@hfg, we’d encourage take the new ‘sit essentials’ with hearty pinch of salt. If great listing then consider submit application with reference to pet duration or ask in any video call.
This perspective is based on observation that another ‘sit essential’ topic (dog exercise) in listing is sometimes surprisingly different to what some Pet Parents actually state in video call.
It seems certainly possible that this new functionality lacks granularity or THS related guidance to Pet Parents is somehow ineffective.
Some Pet Parents may well be naively unaware that their selection of an above-reality exercise requirement or below-reality pet alone duration may significantly impair the number and/or quality of housesitter applications.
@toreishi, completely agree.
Pet Parents can set expectations for pet care, property matters and other THS matters. But if those expectations are unattractive then they will receive limited, if any, housesitter applications. THS requires a fair trade, rather than a purchased service - a fundamental cornerstone of the THS housesiting community culture.
If 2 hours is indeed the default, THS have gone and shot themselves in the foot again. Many sitters will not apply to these sits, hosts will struggle to find sitters, be dissatisfied with THS and leave, Or these hosts will have to choose sitters who are poor matches.
It would have been so much more logical to make the default “Not chosen - please ask” and add some code to prompt them to update when they next edit their listing. Some hosts may not edit their listing for years and be completely unaware of these fields.
I’ve just added an imaginary dog to my owner listing to check out if there is a default time. Answer is No. It just asks to think about the pet who needs company the most if you have more than one.
I agree @Debbie - we only sit occasionally and are very particular about what we apply for.
If the criteria in the listing re time pets can be left, departure and arrival times, amount of exercise required etc. do not align with my preferences I am not going to even start negotiating. I will just pass.
Previously if a sit sounded like a good fit I would apply and open a discussion about all of the above.
In our case the new criteria actually lead to us applying for less sits.
I agree with you. I scroll past. I’ve seen ones where a cat with a cat flap and access to a garden can’t be left for more than 3 hours, which seems extreme.
I think it would be even better if THS changed the default to be unspecified, but make it a required field.
If they can’t do the latter, default it to something more reasonable like 4h…but it should be recognized that defaulting any field to inaccurate information causes miscommunication, thereby defeating the purpose of the feature.
Thanks for clarifying, I now know what they mean by “one or more of the pets can be left alone for x”. It’s the highest demand. Still, big difference between being left alone at home or being able to go places with the sitter.
I was invited to sit for a dog that could only be left for 2 hours. I declined and mentioned that it wouldn’t suit me because of the 2 hours limit to return to the house.
Interestingly they have changed it to up to 4 hours.
In a similar vein the length of walks and frequency is adjusted according to weather conditions. The dogs we’re sitting atm, one dog has one walk a day the other has two walks. Yesterday was torrential rain all day and the roads had flooded near to the house right across the route to the beach. I texted the owner apologising that it was going to be impossible to do the later walk but the dogs would get ball/search play session instead. The HO were lovely replying that a daily walk schedule depends on weather conditions and should be comfortable for dogs and sitters. Today the dogs got 3 walks to catch up…
I wouldn’t read to much in. It’s also entirely possible that he usually takes the dog to doggie day care or has a walker. I think it would be worth it to have a conversation and figure out what actually makes sense.
I know he does not. He is a previous host of mine as I say, so I do know how he handles the things - he has openly shared these with me, as I was his first sitter.
@Twitcher the arrival and departure time fields are already leading to us applying for fewer sits. I have 4 saved searches for different time periods, 2 for particular areas, 2 for Europe. So far I have found exactly 1 sit that we felt we could apply to.
We sit during school holidays and weekends, but younger son and I have to stay until the end of school on a Friday. I would say that the majority of sits now have quite narrow start time windows, and we can’ very rarely meet them. Previously I would apply and explain our situation. If hosts liked our profile, application and video call we would work together to find a way to make it work. Now we just won’t apply. We may never do a weekend sit on THS again, unless it is one of our regular repeat sits!
You’re right. I think there a fewer applications because of arrival departure times and because of maximum time pets can be left alone. I know I am refraining from applying to sit a would otherwise have applied for.
I think some hosts, especially new ones are led to believe that 2 or 4 hours would be the average, usual time as it is more or less in the middle of the options. Similarly, having the choice of 48 slots for arrival and departure time, some may not give it too much thought and just select a time that seems suitable for them. I don’t think they are aware that this is reducing their options.
