I just posted dates (listing linked in my profile) and was wondering if I could “nudge” sitters to look at my listing by favoriting them instead of sending out multiple explicit invitations. As a homeowner I get an email when sitters favorite my listing and I can see a list of everyone who has marked me as a favorite. So I have a few questions about how it all works and am wondering what this looks like from the sitter’s side!
Can sitters see who has marked them as a favorite?
Do sitters get any notifications/emails about being marked as a favorite?
Can a sitter message a homeowner after being marked as a favorite, even if they are not applying to listed dates? (I ask this because on the website, I can only view my favorites in my inbox. On the app, I have an actual favorites page that is not tied to my inbox.)
The only documentation I saw was “How do I favourite a sitter on the mobile app?” which is not exactly what I want. Maybe if this isn’t a known answer, I can favorite someone from the forum to test things out!
Hi @adelia. This has actually been raised on the forum before. The simple answer is sitters are completely unaware of owners who have favourited them. It is not a reciprocal process and I know sitters would like it to be. The only way a sitter can message you is if you have live dates and they “apply”, even though they can’t do those dates for you. Then communication can proceed between the two of you.
Thanks for the answer! I guess I didn’t search the forums thoroughly enough. That really is too bad and makes the 5 application limit even worse since that truly is the only way to connect with sitters. I hope they consider adding it as a feature.
Unfortunately the simple answer to all 3 questions is No. From my sitter perspective it would be great if it was Yes! This is one of several descrepancies between host & sitters page. Hosts have always been able to contact any sitter at will but sitters can only contact hosts when there are live listing dates. And now it means taking up a slot in the 5 app limit just to make contact. And we have no idea when hosts favourite us.
@Lokstar could you please help me, how I, as a HO, can contact sitters? I’ve been looking for a way to do that, but as far as I can see, the only way is to “Invite to sit”. And for that, I need to have dates set up.
@adelia - you can send the sitter a private date invite and a message with that invite. I’ve done this numerous times to connect with sitters that I’d like to come sit at our place.
I am a PP/HO. Thank you for pointing out that if a sitter wants to contact the PP, they can only do so in a way that will clog up the 5 applications process. I had a sitter do this once and it really irked me as for that sit, I was having a very difficult time getting good applicants. Ultimately I saw this as a negative on her character/experience, or maybe she just didn’t understand how stressful the 5 application limit is on PP’s.
I wish PP/HO could search for sitters in the vast database of sitters and favorite them. Not in response to how we get notified a sitter has favorited us, we look at their profile, then mark them as a favorite we can go back to later. I want to be able to favorite sitters at random so I can easily find them later. My city is a stupidly hot place 5 months out of the year and I need to be able to identify (ideally quickly) sitters who live in my city/country, or have done sits here in the past during the hottest months, and are immune to the harsh conditions. I wish this was possible. Maybe I’ll just do what @Karen_E said and invite sitters for fake dates just to get the conversation started and be able to favorite them. But then that might make me a hypocrite based on what I said in my first paragraph! LOL
One final clarification, the “fake” or real private invitation isn’t a binding thing. It’s an invite to apply. It doesn’t mean if the sitter says yes, you are obliged to confirm!
As HO’s can message sitters with no restrictions, it’s possibly even MORE stressful for the sitter, as we can ONLY reach out in response to a HO’s post.
I’m sorry you felt that way, but given the limitations, she was probably just playing with the hand she was dealt.
Since it was mentioned by someone here in the forum, I’ve also sent a handful of “applications” for desirable sits, which I immediately withdraw to initiate the opportunity to correspond. A few have panned out!
Wow, how fab would it be if we (sitters) could be listed in a HO favourites and notified of it and when a sit comes up and to be able to just touch base with them.
Hopefully THS make this an option in their next Website/App version updates.
Amanda and Family x
