1 - I have lots of references on another unpaid sitting site. Can I add the link to that site into my THS profile so that owners can see my reviews? Seems a shame to be starting out with no confirmed pet sits when Ive done dozens and then some.
2 - When applying for a sit, can I include the link to my external references?
3 - When applying for a sit, can I include my phone number?
4 - Ive applied for a few sits but am unfamiliar with the THS process. Is there a standard amount of time between the sit and when it closes for review?
Thank you, Claire Bear the Pet Au Pair
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Welcome @ClaireBearThePetAuPair ! I can answer two of your questions:
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Yes, you can add your phone number to your application if you like.
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The listing closes for review when the listing has reached 5 applications or when the owner decides to pause the listing. The owner can also un-pause the listing after the 5 applicaant limit by declining some of the applications. So no, there’s not a standard amount of time for the listing to be open for applications.
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@ClaireBearThePetAuPair
I have seen that some sitters screenshot references from other sites and include them in their photos.
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Hi Claire
I’ve recently been using other sites in addition to THS while travelling/sitting in New Zealand and Australia. As I had no reviews on those other sites to start with I included a link to my THS reviews in my applications. Now I’m building up reviews on those new sites.
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When we joined THS we had no pet sitting experience and ofcourse no reviews. So we copied and pasted 10 of our best airbnb reviews into the ‘experience’ section of our profile. And we got two external character references. This really helped get us started.
We now have over 70 5* reviews!
What ever way you find to get your previous reviews onto THS will help.
If you don’t want to copy & paste past reviews on your profile itself then you could just write about your previous experience and tell interested hosts you can provide reviews/refs privately on request.
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Hi Claire
I have my website and facebook page links in my profile but they aren’t ‘active’ so a HO couldn’t click directly through to them, but would have to cut and paste.
I don’t know if THS would block certain text from being included in the profile, like the name of a competitor–this happened to me on another site when I tried to link to my reviews here. So once you update the profile, check to see if the information is included. I have a feeling they probably don’t do that here but you never know.
When I have included a Zoom link in messages to HO’s when setting up a chat, it was hyperlinked, so in messages they may be able to click directly through to another site.
You can include your phone number in an application. Many sitters here say that in their initial message they offer numerous types of contact info.
As for the application process, there really is no official ‘protocol’ for how it goes, other than the 5 application rule mentioned below. The most important thing to remember about this site is while they have lots of great features like the help desk, etc…at the core it is ultimately the same as the less ‘fancy’ ones in that it is meant to connect people looking for this service with those willing to provide it and nothing more.
Once a sit gets five applications, it goes into ‘review’ automatically, and the HO would either need to pick one of those five, or reject at least some of the original applicants to open it up again and receive more. It would then pause again after it reaches another 5 applicants. Once a sit goes into ‘review’ the HO isn’t obligated to do anything in any certain time frame. Most sits on the site never even get to this point–there are way more sits available than sitters to fill them!
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re: reviews/references. You can send a special link to your previous sits (and anyone for that matter) and ask them to leave you reference on your profile.