Need help with reviewing a petsitter - bad experience

Thanks for your help. The PS had over 15 5 star reviews and all previous HO mentioned how tidy their home was on their return .

Okay so I’ll just mention overall cleanliness of the house wasn’t maintained. Property damage . Also some of the pet care instructions weren’t followed . My cat isn’t allowed access to some rooms in the house . Doors to those rooms were left wide open when I returned

Don’t go too deep into the issues, you will come unstuck. You don’t want to sound petty.

And those previous 15 reviews, the HO’s could possibly have felt exactly the same as you are now. Think about that :thinking:

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I am sure as a sitter that I would have forgotten things.

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As I mentioned in my earlier reply @violet123, her reply (if she chooses to) will appear on HER profile and not on yours so it won’t affect future sitters looking at your listing.
You’ve been given good advice from members so if you’re going to give your sitter a review then it’s time to do so.
You have no idea what review she’ll do for you though which will appear on your listing!

@pietkuip I know what you mean . They also had everything written in the welcome guide

Thank you Marion . It it was just one or two things , I would just move on
However all the multiple issues demonstrated an overall pattern by HO of ignoring or not respecting my wishes or welcome guide .

Quite a coincidence. Wonder if it’s the same sitter….

I think @ziggy has covered most of it for you. Broad major issues identified, don’t sound petty. Help future HOs by telling the truth. Best of luck :raised_hands:t3:

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Thanks everyone for all your help . I really appreciate it

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Hi @violet123 you’ve had a negative experience and this can be upsetting.

Once you’ve stepped back and found your calm, you can write a clear, factual review based on your experience, stripped of the drama - the most effective way to write a review.

When reading a review remember that the review indicates more about the reviewer than the person being reviewed.

Perhaps you could start with a few positives, such as they showed up on time, you had a lovely chat over tea or dinner together before you left, and they sent regular updates/photos whilst you were away, etc…

You can then share the same number of negatives (you said you wanted to leave a balanced review), and keep it brief and drama-free:

  • The home was not as clean as you left it
  • Not sure they following your precise cleaning protocol detailed in the manual
  • Still liaising with THS to cover the cost of damage repair in the kitchen
  • I was disappointed they left before the agreed day and time without letting me know

It might be difficult to hear that some animals experience trauma if they feel abandoned by their pet parent, so it may have nothing to do with the sitter that your pet is behaving out of usual character. That’s not to say this is the case, just something to consider.

Write a review that reflects who you are - if you write it when you feel more balanced and calm about it, then your review will be too, and it will give others a fair report of your experience.

Best wishes,
Stephanie

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Surely your neighbour could have parked where the PS should have parked or your other space, if you are allocated two spaces each unless there are four cars there must have been room even if not there own space. The neighbour could also have knocked on the door and politely asked them to swap spaces. Communication is key.

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Getting along with neighbors and not inconveniencing them is a big deal. The sitter will be gone in a few days. The HO has to live there. The neighbor shouldn’t have to accomodate someone else’s guests. I’ve seen similar instructions when parking at Airbnbs. Parking where the HO showed you is not difficult. It puts the HO in a really awkward position.

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I don’t know why anyone is saying what the neighbor should have done here. They did no wrong.

Perhaps some have never lived in places where parking is very limited and can be a very big deal.

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Thank you

They did leave at the agreed time.
THS have issued them with a warning
They didn’t follow the vast majority of instructions in welcome pack regarding home care and some areas regarding pet care .
Anyway thanks everyone for your input . Re the parking , they massively inconvenienced my neighbor . My neighbor shouldn’t be put in a position of having to figure out who parked in their spot. They did knock on my door a few times but petsitter wasn’t there which is why neighbor contacted me .

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It sounds as though this person was having a tough time and this may account for their behaviour. Not that that’s an excuse. It’s just a bit weird they left their personal items behind. They should have read the welcome guide but bear in mind sometimes it’s a lot to take in and if they were having some kind of crisis they didn’t pay attention (i re-read it on a sit to keep refreshing). I think the parking thing is less of an issue than your cat being stressed out tbh. And obvs the damage to your property. I would definately say that the house was not left in a reasonable condition by the sitter if that was the case.

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