Hi everyone
Is it considered impolite/pushy to prompt a HO 2-3 days after sending an application which has been read but a response has not been received? I am wanting to lock in our travel itinerary… Both sits have no other applicants so I assume the HO is hesitant as I don’t have any reviews yet. What is the best way to reassure HOs?
Any tips on this gratefully received.
Hi @RubyTuesday - no harm is sending another message at this stage. Don’t be too pushy but just say how keen you are to do their sit and ask if they have any questions at this stage.
If you haven’t done so already you could give them your personal phone number/email and say you are happy to discuss any concerns they may be having. It also gives you an opportunity to ask questions and ensure it is a good match for all concerned. Good Luck and let us know how you get on.
Ask politely if they have received your application, don’t ask them why they haven’t replied though.
You can definitely send a follow up message, I do quite often when it’s a sit I’m really keen on. I have read that others write something like “I am also arranging video calls with a few other owners for these dates,” which can make a HO respond with more urgency because they realise they may lose your application!
I would write something like "hello (name), I’m just following up with my previous message, as I really need to lock in travel arrangements for these dates and I would love to sit for you! If interested in my application, please let me know as soon as possible so we can arrange a video call to discuss details further. You can add me on WhatsApp here (number). I am also in contact with a few other owners for these dates, so let me know as soon as you can!
Kind regards
oh that’s a brilliant follow up to send! thank you so much 
Some HO just don’t reply, be prepared for that, but no harm in prompting them.
Some hosts just don’t ever respond. I’ve taken to leaving them on my dashboard just to see what happens and there are some that never choose a sitter, the listing sits there until the dates pass. They either found a sitter in some other way, or decided not to go on their trip and just never bothered to respond to applicants or remove their listing (THS should really do something about this since it’s common).
As far as following up goes, I’ve read on here that some sitters do like to send a nudge. I personally don’t, I figure if they are interested they will contact me. Although, if it’s a new host, following up might be helpful, since they might not know they should contact sitters right away. But, I’d say for 95% of the sits I’ve done, I’ve been contacted by the HO within 48 hours. So, I typically just move on if I haven’t heard back within a couple days.
I see no harm in this but we just move on as for us tardy responses are a red flag (72 hours)
Its always worth following up- especially if you’d really like the sit- for whatever reason. In your situation- with no other applicants- I would definitely send a friendly follow up re-expressing your interest. You are right- they may be feeling insecure because you are new and are perhaps hoping for other applicants for comparison. So -show your enthusuasm- it might help!
The more days that pass with no response the less interest we have personally. In the old days (pre- 5 app limit) some hosts got 50+ applicants and sometimes took forever to reply but now there is no excuse with only 5 applicants at a time!
Our 3rd sit was a highly desirable one in Kuala Lumper. We applied early on, got a quick acknowledgement but nothing more. We followed up a few days later when they had 25+ applicants. Our follow up was a little cheeky but they loved it- it made us stand out- and they ended up choosing us for the sit!
They admitted procrastinating because of feeling overwhelmed. So our msg gave us the edge!
Its happened at other times too that a follow up has led to getting the sit in question.
In a couple of cases it has led to an instant decline- but at least then you have an answer!
I think its good to be proactive if you want something (in life in general) You never know what’s going on for others.
We even once followed up (twice) with a host- on an island we were going to-for a sit that looked like a perfect match. Our application message was read but no response. A follow up msg went unread and the third msg we sent was when we withdrew our application, telling her it was due to her lack of response. We then moved on and forgot all about that sit… Then suddenly 3 MONTHS later she wrote us an angry message about how rude & inconsiderate we had been when she was going through so much in her life! 
And that we should have been more sensitive! 
I pointed out that this was 3 months before and we were now on the other side of the world!
Anyway - back to your story! You have nothing to lose and maybe a sit to gain!
Good luck!
@RubyTuesday You could try sending a follow up messages that reads -
Hi Jane Doe, I’m following up to ask if you are still in need of a pet sitter for Frisky. I am happy to have a video chat to discuss your pet sitting needs. My WhatsApp is +1 345 678 7890.