haven’t been 100% cleaned out of all dry goods and/or things in the freezer from which I could make my own food. But that (to me) seems so basic that I wouldn’t ask.
I have had a couple of sitters leave things they’ve bought and don’t want or have the room to take with them. Almost always it’s food I don’t eat, so I either offer it to neighbors (if it’s packaged) or sadly toss it if it’s homemade. My last sitter did make a couple of items that were specifically for me - it was a long sit, so I suspect they were using up veggies instead of tossing them. It was a lovely gesture, and I did appreciate not having to go to the grocery store the day I returned. I would never expect or really want another sitter to do it.
To all owners reading this thread, who would really like to have some food “ready to eat” when they arrive home:
Perhaps ask the sitter if they would be willing to pick up a few items for you and leave them some $$ to buy these items. Be specific.
I always buy some food for the host, taking cues from other food in their fridge/freezer/pantry. Especially if they are returning late in the day after a long flight, I know they will need a meal.
Waittt… not actual edibles, like a Hollywood buffet? Cause I suppose that would explain it 
Absolutely nuts!
