Hi!
Sorry, noob here, this has happened twice. I applied, was accepted when I agreed to the booking really quickly (within 2 minutes, because I was already on my phone) they changed their mind immediately and said they didn’t need anyone after all. Within the span of 5 min? Am I answering too quickly and turning people off?
Did you have a video call before accepting ? That is recommended.
I did not. Ok, so I should be doing a video call before accepting. Thank you so much! That makes sense!
Yes, It’s highly recommended that you have a conversation of some sort . Video call / phone call . This is to make sure that you are a good match host and sitter and to check that you are clear on all the responsibilities .
You can reply with you phone number and suggest a good time for a call ( ideally the same day )
I was doing that after accepting, not before. Im going to follow this direction. It makes so much sense. Thank you!
I don’t think hosts who offer sits quickly like that are necessarily more likely to cancel, whether quickly after confirming or at some point later on.
I have accepted a number of sits without doing calls with hosts first and those sits have never been an issue, nor have hosts that did this seem more likely to cancel. In my experience cancellations in general are relatively rare.
Given this experience, you may feel more confident only confirming after having connected with the hosts, but again, I don’t think sits accepted without connecting prior are more likely to be cancelled.
Hi,
There’s something a bit skewy somehow about your sequence of events - and it seems odd to have 2 confirmed sits immediately cancelled in that way. Sometimes new members aren’t 100% clear on the process when they describe events to us, and it can turn out they’ve misunderstood, so can I check if this is what happened?
1 - you applied for a sit on a specific set of dates
2 - you got a message saying the homeowner has offered you the sit, with an accept/decline button. You selected accept.
3 - the sit status was changed to ‘confirmed’.
4 - 5 minutes later, You received a message saying the sit had been cancelled.
OR
1 - You applied to a sit
2 - You got a message saying basically ‘sorry you weren’t successful, the dates haven’t worked out this time.’
@Gwencsmith, answer is yes.
New members often get excited at first invitation to sit … oh my goodness, someone “selected” us. Totally understandable. We did the same.
But rapidly housesitters - and presumably homeowners too - develop better cadence. And an appreciation of the big difference between application to and confirmation of a housesit … application = expression of interest … confirmation = commitment.
Applying for great housesits can require high speed, as they receive maximum five applicants very quickly.
But progression to confirmed sit is wise to include due diligence. Slow down. Prepare for and schedule a video call. Ask questions. Clarify facts. Identify any challenges. Assess fit for your needs and preferences. Before confirming sit.
Your first scenario, except in rapid succession, they post dates, I accept, they reach out to change dates, i accept again and they cancel.
@Gwencsmith I think that you have applied and been declined ( not confirmed and cancelled) as there are four stages to confirm a sit
First the Host list dates . They may also send out invitations to sitters. This is an invitation to apply for the sit.
Sitters apply for the sit ( this is not an acceptance ) - by writing an application (a paragraph or two explaining why they would be a good sitter for this host. )
The host then chooses the sitter they want from the applications that they have received (Usually after an exchange of messages and a video call chat ) - they offer the sitter the sit by clicking “ Confirm offer” or they “decline” the offer.
Finally -the sitter who has been confirmed by the host now has to click “Accept” to confirm the sit . Or they can decline if after exchanging messages / video call they realise it’s not a good match
It’s only if all four stages have happened that this is confirmed sit . It then shows on your dashboard as a confirmed sit . Neither party should cancel a confirmed sit ( unless both agree or there is an extraordinary circumstance)
I think you have only got to stage 3 - made an application and then have been declined . If you want suggestions on improving your application , this thread may be helpful
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/what-do-your-write-in-your-application-to-sit
They post dates and then you ‘accept’ seems to miss out the important stages of application and an arrangement to video chat, they then choose you and you accept/confirm. Is it after this that they keep cancelling? Are you maybe only applying where the HO is new, and not too sure what they’re doing?
Hi, I don’t think you are doing anything wrong. If I have been offered a sit I have always accepted immediately. Not had an issue so far. When I first joied, nobody even suggested a video call or even a phone call. It was all done by messages. Even now I have only ever done a couple of video calls. A few phone calls but I also still accept many sits with just messaging. The video call thing has only really started since it being mentioned in the forums. And not all pet owners look at the forums, so will still do as they have in the past and just messaging. I believe more a thing in America.
Did you also send a message along with accepting the sit, saying something like you will very much look forward to sitting for them, along with any queries etc.?
I don’t know when video calls started to become the norm . I only joined THS late 2022 and THS include video calls in the “how does it work “ and introduction for new members .
Because a video call is part of the THS suggested process , I assumed it was what everyone did and so that’s what we have done and found to be useful.
It’s good to get a different perspective from other forum members who have used the platform for much longer and see that there are other ways that work just as effectively.
Whatever format @Gwencsmith some form of communication between host and sitter before confirming a sit is important to avoid misunderstandings later and to pick up on any “redflags “ and to ensure that expectations are a good match for both parties.
This is always important but even more so if both members are new to THS and so there are no reviews of previous sits to inform your decision.
If they’ve properly accepted you, you are doing the right thing by accepting quickly. We accept straight away.
If they have officially accepted you, and you accepted quick then you aren’t doing anything wrong, you’re doing the right thing, you’ve just had incredibly bad luck for that to have happened twice. It’s just really unlucky, as it doesn’t usually happen very often.
You need to be quick to accept, or they’ll think you’re hunting around for something better. What you did was the right thing.
It’s a little unclear whether these were confirmed sits. A hosts posts a listing, then you apply. It’s not a confirmed sit. If you have applied to a sit and the host changes the dates on a listing, you will receive a notification to confirm or accept (can’t remember the phrasing) that you are available for the new dates. It’s still just an application at that stage. If you are declined you get a message saying something along the lines of ‘sorry the dates haven’t worked out this time’. That’s just the automated message that THS sends to your phone when you’ve been declined.
If these were confirmed sits, it would be unusual for 2 in a row to be canceled right away like that. It could happen, but it’s not common. If that’s what happened, it’s just a coincidence and not something you did wrong (although, I do recommend a call prior to confirming). I would find it unusual for two HOs in a row to confirm without requesting a video chat. I do occasionally get confirmations just based on my application and reviews, but it’s not very common.