No sitters found after 3 weeks!

Owner Questions, Advice & Chat
1

Hi everyone,

I am sure this is an issue that so many pet parents must have come across a lot of times…

We are pet parents and although I posted our sit request 3 weeks ago, we have not received any reply from potential sitters and I start to feel concerned, as we are going away in about 2 months from now.

We have used the service for over a year and it never happened before…

Any advice you could share with us?
I also know that as a premium pet parent member, kennel costs will only be covered when a confirmed sitter cancels, which is clearly not our case.

Im trying to figure out when i can say it is too late and i will need to find kennels…

Any tip would be appreciated.
I dont even see any way to republish or re launch the sit request for visibility…not sure it is possible.

Thank you for any help you could give us.

Emanuele

2

Please link your listing in your profile so we can provide feedback. Please stick around and participate in the conversation as that’s how you’ll get the most help. We want to help you optimize your listing to have the best chance of finding a sitter but can only do that if you are here too.

You should note that it sounds like this is a holiday sit and they are EXTREMELY competitive. Way more sits than sitters. So you really need to put your best foot forward.

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3

You can cancel the listing then relist it and it will be flagged as new.

Does it have practical travel dates near Christmas? Are you able to be flexible with these? Sits that time of year need to be attractive compared to many other available sits.

4

@UKSITTER1 is right, the most obvious thing could be the actual dates, some people start their sit on the 24th Dec, or end it on the 31st Dec or 1st Jan, which is a huge stumbling block.

Do as @CreatureCuddler says, and attach your link to your profile here, because this forum is brilliant at getting a little feedback on your listing, it’s just incase we can see anything that could potentially put a sitter off. But also, some owners manage to fill their dates by attaching their profile link on their forum profile when they have been stuck like you, because THS forum members are an audience that may not have necessarily been looking in your area for sits, but loved what they saw when it was put in front of them, so occasionally sits get filled that way.

Attach your profile, so we can help see what the reasoning may be.

5

Hi @EmanueleC, welcome to the forum.
You may find this post on how to link your profile helpful

6

Hi, If your sit is two months away you still have plenty of time. I am frequently uncertain of plans until last minute and many sits I have completed, I have only applkied for two to three weeks before they start. Definitely no need to panic just yet.

7

I had something similar happen. Start scouting profiles and invite sitters.

You’re rolling dice, but at least it’s better than just sitting & waiting.

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8

This thread is exactly the reason the forum needs the “Help with my listing/profile” thread that @Jenny suggested. Can you help me, please give advice and then nothing but crickets and nowhere to see what needs help……#tumbleweedspringstomindtoo

11

Hi everyone
With all due respect, I have all the intentions to find a sitter and I WILL provide an update and link our profile listing.
Im on a business trip rright now, expect some delay but i will reply between today and tomorrow.

Let us not judge my stance and intentions too quickly please.

Thanks
Emanuele

12

Totally fine you’re on a business trip but you did write a lengthy & detailed post with lots of requests for various bits of help & advice from members @EmanueleC so you clearly had a little time to do this. All it needed was a postscript to say “currently on a business trip so will be back on here in a few days to chat” or simply have saved your post in drafts until you were ready to engage with the forum. That way we are all saved time and energy in helping each other in this community. Online forums naturally move at speed simply because it’s exactly that - online. No one’s judging, they’re asking where you have gone as you were asking for help. #theresquiteadifference

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14

Hi @EmanueleC!

Thanks for popping back to let us know that you haven’t had a chance to respond yet - life gets busy. The majority of the support you’ll receive on this Forum comes from fellow members, and it’s good to keep them updated.

When you have the time, feel free to review the suggestions, and let us know if they’re helpful.

If any of the replies are particularly helpful, feel free to tick the box under the relevant answer, to select it as the best answer to your question.

Jenny :slight_smile:

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15

Dear all,
I finally found some time during my business trip to sit down and take some further action here.
I have followed the advice of @Newpetlover and have included the direct link to our TrustedHouseSitters listing in my Forum profile.

I would appreciate if you could please review the listing itself and let me know whether you see any area for improvement.

any support will be much appreciated

thank you in advance

Emanuele

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16

@EmanueleC

You have had good reviews from your previous sitters which is a good start . What you need to bear in mind is that there are many hosts looking for sitters over the holiday period , so you will have a lot of competition for these dates .

The sleeping arrangements aren’t clear from your listing as there is no photo of the bed / bedroom where the sitter will sleep . You have advertised in the amenities section that there is a double bed for the sitter(s) so this needs to be shown in one of the photos
(There is a photo of a sofa which maybe turns into a bed -? although there doesn’t appear to be enough room for that to be opened out into a double because there is a desk in the same room )

You also need to state how long the pets can be left alone for so that sitters know if they will have enough free time to visit the attractions that you have mentioned ( Dublin etc ) You could also add a photo of the beach at Bray.

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17

Hi there, I took a look for you. It’s great that you have good reviews, but here’s some feedback to consider:

1: Pictures
Currently, your living room is your cover photo. A nice image of your pets or your local area (especially at Christmas time!) would do a much better job at drawing attention to your listing and getting sitters to click on it. There is also no clarification of where sitters would be sleeping, and where they can put their clothing & belongings - if the room with the IKEA pull out bed is where sitters are expected to sleep, you’ll need to realise that a pull out bed isn’t always so spacious and comfortable, and Christmas time is highly competitive.

2: Title.
You don’t need to tell sitters in your title that you need a sitter - all THS sitters are already members and know what they’re here for. Try something captivating in 6 - 8 words or less that has to do with Christmas. For example ‘Discover Dublin at Christmas - markets, ice-skating and more!’

3: Intro
Your intro is fine, but it’s great to tell sitters straight away in your intro who you’re looking for (singles, couples, families) why they should sit for you (what does your sit offer?) and what your expectations around handover are (for sitters to arrive the day before or on the day etc).

4: Home and location
Starting off with ‘strictly no smoking and no drugs’ is a bit off putting. You shouldn’t really need to tell people not to do drugs in your home - sitters are background checked and I’m pretty sure anyone who was doing drugs in the first place probably wouldn’t listen to your request :laughing:.

It would be better to start off with a friendly description of your home, as your home and location section gives very few details about your home, and is really lacking in description of where sitters sleep, what the amenities are, if you have streaming services, what the sitter has access to, etc. Remember that you want to make your listing as attractive and inviting as possible. You could then mention no smoking please and the other important bullet points you have mentioned. Descriptions of the local area a great, but this sit is at Christmas, so think of reasons why a sitter should come to Dublin at Christmas. It would be helpful for sitters to know if your home will be nicely decorated for Christmas with a tree etc, if your home can get food & grocery deliveries, and if you can collect sitters from the nearest airport, or train station etc. Good hospitality shown in your listing will go a long way.

5: Responsibilities section:
You have left this section quite short, with just a few simple bullet points. Sitters want to know specifics, such as:

  • what is the feeding and walking routine?
  • how long are walks?
  • what are the dogs like on a walk?
  • what are the dog’s personalities?
  • where do the pets sleep?
  • how long can they be left for?
  • Are there any pet health conditions that need to be disclosed, and any require medication?

This blog might also be useful:

Hope that helps! :blush:

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