I don’t see this as taking a chance without a video call.
I have house sat for almost 16 years with about 150 sittings.
During this time I have had 2 video calls, neither of which was necessary
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Thinking about it, we’ve been more interested in doing a video call with couples. It’s the best way for all four of us to connect. I remember seeing sitter comments that mentioned “the husband wasn’t involved or interested” or “we only ever spoke to one HO” and I asked my husband to get more involved after that. We prefer couples for our little farm, and we do tend to video chat before confirming. We also include everyone on the WhatsApp message thread.
As to the sliding scale, I guess my 60-70% must show as a Yes. I wonder how it would show up if I changed my percentage to 50, and if more sitters would then see our listing? Could that be affecting applications? So many complaints about low applications recently. Hmm maybe you’ve uncovered something @anon55123711!
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I’m a homeowner, and I don’t like video calls. I only do them if the sitter insists.
- I find that the conversation can become chatty and lack substance. At the end, I can feel that the applicant was charming and friendly, but that I don’t know anything in-depth about them.
- As you say, I can come away thinking that we are agreed on something, only to discover later that the sitter is of a different opinion.
- One sitter lied through her teeth during the video call, and I later thought that, given the reflection possible with messages, I would have been able to challenge her instead of accepting the lies at face value.
- The sitter may appear diffident/hesitant/lacking confidence, but this relates to the technology, not the house sit.
- I won’t show the interior of my home on a video call - hate to be untrusting, but you really don’t know who is on the other end, so that is not a reason for a call.
- Appearances can be misleading. I had one wonderful sitter who looked as though they were off to the Burning Man Festival; had we video chatted, I might have decided against her.
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@Marj thank you so much, what a well thought through answer. I would agree with all of your points.
I feel that too much emphasis is placed on ‘clicking’ with each other. I had to do a video call last week and I took an instant dislike to the owner which is very unusual for me because I’m very much a people person. I found her to be stiff and formal, with no warmth, but I said to myself that she could well be just as awkward as me doing a video call, and that what I thought of her was of little consequence because it wasn’t her that I was going to look after. In all of my sits I have only ever felt a little awkward with a home owner and that doesn’t really matter, it’s only the handover time that we spend together.
And yes, I also agree, there can be a lot of useless talk that reveals nothing of any significance, apart from the fact that I tend to babble when nervous. And I hate the time lapse that leads to each of us talking over the other, that’s just agonising.
Interesting that you never show people round your house, in the few video calls that I have done I have never asked for a house tour, it seems so intrusive and rude to me, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to ask. Also, a video tour of the home is not going to reveal smells, fleas, dirty insides of fridges, sticky kitchen worktops etc so I don’t really see the point.
I have also considered the issue of security as a factor and I agree, it is a risk. It’s the reason why I don’t post photos of the house on social media, if I have permission to post photos of the pets, I avoid as much as possible getting the home in the back ground.
Thank you again for this excellent reply.
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LOL, my Dad used to hold his phone to his ear during video calls! Nothing like examining your 97-year-old Dad’s ear canal while having a nice chat. 
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I will not do a sit without a video call. That’s suicidal!
On top of that (as I have stated before), the pics of the HO’s should be the same size as the sitter. I can READ people by their faces; the eyes are the windows to the soul. There, I can avoid a lot of NONSENSE! I wouldn’t even apply (and I don’t) based on that dinky little pic that we get. I wouldn’t need a Zoom meeting with a equal sized picture to judge by; I would be able to better cull the obvious hazards.
HO here. I don’t love video calls either, trust me. I have PTSD from my prior corporate life where video calls were daily especially during COVID.
But, they are essential. I try to keep them short and not babble, but start out with a typical day for the pets. I then ‘walk’ the sitter to see their room, bathroom, other key spaces. I have photos in the listing but I think it’s helpful to see it on video. I show the half empty closet, open the dresser drawers so they can see the empty space, and quickly show them the luggage racks, extra outlets, etc.
I am more introverted by nature but nature but sometimes it’s best to get it done if it avoids more serious issues later on.
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Also - during the video call I love to show off my dog. By that I mean she is usually napping, chewing on a bone, or quietly laying by my feet. Not barking, pawing at me, destroying things, etc.
While not perfect it is good confirmation of whether the pets behavior is as described in the listing.
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Thank you @Randy_KC for taking the time to reply, however, my question is directed to owners who opt out of video calls. There have been endless discussions about why we should have video calls so I was aiming to gain some insight into a different viewpoint.
Thank you @Felinelover for taking the time to reply, however, my question is directed to owners who opt out of video calls. There have been endless discussions about why we should have video calls so I was aiming to gain some insight into a different viewpoint.
I do think they may be of more use when dogs are involved though. (I’m a cat person).
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Yeah… I knew that. I just wanted to offer my support and encouragement. 
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Lol, my mother does this too!
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Maybe owners who don’t do video calls are not inclined to spend time (or share their opinions) on forums.
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@KChev I have considered that myself, you may well be correct. 
I think very few homeowners opt out of a video call, and I doubt the ones who do so are also active on the platform. I know it’s weird if you insist on a video call and find yourself offered a sit without one. But I think it becomes a manageable situation with a solid agreement that they will meet soon for a video call or you send a polite note saying you would love to confirm but need the video call to make sure you really are a great match.
I did ask btw in 3 cases where I accepted first and video’d later. One case the homeowner was confident based on everything that I’d be good fit and we were well matched! She was right! Another similar and also just wanting to lock down somebody quickly as the cat had a couple of special needs – tripod and will go after food like a maniac so attention to food storage protocols, and there was enough in my profile and application to be reassuring on those fronts. A third was a multi-pet situation. The homeowner is sweet but not very organized, there weren’t a lot of applicants, so I think she wanted to grab one first and talk later.
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@Marion, as a sitter my ideal scenario is, I see a sit with a detailed listing, I submit a detailed application, I get a message back asking me one or two questions, which I answer, I get an invite, I accept. Job done!
It’s just so much simpler than hanging around waiting for video calls and then realising that I am wasting my time because they have several other people to call. 
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I doubt it’s a waste of time. I’m very careful about what I appliy to but have discovered things on calls to homeowners that weren’t in the listings or in my questions that made me realize the sit wouldn’t work for me. I’ve had similar experiences chatting with sitters where they misunderstood something or didn’t read something in the profile and wouldn’t have been a good fit. I get that spending 20-30 minutes chatting and then not getting the sit can be frustrating, but most homeowners even if they are chatting with more than one person aren’t chatting with EVERYONE so you have to figure if there is a chat there is a good chance of your getting the sit.
If the chats are really uncomfortable for you and you feel it’s costing you sits, there may be ways you can work on that.
As a homeowner I also have a vetted sitters list of people who didn’t get a sit after a chat because the logistics just didn’t work too well, and have had previously declined sitters sit at latter dates.
I’ve just never encountered anything insurmountable with a sit. I don’t really have ‘a good fit’, I am just happy to take whatever comes. Possibly I’m more of a risk taker than some and definitely enjoy a challenge.
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@anon55123711, complete enough housesits and you may encounter surprises (or a unexpected ‘challenge’) that moderates your approach. Maybe not. Regardless, good luck!
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I’m sure we will all have unexpected challenges over the years but in 7 years I haven’t yet had any major problems. Having said that, from reading many of the posts on this forum, and in other social media groups/forums, I have done plenty of sits that other sitters would have complained about, or even left.
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