@nikki We never mind in what format an HO prepares their WG, just that they provide something useful! And preferably leave a printed out copy at the home for ease of reference. Many HOs don’t bother printing it out these days but I am one of those old school sitters who finds a hardcopy very helpful!
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Thus is a fantastic idea. I wish to see the welcome guide BEFORE saying yes with all tasks disclosed.
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Thank you for mentioning that! Our small dog experiences “backward sneezes” (choo-ah, not ah-choo) so I will add that to our WG.
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I am a new THS member (2 months) as a homeowner and would fully support this. Not only is it helpful for the sitter to review prior to accepting, but it also means the host has confirmation that the sitter is clear on the expectations for things like parking, access to transit, location, shops, etc. and of course pet personalities, behaviours, needs, etc.
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Not sure if it helps but I never rely on the THS welcome guide. I actually have my own Google doc that I ask the owner to fill in. It has a checklist with all the requirements, in particular, regarding cleaning the home, supplies, contacts, pet behaviour and medical issues, vet details with disclaimer that they must have a card on file with their local vet, wifi etc. There’s also a checklist for them to go through. I did this after a couple of sits where there was unwelcomed surprises. This form has worked like a charm!
I’ve popped this over to the Owners category as I think it fits better here
As always, the Forum team can’t promise any changes, but are always happy to pass over feedback wherever we can.
Thanks, Jenny - but I’ve found TH mgmt to be pretty unresponsive to requests!
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Except that the welcome guide can’t be printed out without losing all paragraph formatting. It’s just section after section containing walls of text. So in order to leave a printed copy – which I have found to be very helpful both as a sitter and as a homeowner – I have no choice but to reinvent it if I want it to be readable.
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Yes as a sitter I have had serious problems with the welcome guide. Namely HO’s not supplying it until the last minute or only supplying their printed version when I arrive and each time it is filled with surprise tasks and chores I have not agreed to. I let them know I won’t be able to do that and it is always awkward and they are typically spiteful about it. A deadline on supplying the welcome guide on the app with a minimum if two weeks would be great. And a note to HO’s that anything outside of discussed tasks will not be the sitters responsibility, emergencies not included in that of course.
Great idea!