At first I thought only the first paragraph (that looks like a list) was your message and I thought, hey that’s great!
The rest is wordy, as others mentioned, and as someone who always knocks herself out on the pre-sit cleaning and preparations, it’s a bit off-putting. I get that poor experiences have made sitters leery but it would make me really question my choice in sitter to receive a message like that, especially right when I’m super stressed about getting ready to leave.
I do think reiterating (because I hope this would have been gone over thoroughly in the application process) the requirement of no recording devices due to professional liability is fine - but also, it can be rolled up into the list at the beginning.
I think it’s OK if tactfully worded but I don’t think a few days before the sit starts is a good time to raise the issue. It could be dealt with during the video chat or as an addition or comment once the WG is received.
I would agree with this. I mention it during the video chat and most HOs are a bit shocked but when I explain they see the reason. So I ask them to think about it before the sit and we can clarify things before they go. So far there have been a few shocked but generally grateful people and no one has been upset.
Definitely too wordy. We just send a one month prior, one week prior and day of message. One month: Checking in, say a personal touch, let them know our plans haven’t changed. One week: Hey there, we are planning on being there at X time and will text you about 30 minutes out. Day of: 30 minutes out. We are headed your way and should be there X time.
All those things you mentioned should be discussed prior. If you are just trying to ‘remind’ them…this will be off putting.
We confirm there are no internal cameras BEFORE we confirm a sit. If there are internal cameras and we get the run around “yes, but can be turned off” we decline right away. We have had too many HO try and pull that over on us. Nope. Not allowed and goodbye.
We don’t have guests over. While some HO say they are fine with this, we wouldn’t THINK of having anyone over. If you want to hang out, go out. Not at someone’s home.
Vet on welcome guide with “account set up or bill the HO or reimburse” should be plenty. You don’t want to have the HO thinking of what they want to do if the worst case scenario happens BEFORE their trip. Now, if they bring it up in a phone convo or Zoom…that is different. We don’t ask this. If something comes up or an emergency happens, we will let them know immediately and take action. Don’t make it seem like this is “vital” information because it sounds like you are assuming the worst.
Emergency contacts are listed and usually made aware that the HO has sitters and the sitters have their info. Enough is said there.
Definitely don’t overthink all of this. It is not rocket science. Most HO are seasoned and know what to expect, but if you start coming at them with all sorts of “what ifs” and “demands/requests”…it won’t go over well.
[quote=“Junipers, post:9, topic:56817, full:true”]If they’re a clean and respectful person then you’ll have fridge space and a clean kitchen anyway. If they’re not (or, more likely, just oblivious) then I’m not sure the message will have the desired effect.
[/quote]
LOL. That time I found years-expired food and something formerly known as meat that was literally liquefying. They were lovely people but I doubt “please clean your fridge” would’ve had any effect.
People don’t “read”. Even short messages, although I hope the quality of messaging on TH is superior to that of average social media.
“Is there a vet account set up for emergencies” should be sufficent. I understand sitters’ need to know the HO’s wishes but I’d be put off by a sitter asking, basically, “what if your pet dies”.
I don’t have a HO membership; so perhaps someone else can answer: isn’t a lot of this stuff covered in instructions to HOs?? If it isn’t, it should be!
In all honesty, as a sitter I would have already established to my satisfaction that the host understood the no camera rule, and had a vet emergency plan before accepting the sit. A reminder a couple of weeks before, seems like you didn’t believe them or don’t trust them, which makes them less likely to trust you. I probably would have discussed cooking and what’s available to me in the kitchen and what I would need on the chat, so I wouldn’t be reminding the host of this before the sit starts. Certainly, given your profession I can’t imagine your not asking specifics about workspace including the need for absolute privacy before accepting the sit.
As a host, I’d find the letter a bit stilted and impersonal. Given that I vet thoroughly and like to feel that I “know” and “trust” sitters before the start of the sit and imagine they feel the same comfort with me, I’d be slightly taken aback by a letter like this and would probably wonder whether I’d made the wrong choice, whether the sitter listened during the chat, or read the guide I’d sent. I would also have expected the sitter to discuss guests if they planned on having them and for us to have already discussed the boundaries with something in writing that flowed naturally – a text, or an email follow up to a conversation, not something that feels a little too business like.
There is absolutely nothing there about the pets or pet care or why you were invited in the first place. Nothing about your obligations to the host. So in that way it’s a not so subtle list of demands – even if the demands are all very reasonable,
This is an interesting question. I think our strength as sitters is (was - we’re taking a break!) our flexibility. If a homeowner wanted us to run a really tight ship, weigh out the dog’s food every day and leave the home spotless then we were happy to do that. If they wanted to be more chill and basically leave us to it then we were happy to do that as well - we weren’t bothered with a slightly messy home as it meant less cleaning at the end.
