Hello,
I am new to THS and am having difficulty navigating the website as well as the community forum. I am curious how long is it appropriate to wait for a response after you’ve offered a sit to a sitter?
Thank you,
Jeanne
That is interesting. I would say 24 hours. If I want a sit and it is offered, I respond within minutes if not a few hours– if unable to get to internet. If I consider it a back up and want another sit, I wait on accepting….
Have you actually been in contact with the sitter, had a discussion and offered the sit or just looked for a sitter and sent them an invitation to apply for your dates? They are two very different scenarios.
You should be able to see if your message has been read.
It can be very confusing but if you need further clarification please just ask.
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Welcome @Juneau
Are you sending direct invitations ( these rarely work so you might not get a response )
Or are these sitters that have applied to your listing ? Have you arranged a video call with them .
The most successful method to find a sitter is to create a listing and then sitters who are available choose you by applying. You can then decide who seems like a good match for you and arrange to have a chat / video call with them . They may have questions for you . You can then offer them the sit based on how the chat goes .
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There is no protocal, but I’ve found as a homeowner that if someone is taking more than 24 hours they don’t really want the sit and are waiting for something better. If you have other options – equally great sitters who want the sit or people who seem fine but you haven’t spokent to them yet because the one you are waiting for applied first – just move on. I generally offer the sit without sending the confirmation and ask the sitter to let me know if they want the sit before I will send the confirmation. If they take more than a day to “decide” I let them know I am moving on.
Many sitters will apply to multiple overlapping sits and then try to fit the pieces in place. That’s fine but if they sort of lead you on it becomes a problem for you and for other people who applied to the sit. That’s why I wouldn’t wait to long and I’d be transparent on my end even if the other person isn’t.
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For clarity and to be helpful
- You have invited a sitter after looking for a sitter 24 hours (btw this isn’t how it works). 99% of the time sitters see your listing and apply within minutes or hours.
- A sitter has applied and you offer to chat 72 hours
- After the chat you offer to confirm your sitter maybe a few hours
- The sitter confirms you in return….a few hours
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The sitter submitted an application. Upon receipt I said I would review and respond within 1-2 days. I offered the sit after 2 days. No response yet but just curious how long is customary to wait. Thank you.
Thank you Marion!
Ah, you’ve missed out the all-important middle bit!
It’s best to communicate further with applicants before inviting anyone to sit. This is not just for your benefit but also for the sitter to ascertain best fit. Either message or - better still - arrange a video call, so that you can chat and weigh each other up a bit. After that, if you’re both feeling good vibes and it seems like a good match, then issue the invitation promptly. A sitter will usually accept or decline quickly - certainly we would do so within 24 hours (and usually within just an hour or two).
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Hi @Juneau
THS suggest that members should reply within 72 hours but it’s really up to you how long you wait.
Many sitters (not all) like a video call first before confirming a sit or at least a chat so they can discuss with you the expectations of your sit .
You could send a follow up message to ask if they have any questions they would like to ask before confirming the sit (or offer a phone call or video call ) Then if you don’t hear back you can withdraw your invitation.
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If they are your only applicant and you are still interested in having them sit I would contact them asap and arrange a chat (video or phone). It will give you both an opportunity to ask any questions and get a ‘feel’ for each other.
Once you are both happy to proceed I would expect confirmation within hours rather than days. I have confirmed within minutes after a successful chat.
Hope this helps.
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The «protocol» is according to THS that a fellow member should get an answer within 72 hours, re. the terms.
Many of us experience that it takes 24-48 hours from an application, via scheduling and having a video-call and to the sit is confirmed.
If a host send an invitation to sit without a videocall, it could by some be regarded that the host does not know how it works - which could be regarded a risk (or that they mass-invite because they haven’t gotten applications. In your case that doesn’t apply as they applied to your sit).
I would say that most will answer within 24 hours, even if they have a flight or other that makes them unavailable for a longer time, and especially if they have applied to sits. Longer than 48 hours and I would definitely decline, also due to lack of communication skills.
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Regardless of whether or not you do a video call I do think (and I am a sitter) that you should expect a response within 24 hours, certainly within 48 hours. If you do feel that you want to make further contact you could message them and ask if they have any other questions before they accept or decline. They may just be stringing you along waiting for something better.
As a sitter, if I know someone has listed for the first time, I tend to gently guide them through the process. So in this instance I might ask if there was anything that they would wish to discuss further but, having said that, I often accept a sit in the circumstances that you have explained.
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Yes, I realized too late I missed the video chat step. Once I realized it I did offer it but haven’t heard back. I will try reaching out again. Thank you for the information!
Thank you!
Yes, this. I’ve been offered sits a couple times immediately after applying, without a message or a request for a call/video chat. Although it’s a bit awkward, I always message back suggesting a call/video chat to get more info, ask questions etc.
While it’s nice to think someone would be so impressed by my profile that they’d offer me the sit without a personal conversation - rightly or wrongly, I think it tends to raise a few red flags for the sitter. As others have noted, it’s a two-way exchange, and the interview lets both parties size one another up & see if it feels like a good match.
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Yes, it suggests they’re either super-impressed by our profile or else desperate for a sitter so not too fussed about finding out more! 
Either way, we prefer to have a chat before committing our time and energies to a sit.
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For info, sitters can see when messages have been read, so a delay in making response suggests the application message hasn’t struck the right chord with the host (which is absolutely fine, since good matches have to work both ways).
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