Product Update - March 2022

[BlueDiamondRose]

Hi @Ben-ProductManager
First and foremost, we need more of Billy and Bear they’re such cuties. I can just imagine the little yips they make when excited.

Now the Product update:

Truly thank you for taking the time to make a post on the current and upcoming updates. Honestly this would be something I would love to see once a month or at least once a quarter at least, you could even have this under the blog with it’s own special section. This is a wonderful way for members to see and stay up to date on things.

@Ben-ProductManager

Tracking Member Behaviour

We have built and introduced an internal tool for tracking member negative behaviours.

I’m curious why this is an internal flag only? I understand it will be used with removing non-CoC users, and that is definitely a move in the right direction. However I feel this could be useful information for both HO and HS, when deciding who they have sit or sit for.

@Ben-ProductManager

Mandatory Verifications

@Ben-ProductManager

This was prioritised because firstly, we identified this as a business risk, and secondly, because sitters with verification in place have an increased rate of success – more sitters are chosen who have verification than those who don’t.

Ok, this one still confuses me. First I can understand it’s a business risk, but how is this completely one sided? I understand You have someone going into someone’s home and taking care of it, and their beloved pet(s), but what about the HS’s life? Will it take someone getting hurt on a sit for you to include HO in the Verification as well? Anyone can say an address is theirs. There are scam artists from other countries going on Craigslist here in the US that post ads for houses for rent, that are not theirs all the time. My point is, I feel ID Verification should be required for all parties involved not just sitters. Also I understand per the FAQ that you only have in place the background check in the US as the company that does it is based here. However background should not be required until everyone is able to have the same thing. It makes me feel there is less trust for those of us from the US.

@Ben-ProductManager

Improvements to the App

I for one use the App most of the time, and find it of great use. I love features, and ease of use, I also love that I get notifications for the areas that I have saved as well. So thanks for the hard work on that.

@Ben-ProductManager

Well, this really is just a small snapshot of the ongoing work that happens behind the scenes, but we hope it has given you a taster of some of the things we have been working on.

Thank for this snapshot, and I do appreciate the hard work you all put in here to make such a wonderful product, however I have to refer to a thread in your Suggestion folder. There is a thread that has been going on for over a year now, and I have read many post about how there is a huge issue with the review system here. Mainly in people are afraid to leave an honest review due to the possibility of a retaliation review. Like I said, this thread is over a year old, and I have read other posts that are much older, so this is something that has been going on since the beginning. Why isn’t this something spoken about? Why isn’t this a top priority? I read that you are supposed to be able to trust the reviews, but you can’t. Even customer service advised a HO and HS to not review each other, so this confirms yet again it’s a major issue. I can honestly work with everything else on here, but the lack of reviews, the having to try to read in between the lines, this should be something that is address sooner than later. Yet there was one post about it coming this year, and now we’re past the first quarter and no update at all. It’s honestly makes me a bit dishearten. All I see in the updates is how to make more money get new users, not the value of the product, or to put an end to one of the top complaints.

[Grandma]

It just happened today. I have a sit in LA in September. I know where the house is . No transit and a deep hilly road. HO offered to pick me from the airport, buy groceries. . She needs only couple day in May suddenly and asked if I want to do the sit.
I will be there , why not. Today I rcvd a message asking my arrival time . Suddenly HO advised me to take Uber or a cab. And I should come with my groceries as the house is far from any stores.
Now when we did interview, she was so helpful for me to get comfortable.
At this moment, I am sitting a cat that suddenly has a kidney failure. Since Thursday, I did Specialist, Bet office and Vet hospital. What would have happened if I had no car. Does Uber thanks animal.
After 7 years doing house sits, suddenly I am having a big learning point and thinking for the future.

[mars]

Oh @Grandma , you have had your hands full!
I think you should let her know there has been a misunderstanding.
You accepted because you thought she was picking you up and taking you to the store. If this is not the case, you have a right to cancel. It would also be good to double check that she plans to pick you up and take you to the store for the September sit. And make sure it is all in writing, preferably through the THS email app, so there is a record of the arrangements.

[Kelownagurl]

Wow, that does sound frustrating.

