You’re correct in that this isn’t the norm, in my experience or reading. I’m sorry you had a bad first sit; good on you for recognizing ways to avoid a repeat.
If you can write a tactfully worded but honest review, it may end up being a mitzvah both for future sitters and the Host. Some newer hosts don’t put as much thought into their Sitter’s comfort as they should, but if you objectively point out how the sit didn’t live up to your expectations without overtly humiliating them, it will be something they think about for next time (especially if they believe they’ll have trouble finding another sitter without remediating the issues.)
@AthenasDaughter I’m wondering whether you suggested a visit beforehand, and whether they avoided that, given they planned to also be gone before you were to arrive. I ask as I think if you say in your review that it was your first sit, it was local to build up reviews, and that had you been allowed to visit the home before accepting the sit, you would have turned it down, because of the condition of the home (and any other reasons). You can be more specific about the condition, but I suggest staying with major points. I have no doubt you will now establish your own list of non-negotiables. For me, my dealbreaker list has grown over the years. I’m OK with that as so far it has allowed me to avoid unpleasant sits. I have no doubt you will have better luck with your future sits.
I did not suggest a visit beforehand because this was my first sit in a strange home. A friend of mine is the one who suggested I sign up at THS to do sits, and she was my first sit- but I knew her and had been to her home before. I just assumed most hosts would be of a similar mind to her, so did not do my due diligence for this sit and request a home visit, or press them to complete their welcome packet when they had agreed to a phone call which I suggested we do so I could get more information. She seemed perfectly lovely on the phone, and the 3-4 pictures of rooms in their home on their profile showed a clean environment. I do think they were aware that their home was not in the state it was in the pictures, because they knew enough to put clean pictures on their profile. There is a 1000% chance I would have turned down this sit if I had been able to actually see the interior of the home, and if they had factually completed the welcome packet (there were behavioral issues with their large breed dog that were also undisclosed). Thanks for your supportive advice! I do think this was probably out of the norm and they got very lucky that even applied!
A follow-up question for you, if you are able: will I be notified when and if the PO leaves a review? It has been a week since the sit ended and I am waiting to see if they leave me a review. She mentioned she would attend to a review “on her way home”, which was 3 days ago now. I have not received any notification of a review, but am unsure if that even happens. As well, if she does NOT leave me a review, do you suggest I also not leave one? Or go ahead and leave the honest review that would annihilate her from having any future sitters (I am OK with that, just not getting a false retaliatory review as my first review). Your best advice is appreciated.
I am always notified when I receive a review but there’s usually some delay. You may need to turn on email notifications in your settings if you haven’t already.
When you go to the website, and to your dashboard, choose “past sits”. There you click this particular sit. It will say “X´s review on you” if they have left one. You cant see if, but it will show as being written and sent. Same-ish process in the app.
Please leave an accurate honest review. Wouldn’t you have appreciated that if there had been sitters before you? Your review is not for the HO. It is for future sitters.
I am a sitter, and I dont wish any other sitter to destroy their reputation and loose opportunity to protect me. I appreciate when sitters take the risk on leaving a honest review… though many sits get sitters even with bad reviews… but I dont think bad of sitters who dont do it.
I plan to. I also plan to post it at the last possible second. The HO has not posted a review yet, so I guarantee she is waiting for mine, and I’m pretty sure she already knows how it’s going to go (because who wouldn’t??) and I am 100% NOT going to let her screw up my rep.
Thanks for that, but I really feel like this HO already knows situation she had me walk into was unacceptable and would likely not be as concerned as you about protecting anybody or improving anything.
The host won’t see your review until she posts hers, or 2 weeks pass from the end date of the sit at which point no reviews can be left, only replies to reviews can be posted.
@AthenasDaughter As you are choosing to wait till the last minute to post your review, be very careful you don’t miss the deadline as some members have.
@AthenasDaughter I feel for you, having been in your situation once. Our HO broke multiple t&cs e.g having builders in every day of our sit without prior notification, family members arriving the last night, and leaving the heating off in most of the house uring a very cold spell (she told us to wear extra jumpers!!) We coped with this uncomfortable situation and did the best for the lovely dog, as we had no alternative at the time and we ‘faked’ our enjoyment by sending lively updates- all to protect our 5*review! The HO must have have sensed we were unhappy because although she said she’d review right away she did not. We waited many days and started to think she was not going to review us and we felt relieved we might avoid any (anticipatory)negative review from her…
Anyway we decided this HO really deserved a factual review from us and future sitters would appreciate it. So, like you plan, we waited till the very last minute to post our review (10 mins to midnight on the 14th day- be very careful not to miss the time window!) and then immediately switched the phone off..
Next morning we discovered she had been waiting till the last minute too!! Because there was her review of us! and she had given us only 4 Stars overall! She broke our run of 100+ 5 star reviews and her reason was that I had aparantly ‘intimidated’ one of her workers! I has actually only asked him if he could work in another room of the mansion and not the only room with heating that we had access too!!) So cheeky and completely against the 3rd party policy. So we were very glad we had reviewed honestly. She was horrified by our 3 Star review of her with full explanation, and wrote a scathing response. We also wrote a clear and factual response to her review of us to protect ourselves. The over all result is she shot herself in the foot by her review of us and her reaction to our review if her. If I as a sitter read those reviews & responses I would see exactly who had been at fault!
So go ahead and write your truth- carefully and unemotionally- and if she does review you poorly just write a calm rational response. You’ll be fine! That one 4 Star review of us has had no negative impact whatsoever.
Thanks for sharing that! I requested a review from the sit and she has completed it. I can’t imagine it will be negative as I, like you, was quite cheery and friendly in my communications with her and sending her pics of the pets and so forth, no mention of anything untoward, since if she knew how unhappy and shocked I was she might anticipate an honest review. The sit was truly unacceptable, truly truly. No one in their right mind would want to spend any time in that house unless they had been sleeping under a bridge for the last month. Since she’s already completed her review, I don’t need to wait out the clock? I can do the review anytime? We were also communicating by text before the sit, and I am absolutely going to immediately block her number. She left me no choice!
That’s right. Just be careful with the wording. Factual, unemotional, non judgmental reviews work best both for the person writing them and for the reader.
You can ask support for wording here, someone to pre-read your review, if you want to. Of course be aware that this way your identity might be found out, but that is rather unlikely.
Something to consider if deciding to write a response to a negative review .
I have just seen a sit and looking over the reviews there is one that is now blank ( former member data removed )
The hosts reply to the ( now blank) review is still there . It is scathingly critical and emotional . The host has done themselves no favours with their response . If they hadn’t responded there would now be nothing on record to indicate to future sitters that this sitter has a very negative experience on this sit .
