Iv been struggling to get a sitter for 2 dates
March and July
I got a confirmed sitter for March but little quandary. She was ill on last sit abroad came home checked my dates agreed she could do. At that stage I was very happy and we agreed to do video call following week. In the meantime she accepted my sit and confirmed it. BUT we havent spoken since, two weeks as she said still to ill to call that was 10 days ago and now hasnt answered last two messages I sent to just ask if she was better
So im in a quandary
Do i cancel her sit ? She did say 2 weeks ago if I wanted to look elsewhere she would understand
But i liked all I had read of her. Her reviews and local do easy to meet up prior
I also got a agreed sit for July and we were due to do video call when they changed their mind .
Im going to ask for feedback on my profile on another topic
But ref March Sitter should i just cancel and at least know where i am
For July I wouldn’t worry too much. It is a holiday month and sitters that use THS just for the holidays might be many, but I would think many of those don’t know yet when they get vacation from work. At least on my workplace, the vacation-list isn’t final until March or something. So there is lots of time. You could use the time to optimize your listing, perhaps.
You should explain that you’d have preferred more recent communication, 2 weeks is a long time to go silent between virtual strangers entering a relationship of commitment and responsibility. You ain’t trying to get together for coffee! (OK, maybe don’t tell her )
I think she is asking you to cancel in a passive/egressive way as TH does not like sitters to cancel. I would cancel her and after send her a note saying, I didn’t hear from you so I had to cancel to make sure the pup will have someone here to take care of him. If you start to feel better and still want the sit please reapply. OP, that way if a new sitter applies and you are comfortable with them I would just book them.
You have already tried communicating with little success so you can cancel. That would give you the opportunity to get other sitters. I am not sure I would offer her to reapply if you still haven’t had a video chat with her. Unless she is terribly ill, and that would make the sit uncertain too, I see no reason not to get back to you somehow.
For me the red flag is lack of communication. In a couple of occasions that I haven’t been able to fulfill 100% requirements after having been offered a sit (not yet confirmed) I have encouraged then to keep looking for the perfect match and come back to me if they didn’t find it. In both instances they have found someone and have thanked me for being there as a backup plan.
We have had 3 or 4 pet parents new to THS confirm us as sitters upon receiving our application (before any phone or video call or conversation via the inbox )
Before we accepted , we arranged a video chat or a phone call (or a meet up if they were close to the sit we were on ) This was for our own benefit so that we could have a chat for our own peace of mind since they didn’t have any reviews .
Cancel this sitter, don’t offer a sit without doing a video call first.
Seems like there is plenty of time to find a sitter if the first sit isn’t until March - but if you’re having trouble getting good applicants, perhaps take a critical look at your listing. Do you have clear photos of all spaces the sitter will be using, particularly their bedroom and the bathroom? Is there clutter in the photos? Are the descriptions of your pet(s) and their care clear?
ETA: I just saw your profile is linked - if you’d like feedback, I’m sure forum sitters would be happy to provide.
One thing caught my eye:
“Note we don’t intend camera in-house to be kept on.”
This might be a turn-off, as interior cameras are against THS T&Cs, so this sounds like you’re doing a kindness rather than adhering to the rules. It would be stronger to say something like “There are interior cameras that will be disabled during the sit”.
Ive cancelled the sit
Ive sent an explanation which i know she has seen. I think she had changed her mind. But better for her for me to cancel
Ive had some lovely support but
as for the criticism ref accepting without a video call, hindsight.
Lesson learnt. It was my first acceptance and I grabbed it. But we had initially arranged to video call couple of days later. She then moved it as she said feeling much worse.
So lesson’s learnt on my behalf.
I believed her I trusted her
Thankyou for the support ive had
That has been appreciated
She could have been genuinely ill. Either way, better to cancel when people don’t respond for too long. Best of luck with the next sitter. Your dog looks gorgeous BTW!
@therealchrisgray Before the pandemic, video calls were few and far between. Communication was simply messages through the Inbox. People trusted each other and I can’t recall a single poor sit that I did, including international ones. Times have changed since then but not all changes have been for the better.
I agree with @temba
I have been sitting for 15 years, around 150 sittings. I have had only 2 video calls and one of those was after the sitting had been agreed.
A phone call or questions and answers written on the site suits me best
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