We’ve been hosting sitters for our house and 1 dog for over 3 years (usually 1–2 times per year when we travel) and have always had great experiences. This Fall, we posted our listing 3 months in advance and started receiving applicants. However, after receiving applications and choosing a sitter, none of them replied to our request to set up a phone or video chat before confirming.
Now we’re just 1 month away from our trip, our listing is paused, and no new applicants can apply. None of the people who applied have communicated back to us after our initial request for a chat. This has never happened before.
Should we set a deadline (e.g., 1–2 weeks) to hear back, and if there’s no reply, decline the application so others can apply? How much time do others usually give applicants before considering lack of response a red flag? Any strategy anyone can suggest to deal with this?
You could message the applicants letting them know you are interested but declining their application since you haven’t heard back, mentioning you understand they may be in a location without service. This would open up space for other applicants and since your messages will be in the previous applicants inbox, they can contact you even if your listing is paused.
So much depends of various factors: length of sit, location, whether a car is required etc BUT ..
As a sitter all of my 30+ sits have been confirmed within a week of applications being open and, following that, having a video call.
If potential sitters haven’t responded after many months (personally I’d give them a week) I’d consider that a huge red flag that they are ‘just keeping their options open’ and just decline them so others can apply.
No reply after 48 hours = decline application.
You want to decline all applications from sitters that do not interest you in order to open your “paused” listing to new applicants. We usually decline 2 or 3 applicants on day 1 for various reasons. You want to work with applicants that look really good and quickly pass on all others. You’ve lost 2 weeks of new applicants by waiting too long for followup relies from your initial applicants.
BTW, you can see if your messages have been read in the THS app. If you see they have been read, shorten the 48 hours to 24.
For your upcoming trip, I would decline all of the current applicants, unpause your listing. If it does not show as “new” after doing this, I would delete your dates and then repost to make your listing appear “new.”
In the future, always respond to new applicants within 24 hours, with some sort of message. If an owner is not inviting me for a chat right away, I would appreciate a message such as, “Thank you for your application. We are working through the applications and plan to make a decision by X date.” Like within a week.
This way, even though your need for a sitter is 3 months away, you are demonstrating that you take the process seriously and want to get this nailed down now.
If sitters don’t respond to your messages within 48 hours, I would decline them. They are too busy with something else. There are situations where sitters can “string along” owners if they are waiting for other owners to respond, and you don’t want to fall prey to this terrible behavior.
As a sitter I would NEVER keep an owner hanging on for a reply. If you requested a video call I would respond immediately.
To wait for two weeks and not have had a response is dreadful, and if it were me, I certainly wouldn’t want any of these people to sit for me if their communication is so poor.
I suggest that you decline them all, deleted your dates and then repost so your listing appears as New.
yes, I see that the messages are being read very quickly, and we express interest in applicants who sound good to us and have good reviews. That’s why we were surprised when someone with 5-star reviews would apply but then not reply, even though they’re reading the messages. Actually, I can think of many reasons why good applicants might choose to wait before having a chat or video call, but that doesn’t really address the problem we have on our hands. Thank you for advise, we should clear the applications pool much quicker.
No the sit is always confirmed following the video call as it allow either party to withdraw from the sit if they feel the ‘chemistry’ or requirements disclosed in the call are not a good fit.
That sounds very peculiar. To have one sitter not respond to an invite to video call is not common - to have more than one is so unusual, I am wondering if they are getting your messages? -
Exactly this. If they don’t respond in a couple of days, they lose their place in line. No need to give them weeks to respond to a simple request for a chat