One thing that I sometimes do, (but not often enough I’m afraid), is write everything down during our verbal interview and then after we’ve been confirmed, I email or message them with the pertinent information as I understand it. Normally, I put down the dates/times of arrival etc, but if there’s something important like them picking me up etc, I will mention that as well.

I find that if I’ve misunderstood something along the way, they have the opportunity to correct it immediately, and if they change their minds about something later on, I can always point to our written conversation.

I obviously don’t cover every little details, but I do think it’s helpful for some of the most important points in writing to make sure we’re on the same page.

Sometimes, if we’ve accepted the sit months in advance, I’ll touch base with them again a month or so out and confirm the details in case anything has changed.

[Itchyfeet]

Hi @Grandma , Thanks for asking the question about asking for the address.
@Kelownagurl has answered for me and I agree with everything that she has said as that is what I do.

[Grandma]

You are correct. I told her, I will do May sit for trial but not sure about September.
Everything is written, even in the sit in conversation. I told her, in her location, she has to specify sitter needs a car as no transit and no store around.
At this moment I have a sick baby in my hand for one more week and I have to concentrate on him. Thanks for all the support.

[Snowbird]

@BunnyCat Ben provided clarification on this point earlier in this thread - entry #35.

[Willexcell]

Exactly Mars, one of my recent sits did not have a house number and it was a long street so the only way to identify it was by cross street. The welcome guide is really not fit for purpose as there are so many variations and different requirements that I can see why owners prepare their own guide.

[teddypdx]

I thought I saw in previous posts that we are now supposed to see the HO’s address after we’ve accepted the sit, but I haven’t seen this happen with my recently booked sits.
I’ve searched the forum and can’t find where this was discussed. Did I dream it up?

[Lost.In.Translation]

Wasn’t a dream , it was in @Ben-ProductManager’s march product update:

@Ben-ProductManager

Owner Addresses – Now Mandatory

We’ve also made it mandatory for owners to add their home address, which is shared once a housesit is confirmed. This makes it clear for sitters where the location is and also provides a record for our Membership Services team, for security and emergency situations.

Are they new or old HO’s?

[teddypdx]

I have booked with both old and new HOs, and none of their addresses are showing.

[Snowbird]

@teddypdx Have you received the Welcome Guide? I think that’s where it should be showing for the newer members.

[Kelownagurl]

I have two sits upcoming, one new and one has had sitters before. Both show their address in the Welcome Guide. My third sit does not have a welcome guide but shared their address with me when I asked.

[teddypdx]

No. I am familiar with the address appearing in the welcome guide. The description of this feature . . . .

@Ben-ProductManager

We’ve also made it mandatory for owners to add their home address, which is shared once a housesit is confirmed.

. . . makes it sound like we should, you know, see the address once the housesit is confirmed. Not later, when they create a welcome guide. So apparently I have misunderstood – it’s mandatory to include the address in the welcome guide, not to share it once the housesit is confirmed. (It doesn’t seem I’m the only one who was confused by this.)

[Snowbird]

I agree @teddypdx and Ben was asked about that, for the very reason you’re mentioning. Take a look at #9 & #35 in this post, where he clarifies the information.

[Kelownagurl]

Side note: Snowbird, when you say 9 and 35 in this post, I assume you are referring to the number of the post. But I don’t see any numbers? I guess I could go to the top and count down but that seems a bit challenging for #35. I wonder if I’m seeing a different view, or simply missing the number system?

Updated: OK, I found out that as soon as I start scrolling back, the numbers show up on the far right side. Never noticed them before!

[teddypdx]

And that’s what I thought. There’s a big difference between it showing in the listing and showing in the welcome guide!

[teddypdx]

I never noticed the numbering, either!

[Crookie]

@Kelownagurl @Snowbird I can’t see that numbering on the forum app when I scroll up through the postings. Where is it exactly?

[Vanessa_A]

Scrolling Post Numbers within a topic

As @Snowbird is currently offline… here’s a quick screen video @Crookie … watch the date and numbers change on the right. The first number is the post/comment number, and the second the total number of comments in the topic.

Scolling post numbers.wmv (891.6 KB)