@MerryPuppins I’ve actually done exactly the same thing as a host, when a previous sitter contacted me as soon as I’d posted dates and so I accepted her but at the same time decline notices went out so I then rushed out messages to say what had happened. I now know how it works, well that was a really silly thing to say………bet it gets changed…..
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I’m a HO and very seldom apply for a sitter….BUT….the last time I posted a sit, I had 2 applicants. Applicant #1 : A family of four. I responded immediately and when finalizing a convenient time for a video call, she withdrew her application because they accepted another sit. Applicant #2 : Basically the same. I responded immediately. The couple also accepted another sit while I was waiting for them to select a convenient time for a video call.
I didn’t receive any other applicants so we were unable to join our family for Christmas.
My question is…Should I accept a sitter immediately before a video chat?
I get the sitter alert on the THS app and I’m assuming the app gives me the alert as soon as I receive an applicant.
Holidays are a unique time with high demand for sitters and no shortage of sits. How far in advance of your trip did you publish the dates? You need to give yourself time enough to find a good match.
You don’t “accept” a sitter. You extend an invitation for them to accept the sit. Until they accept your sit, they can accept other sits for the same dates. Sitters can sit on invites indefinitely.
How desirable is your home, location and pets? Is your listing fine tuned to highlight the desirable aspects?
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@emmieo You will find sitters who will not confirm a sit without a video. I’ve been on the site for many years as a sitter and only once have I made an exception and went with just a phone call and additional photos.
Where you are located in Ontario, Canada, and wanting sitters for Christmas may have affected your low application rate. Many sitters are looking to escape colder weather for warmer climates. Also some sitters are more hesitant these days to do international sits.
I suggest you add your listing to your forum profile so that forum members can offer suggestions to perhaps improve your listing.
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@OnTheRoadAgain I posted the sit approximately 4 months in advance.
We have a beautiful country home close to nordic and downhill skiing. We have snowshoeing trails and live on 30 acres. I would say our home is desirable but the closest large city is an hour away. We have two sweet dogs and 4 hens. I had offered to sell my hens.
always do the video chat, especially if the sitter is coming from afar
your other post mentions your dog’s age and special needs, that may well have been a factor in the interested parties taking a different sit.
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@Snowbird Thank you. That’s what I thought that sitters don’t confirm a sit without a video. I suppose they had sent out several requests and found a more desirable location.
We live one hour north of Guelph. We are definitely having a memorable extra cold winter and a snowstorm occurred around Christmas so they chose well not to come here.
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@emmieo I live in Niagara Falls, Ontario, so am well aware of our chilling winter. I chose to escape on a sit to Mexico in December, hence the reason for my username here.
Ignoring weather issues (as I don’t know when your next listing would be), it seems as though transportation might be an issue. I’m not one to suggest lending a vehicle, because of the many possible complications. If it’s realistic to stay at your home without a vehicle, then perhaps you offering to pick sitters up and return them to a transport hub (rail, bus) then perhaps add that to your listing.
@Snowbird At the moment we aren’t planning a trip but I’ll certainly keep your suggestions in mind. We have an extra vehicle which could be available. We picked up a sitter a few years ago and then delivered her to the bus pickup when it was time to go. That worked well.
We don’t have much success in getting a sitter….even in nice weather. I guess I’m used to our location. We’re not too far from all the amenities that we need. Owen Sound is the closest city about 40 minutes away.
Mexico….nice, very nice indeed.
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My guess is that in the situation you mention nothing would have changed. As @OnTheRoadAgain said, you send and invite but they can take their time to accept so, if they were delaying the video chat in order to secure a more desirable sit, the outcome would have been the same.
I agree with others that having a conversation before confirming the sit is useful for both parties and helps to make a good match.
Good luck in future sits.
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I think your shock that a HO would be “asleep at the wheel” and not checking her listing every day or maybe even multiple times a day for applications shows how individual our approaches are. I am also a sitter but don’t have a cutoff window in mind. If in the meantime another sit comes along for similar dates and equally desirous to me, of course I’ll pursue a second application and see if it’s a good match. I certainly don’t take personally any delay on the part of the HO or make any assumptions about their strength as communicators. Life happens! I had one HO briefly acknowledge my application and ask if I could wait several days as he was very hectic on a trip abroad at that time. I had no problem with that, though in the end I accepted another sit with the same dates. My choice of sit wasn’t at all based on that first HO’s inability to set up a video call right away. And if he had waited several days to get back to me at all, I would not have made any assumptions about his communication or lack thereof. Sometimes when I get an invite to sit, I “sit on it” - no pun intended! - for several days as I often need time to ponder the idea and look into how the timing of the sit might work out for me. This does not mean I’m a poor communicator, but it takes time and energy out of our days to respond, and life can be chaotic one day to the next.
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Free pet sitting services are not for you. It’s gotta be paid or you’re not going to be traveling much. Or move to a more desirable location where you’ll get sitters applying even during the competitive holiday season.
I tend to agree with Newpetlover: I think both of your candidates would just have delayed accepting because they had already applied to other sits too. Main issue was probably Christmas: sitters market.
I dont like to apply to sits where the host has very few applicants unless I am very serious about that sit. If it is a popular sit, I toss an application to the mix and think later, but if I have the time to think (no 5 application limit hovering over my shoulder), I need to really desire the sit. Because I dont want to put the host thought the disappointment of me withdrawing.
In general I have voiced against video calls. However, I think that in your case, it probably is wise to have the call. Sitters need to be made clear that the area is remote, you should make sure they know how to handle a house if something happens, etc. There are things that are rare, and to avoid sitter withdrawing last minute because they only then realized what they had signed up for. At the same time if someone applies, explains they have stayed in the area before/has several reviews from similar sits, I dont see a reason not to accept straight away. Even though even then might be better to connect via video to go trough the character and personality of your home.
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To continue on that.
I do mainly city sits. Yes maybe someone has an aggressive dog in city, or a cat that pees on everything, or “bad attitude”. Not that a video call would be a sure way to weed these out. Even the most badly reviewed sits have most likely started with a video call.
As I do city sits in my continent, I dont think there -can- be an issue. The hosts state the work in their profile, the location, etc. There is nothing to ask for me. I have some standard questions that make me look like I am interested, but usually they are such that the welcome guide would answer to them, or I can ask them when I arrive.
The homes in Europe are relatively the same. I read a list of amenities. I assume I sleep in the master bed (because rarely are the apartments big enough to have a guest bed). If the hosts sleep in it, it must be good enough - never has it been trouble. If the pillow is lousy, I exchange in to sofa pillow (double pillow case to protect it).
I expect normal, I get normal, there is nothing for me in a video call. If I did more challenging sits, it would make sense to have a conversation. But on my sit style (as much as I hate equating these), its like I wanted to talk with the hotel manager before booking a room. I just assume certain norms, and that people are reasonable. Has worked for me so far, pretty much 100%. When not, a video call would not have made a difference. And when something would come up, I am ok to deal with it and confident about that too.
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