I am feeling extremely optimistic about pet sitting abroad in 2022. I don’t have any plans, I like to look at the daily listings and see where I fancy around the world. Over the past years, I have found many sittings in places that I have never heard of. I have therefore been looking forward to receipt of the daily email.
Although I have set up my limit of 3 saved searches, they do not replicate the daily email. I don’t know who has taken part in the survey mentioned but @DavidO@Itchyfeet@Snowbird@JackieX@temba@Lauraa do not appear to have been invited as they all seem to want to retain the daily email.
I appreciate that I could increase my 3 to 10 if I used the app. I do use the app from time to time but find it difficult to find anything so I use the website desktop on a daily basis.
Why should a classic member have to upgrade at extra cost, to increase their number of saved searches, to get them to the same position they were in before the changes - just because THS do not have the technology to overcome this new problem?
I must add that I use favourites which is a good idea.
It is interesting to read @Ben-ProductManager reason for us not receiving the daily email and @Snowbird excellent response.
One way around this could be to send more than one email per day per category. For instance, Australia/NZ on one, Europe on another, Asia on another, smaller countries on another, The Americas on another etc. Many of us want to see all of the available sittings.
I would have thought with the extra investment recently secured, IT could find a way around this.
I note that there are unanswered questions above, but if I were a HO, I would be very annoyed that my profile was not being proactively listed as @temba states.
It seems strange that with all the advancing software and computing technology available, the THS website becomes less and less user friendly with each “exciting new website improvement”, year on year.
Please reinstate the daily email(s)
I believe I’m meant to receive a mail of new listings once a week on Wednesday, which people above are discussing. Yesterday I didn’t receive one, and it’s not in spam or accidentally in the rubbish bin, and I recently checked my TH settings for notifications - they’re set to receive all. It’s nowhere. @Ben-ProductManager
Since I’m only permitted 3 saved searches unless I pay more money, I’ve bookmarked more than 3 specific searches in my browser. I have to remember to check each one separately, but at least there’s no editing going on.
As previously stated the Daily Alert email is a favourite for some members and over the years it has been a great email for viewing all inventory. As the platform is growing and we have record numbers of listings and opportunities for Sitters this email does not work and we cannot send all inventory in an email.
The Daily alert has extremely low open and click-through rates, which means it is not being opened and does not drive engagement or applications.
The Saved Search email has been a huge success since its launch last year and it will be our focus, and where we add further improvements. This gives our members control and preferences over the type of listings they receive. There are some great ideas on this thread and lots of future improvements we can make to the Saved Search email. So thank you
Over the coming weeks, we will be stopping the Daily Alert. We moved U.S members onto Saved Search back in June and will be auto-subscribing UK members to a Saved search in the coming weeks. Please create a Saved search as this will mean you will view listings you regularly search for and find your ideal Sit.
I think we should add to the list the conversation about daily emails. Sitters made it very clear that they really want a way to see all new sits for everywhere in the world because the saved sits just don’t work for people who are open to going literally anywhere.
I would 100% agree with this request. I have a couple saved searches but they’re only for specific areas and regions where I know I’ll be at specific times. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be open to other sits in more far flung locations if a great one popped up. More than once I’ve seen great in areas that I wasn’t specifically targeting and only knew about them due to the daily email. There would be no way for me to see these sits with the current system which is a huge loss in functionality and value as a sitter.
Unfortunately, the sitters needs were ignored and then discussion was closed with basically a ‘suck it up’ message. It’s disappointing to me that there was no middle ground suggestion or further discussion. The solution proposed just blatantly doesn’t work but the staff doesn’t seem to care about that at all.
My proposal, were I the product manager for this site, would be to bring daily emails back, but make them opt in vs opt out and make them regional. So people can sign up for all of the regions, some of the regions, or none of the regions. Yes, it would mean receiving multiple emails, but all the people discussing it seemed to agree that was fine. That should solve the problems that staff is concerned about regarding size, unsubscribe, open rate, etc. while also providing sitters with a solution that fits their needs and getting HO listings in front of more sitter’s eyes. If size is still a concern, then restructure the larger daily emails to make them more text/list based vs including images.
Another, even more useful, option would be to have pre-set filters to allow a regional search that shows all sits listed in the last 48 hours for pre-defined regions. That’s a relatively easy query to implement and then all you’d need for the daily email is a list of “There have been x new sits added to {region}, view them now” links that link to those pre-set filters. That would make the daily emails short and sweet and easier to manage. Making those pre-set filters for new listings available on the site would make it even more useful as the current search is pretty cumbersome and can be less than useful at times.
I also noticed that multiple people brought up how the recent changes limit exposure for HOs and all questions/concerns surrounding that were completely ignored by the staff. Were I a HO, I would find that concerning.
Thank you @Provence for opening up this thread and to @CreatureCuddler for supporting me and others in respect of the daily emails.
Instead of THS introducing "new exciting developments " the IT department should just concentrate on the subjects mentioned by @Provence
@Snowbird don’t hold your breath - this is after all, THS IT dept. When topics are not going their way (saved searches) they just close the thread down @Ben-ProductManager …
@Reubendog I noticed that too and found it frustrating, to say the least. I felt that Ben not only shut down the conversation, but also responded in such a way as to not address our point at all. To say they’ve grown too big for a daily email has no merit to me. Ben essentially said, we hear you but we have no intention of accommodating you.
Ironically, I’m now repeatedly receiving THS emails promoting Christmas sits, and many of them in the USA. Not surprising when USA listings have not been in a daily email in months. They’re not getting the exposure they used to get with the daily emails. I feel the homeowners are getting short-changed far more than the sitters, in some respects.
yeah. i saw that. and his suggested solution completely ignored the problem people were trying to solve. IMO that was handled really poorly. refusing to work with your client base to solve their needs isn’t great business.
@CreatureCuddler I agree about being handled poorly, and I’m going to tag @Ben-ProductManager and @Angela_L here. I have no doubt they will see these posts, but I think it’s important that we collectively voice our displeasure with the way that was handled. If the core concept of the forum is ‘community discussions’, then closing off that discussion was uncalled for.
The original Saved Search topic has opened a wider discussion by some members on functionality across the site and to keep everything in context we are moving all related comments back to this re-opened thread.
We appreciate member’s feedback and the forum is how we communicate, however there is no quick or immediate way to address or resolve these points but we assure you that all of your comments will be taken back to the team when they return after the weekend and we will update everyone accordingly.
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.
@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.
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
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.
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.
I felt that Ben not only shut down the conversation, but also responded in such a way as to not address our point at all. To say they’ve grown too big for a daily email has no merit to me. Ben essentially said, we hear you but we have no intention of accommodating you.