Owners, what do you hope to achieve by having a video call?

I am a sitter and I have read many posts about the importance of having a video call. Personally, I really do not like them, when I started out they were virtually unheard of. I think out of well over 30 sits I have only had 2 video calls. I often apply for a sit and get an offer straight away without the need for a call or even any further questions.

Sitters seem to focus very much on the cleanliness of the home, on being able to see how it looks but, from years of experience, I know only to well that even the tidiest and cleanest looking place may have mouse droppings in the corners and rancid food in the fridge. I doubt that any sitter asks the owners to show them the inside of the fridge during a call.

So, what is it that you, as an owner, hope to achieve by doing a video call as opposed to messaging with questions?

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While we wait for owners to answer - I as a sitter will always want video calls before deciding whether the host is a good match for me. If we don’t match in expectations, communication-style etc all kinds of things can go wrong. My number one on the check list is whether the host sees us as equal partners. If the host talks to me like «staff», I’m out. That is easier to detect in a video call than in an e-mail.

I often also get to meet the pet, and sometimes the home. I have withdrawn after a videocall for something I would never had known from an e-mail.

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I am an owner & sitter.

I can tell alot about a person by their body language and how authentic they are in their coversation. In this era of ChatGPT crafted written messages, it’s beneficial to learn what the other person is really like by meeting them on a video chat.

I will never select a sitter or a sit without doing a video chat first, no matter how great they sound. If the other party doesn’t want to do one then that is a red flag for me and I move on to the next person.

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When we extend an invitation for someone to sit for us, we’re also inviting someone into our most private and personal space. There is a high level of trust required to hand over unsupervised access to our homes and, by extension, opening a picture window into our lives. Extending that level of trust is easier if a potential sitter is more of a new acquaintance than a complete stranger. Written communications are too stilted to get any sense of a person. Verbal communications are vital for us in the process of choosing among sit applications.
Maybe it’s a bit like online dating. Who would go on a first date without first having a telephone or video chat regardless of the how much written communication occurred before that chat?

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I want to see their personality, mannerisms, are they energetic or calming. Etc. My dog doesn’t like energetic people, I want to see a calmness overall.

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It’s as simple as: I want to actually meet the person.

How they are on a call tells me a lot about the person, how they feel about cats (my pet is a cat), and how they would approach the sit. But also, I do this for the exchange, and want to feel some sort of connection with this person.

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If you keep asking one more question, or send someone a list of questions through the email, that’s not a conversation. I want to have a conversation and actually see if the person matches the profile. I want to listen to the questions they have for me because that really indicates whether they read the listing. I also want to get into the nitty gritty about logistics and travel plans because if it turns out that it’s actually going to be difficult for them to get to the sit when I need them to get to the sit that won’t work.And if there is anything about my sit that they didn’t know about before but aren’t comfortable with, I want them to see it before they confirm. It’s another layer and it mostly works.

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As an owner, the level of trust we need to let someone into our home and most of all to care for our cats like we do cannot be achieved through text messages. We are not ordering something off of Amazon that we can return if not satisfied. We need to be as sure as we can that the sitters we will trust are the right ones. And I’m sure it goes a long way in reassuring them that we will be good hosts and offer them a good, clean, safe and comfortable home. Visual communication is the best for achieving this.

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Well, I did back in the days (I’m 43, so a huge part of my dating life was non-virtual or at least non-“videochatty”) And what can I say, I had a lot of fun. :sweat_smile:

Back to topic: I would never do a sit without a videocall now, because for me it’s all about connectoon, body language, same humour, do they actually smile, seem to be accommodating, humble, nice persons?

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I think many Home Owners request a video call because they feel that they ought to.
As a sitter, if I am asked for a video call, I reply by asking can we just have an old fashioned phone call. They all agree.
Sometimes the owner doesn’t even ask for a phone call. I prefer this as I document all of my questions and they document all the answers on the site. That way, there is no ambiguity later

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That is a good reason, when it is something so important for your dog’s well being. Good point.

I find that I am rarely asked any further questions, I think I cover most things in my profile and in my application.
If I see a listing with very little detail, therefore requiring lots of questions, I don’t apply. Personally, I prefer to sit for someone who has thought things through, and has taken the time to give good, relevant information. To me this indicates that they think like I do.
I generally message a home owner with some sort of question to see how quickly they respond. I think, for me, this is probably one of most important aspects of the ‘negotiation’. I also prefer things to be written down in black and white rather than depending on verbal answers.

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I am a lot older than you, I go back to the time when it was done through the personal ads in newspapers and many people did not have a phone of any sort. :rofl:

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Well, if I have to do either I would opt for the video call but like you, I prefer to have everything in black and white, and on the site, not through WhatsApp, I feel it is much safer this way.

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As a sitter, I absolutely hate video calls! I get desperately nervous and then go into Manic Maisie mode, laughing too loudly and being far too high-energy.. I especially hate the time-lag, so you and the HOs end up talking over each other - then there’s that awkward pause and you both try again - at exactly the same moment.. Euch! I’m never paying much attention to the state of the house, TBH; I’m too busy hoping I’m not coming across as the village idiot.
BUT, I accept video calls as a near-inevitable part of the matching process nowadays, so I square my shoulders, comb my hair and get on with it.
Sorry, I know your question was aimed at HOs. I just wanted to say that you’re not the only one who dislikes video calls. Personally, the way I come across in writing is much more the authentic Me than that strained performance on camera. But we’re stuck with the wretching things, sadly.
Edited to add: Needless to say, I too am of the generation before mobile phones. Sheesh, I remember when if you wanted to ask someone you didn’t know well a question, you would write it down ---- on paper!! — and drop it in a box on a street corner..! GASP!!

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@ fledermaus
There is no need to do these video calls. As mentioned above, I offer just a phone call. I have been sitting for over 15 years, over 150 sittings across various sites and have done just 2 videos, neither of which was necessary.

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Me too @CathyCat
My first sitting was 3 lines in the newspaper, no phone call, no instructions till you got there, no rules and regulations - it was great

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Thank you for your input, it made me laugh. I think it is important for people to realise that not everyone is comfortable with video calls, for some people it is a very stressful thing to have to do and they could be missing out on some great sitters if they insist on video calls.
I think I come over OK when I am forced to do them, but yes, I end up talking over people all the time!
Reading some of the responses there appears to be a bit of a focus on ‘clicking’ with the sitter but it’s not as if homeowners and sitters are going to spend much time together anyway.
I suppose the one big benefit that I can see, as a sitter, is that at least I have ‘met’ the people and know what sort of people I am going to be spending time with the night before. Having said that, I have only ever had two homeowners that I didn’t immediately relax with.

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I recently engaged a sitter on the strength of a phone call. After two or three emails, something didn’t quite sit right with us and it didn’t come as a great surprise that the sitter backed out without offering an explanation.
Video calls have benefits for both sides in enabling all concerned to decide if they are a good fit for each other. I can’t see a downside.

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That’s interesting. Why do you think a phone call is less reliable than a video chat?

My main concern about either method is that there is no record of what was discussed, that’s why I prefer messages, then everything is down in black and white.

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