Where we found we really tripped up and stopped enjoying sitting was when owners wanted to be very chill and hands off in the information given but then expected us to act in accordance with the very specific instructions in their minds lol. Hence why we’re now on a break from the app, although apparently not the forum…!
To that end, I would rather let people be who they are and meet them there rather than attempt to get them to change - it feels like a recipe for frustration on all sides.
To actually do well at sitting, even if you’re flexible, communications is a key element. If you end up with enough hosts who expect mind reading that it would force you to take a break, that sounds like there wasn’t enough info exchanged to start with. And that’s a mutual responsibility between host and sitter.
As a sitter, I’ve weighed pet meals, followed an otherwise regimented diet, heated up pet food, mixed different types of food, staggered multiple servings for the same meal so a pet wouldn’t barf because of a health condition, given medications, etc. I’ve also done more relaxed feeding, including free feeding, according to what hosts specified. Rarely have my hosts given cleaning guidance, though a few have. It’s all fine by me, but I’ve not been surprised by any of their expectations. What’s worked is asking for a welcome guide well ahead of the sit and asking Qs as needed at the outset. It also helps to do an in-person handoff if there’s anything complicated.
It was really just two sits - one where the HO hadn’t mentioned that dogs weren’t allowed in their building so you need to hoover the hallway any time the dog enters or leaves. And another who failed to mention, until they were walking out of the door, that their dog had quite a complicated medical issue that they’d like us to treat daily. I think it was just bad luck really that those were both very close together and annoying in a similar way!
If a host didn’t answer Qs about health / medical issues and hid them, you can report them to THS. I’d also include that in a review. It’s against THS terms to not declare those till too late.
I suggest always asking about health / medical issues when video chatting. Don’t wait for a host to bring it up. That’s to save yourself unpleasant unnecessary surprises.
I finished a sit yesterday. Delightful in every way, lovely house, gorgeous dog.
I had asked the owner the week before I arrived what provisions they had made for the cost of pet care if a vet was required, as they did not have an account set up with vet, and was told they would reply in a few days, as they were currently away from home.
They didn’t.
I arrived for the sit, with no further info on paying for any necessary vet treatment. Happily, no vet was required.
So, I gave a 5 star review, but only 4 stars for communication. I feel this was important. Any thoughts?
I think you make some good points. The one time I needed to talk to the emergency contact, they were away too and the HO hadn’t checked.
I do like some freezer space as I often take frozen meals in case the kitchen isn’t convenient or well-stocked. His often leave space in the fridge but not the freezer.
I think it’s a good idea to prompt the HO to recall/mention anything that’s changed since the initial video/call.
On reflection I’m going to confirm by WhatsApp the answers to Qs in the video call, eg arrival/departure times.
The arrangements for who will pay vet bills are very important to know. This is something we ask about before confirming a sit . We don’t want to be in the position of being expected to pay thousands upfront for emergency vet fees and then have to ask the host to reimburse us.
When docking a star (s) in any category it’s effective if it’s also explained why in the comments.
That explanation may help host to make some changes and will forewarn future sitters. Without an explanation everyone has to make some assumptions/ guess the reason why stars have been docked.
You have the right to review however you want. I hope you explained precisely what the issue was that caused the loss of the star so that it is crystal clear to the host and future sitters and no one is left scratching their heads or wondering.
I totally agree with this. Docking stars without explaining why doesn’t help anyone. Provided reviews are factual, fair and balanced, they can provide constructive criticism for both HOs and sitters alike.
To be honest, I would find this a bit odd and wonder why these things weren’t previously brought up ans explicitly asked on our initial chat or after being given the house guide if they were really important to you. Waiting until you’re about to arrive for the sit seems too late and disorganised to me to bring up topics that were important to you.
I also agree with others…this seems like way too many words.
I’m also a seasoned member so if someone sent this to me it would come across a bit patronising especially given our vetting process. If this is a new HO you’re sitting for I get it a bit more but if you’re going to send this at all, I would maybe just add a short disclaimer that you’ve found asking the above helps with ensuring you are set up for success, etc.
That first bit especially about guests would make me wonder what you’re planning/why you felt the need to reiterate it.
If this is all stuff you’ve previously discussed and you are basically just recapping a conversation, I would also understand you writing something like this in order to put what was discussed down on paper, but out of the blue at the start of a sit, would feel a bit off to me based on what’s written. Absolutely just my opinion though and again, we tend to have a very thorough initial process that would make this feel incredibly redundant.
