Saved Searches & Site Functionality

Saved Searches might be working in favour of some sitters but they’re certainly not working for owners who aren’t getting the exposure that daily emails provided. I had a laugh when @Ben-ProductManager commented “we will be stopping the Daily Alert”. It stopped last year due to the pandemic and never was reinstated! And now it looks like UK members will be moved to Saved Search just like U.S members were in June, no consultation at all.

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You didn’t make a mistake. They decided to combine it all into a single thread.

I agree with you.

@Provence you originally posted in “News & Events” and we have explained the reason for putting all posts relating to site functionality in one thread and have updated the topic title.

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I’m just going to express my opinion of pet sitter, not from owner : We can consult the listings at any time of the day without waiting a daily alert. I do it like this. And I don’t understand why there is a need for an alert email to consult new listings. Often, when the email is sent the listings have already been applicants. For me it is enough to consult the last pages of THS to have the new listings published.
And for the category " saved searches ", as has already been explained, you can save more than 3 searches (until 10) in the app and then view in the website in the category : "Your saved searches . view all ".
I’m sure THS will take some advice into account as it has already done. But not all IT change can happen with the snap of a finger. The opinions of the members who express themselves in the forum count, but if the majority does not express themselves, it suits them

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I agree with your observations @Flora. I take full responsibility for doing my own research. I do not require or expect anyone to feed me. I think the mere fact that I have somewhere where I can access what is available, when and where I want is marvelous. I can only be in one place at one time so it’s very easy to narrow my search. I look at THS as a tool that enables me to do something I enjoy fairly easy.
I am not a shareholder so I have no intention to tell THS how to run their business. Before this forum we couldn’t even offer suggestions at least now they ask and they respectfully listen. The final decision is theirs not mine. Being a customer does not entitle a person to tell someone how to run their business.

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My guess is the difference in opinion is tied to a difference in usage. If you only have a specific window in which to sit or you’re only interested in a specific area, the current functionality is fine. If you’re open to going literally anywhere in the world at any time and potentially booking a year ahead, the current functionality is limiting. I think with the growth in remote workers and therefore flexibility, the demand for more flexible options to find sits will likely rise. So making them more limited seems to go against the trend. Even just the addition of the ability to view a region vs only by country would help a lot IMO.

Thank you, Angela, (and Vanessa) for reopening this important discussion. Hopefully Ben will now see that shutting down those who voluntarily put their time and effort into providing feedback to THS was a poor decision, but we all make those at times. :slightly_smiling_face:

@Snowbird the Saved Search post would have been closed off, this was a collective team decision. The reason for reopening this thread was to include other matters of discussion around site functionality as indicated by the change of topic title.

Hello Ben. I’m glad to see that we are able to once again provide feedback to you on this topic.

I have seen some suggestions that clearly show people who have IT experience and wisdom. Having that type of feedback from people who are also homeowners and/or sitters surely is priceless. I am not in that category, but have given more thought to the points you’ve mentioned. I’ve reflected on how I’ve lived my life since the pandemic started.

I am on many travel email subscriptions, unrelated to house sitting. During the pandemic, even though I could not travel, I have not unsubscribed as I didn’t want to go to the effort of finding these resources and subscribing again. Initially I read them, as a source of ‘armchair travel’. However, as the inability to travel dragged on, I just deleted these emails without opening them, which is out of character for me. I hadn’t thought about the effects on the companies’ data review and analysis. Now I realize it, and realize how it then created such skewed data. No doubt this type of action has also skewed THS data, so keeping that in mind when considering change is important.

Another reason for unread emails may be that currently members can only subscribe or unsubscribe from emails - a simple yes or no to receiving them. You’ve acknowledged that THS has grown, and no doubt the company is at a point where there needs to be an expansion of that option. I can’t imagine paying for a membership and then unsubscribing from any contact. However, I can imagine that many might want to keep their membership but not receive certain emails. Hence the suggestion of categories for email subscriptions seems to me to be an effective and efficient resolution. I hope you are now hearing that, loud and clear, from those who make the effort to contribute here. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Saved Searches : since I have started to use these, I have realised that I have not “favourited” any listings. This is because I have narrowed the searches to the dates where I am available. I am therefore not seeing the dates that I cannot do.
I have always consulted the listings as @Flora and @Amparo do, I am merely illustrating that “Saved Searches” have their drawbacks.

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I feel like a stuck record @Ben-ProductManager but I struggle to believe that there are many more listings, per day, now than there were before the pandemic. If twice daily emails worked then, why do they not work now?
The email doesn’t need to be ‘scalable’ just what we had before. If there really are that many more listings separate emails per continent would be quite acceptable.
I don’t think anyone is expecting an email of all available sits, just new listings. It was one of my biggest selling points to prospective members, both owners and sitters… “We get two emails per day of all the new listings, it’s great to see what is available out there…”
How many listings are posted per day?
How many homeowners are currently not being able to select a sitter?

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Today I received a Ben-TH email that says ‘For members with no saved search we have set up a domestic saved search for you. So that you continue to receive all our latest sit opportunities, you’ll soon start to receive these emails, with a daily round-up of all the latest domestic sits added to the site.’
What does it mean by ‘domestic’? The country in the address on one’s TH account?

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Yes I would think that is correct. Domestic would refer to your own country. It is an interesting email though. I would have liked it much better if it was worded: “Would you like us to set up a domestic saved search for you?” as some people may have CHOSEN to not get more emails. ???

@peach I think (but will clarify today) if you’ve already opted out of these types of emails, you won’t receive them. If I’m wrong I will report back :slight_smile:

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I have found the email from Ben extremely confusing.
Q1. If I just have 2 saved searches, could I have this "Domestic " one as my third one?
Q2. If weekly and daily emails have stopped because the content is too large, surely these "Domestic " daily emails could be too large?

Hi All … I have found that the best way to have your own worldwide daily alert is to make a Saved Search for Anywhere … but you do need to add a date set … eg 1 Dec 2021 to 31 Dec 2022 and then save and name this. (Anywhere - 2022) This essentially gives you all the new listings in a daily email. (best to set this up on the website as opposed to the App). You can naturally amend or delete this at any time.
Please do try this and let us know how it works for you. Warm regards Therese

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Sounds good! I LOVE my daily updates but know of others who do not. Lovely to have a choice!

Hi @NGC I have moved your post to this thread which covers site functionality questions and conversations and will remove the duplicate post.

Thank you

This is the “Site functionality” thread which is the most appropriate topic for your feedback and suggestions.

Thank you