Setting Up Second Account

My husband and I have been sitting with THS for almost 2 years and full time for about a year. We’ve decided to set up a second account. I know there has been tons written about this, but am having a hard time actually explaining the 2nd account in the new profile (will include link to 1st account for sure).
If you’ve gone the 2nd account route, what was your experience and how did you word it?
Thanks!

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@CA_Denise, interesting question. Has come up on a few other Forum threads - with seemingly different motivating factors.
Re explanation, suggest transparent honesty - in terms that Pet Parent will readily understand. There is presumably a reason for the second account. Could be access to overlapping housesits; solo housesits or otherwise.
Curious - did THS MS permit you to “copy” any attributes from original account (e.g. reviews, searches, other) on the additional account? Or does the additional account commence as fresh newbie housesitter with no recognition of fact that you have an original account and housesitting experience?

Not someone who’s done this but just want to add a homeowner perspective. Most homeowners aren’t on the forum. Most homeowners probably aren’t aware of the change or why you would be doing this. Most homeowners won’t care very much. Things that most homeowners might care about: reviews and experience. To me this would involve keeping it simple and straightforward. No complaints or editorializing about THS policies. A link to the reviews on the other account when you apply and maybe including them with photographs.

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I haven’t opened the new account yet, but I think Iv’e figured how to attach URL of the first account. We’ve worked really hard for our good reviews and want it to show on both accounts.

I think that’s a good idea. If the purpose is the new account to be a backup, secondary account for both of you, I would just say that and use all the info you already have on the main account, plus the link so they can see reviews.
If you still intend to sit together, perhaps you could use the main account to get in touch and then ask the owner to invite you on the secondary account so that you can start building reviews there, too. Or if you do repeat sits, they could help too to get some reviews on the second account.

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+1. Suggestion by @Marion of detailed primary account (reviews, etc) and consciously simple secondary account (with url to primary account) makes total sense, in most cases. May get complicated if secondary account starts to generate reviews. But by then probably academic.

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@CA_Denise Don’t forget to use your membership discount link on the main account when you open the second account! :star_struck:

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But doesn’t the second account need reviews - and wouldn’t it be a natural consequence - at least if the aim is to secure overlapping sits?

If the purpose is to apply for sits that one cannot apply for from the original account, because of overlapping? As one account can’t have overlapping accounts and therefore not reviews of an overlapping sit? Isn’t it so? :thinking:

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@Garfield, I believe that @marion’s (HO+HS) suggestion - given OP Q - was to distinctly have a primary and secondary THS account. Applications from secondary account would, as you say, have negligible reviews. But the HS profile in secondary account, and text in HS application from secondary account, could contain a URL weblink to primary account and direct attention there for reviews. Clearly this is a workaround. Guess usefulness depends on underlying reason for second account and likely frequency of usage.

I agree. Purpose and links are important. Think it would be a good idea to have reviews on both. When applying from second account, some hosts might look at reviews section first, and not read on about this dual account setup if they find sparse reviews.

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@Colin & hubby have two accounts. I spotted their second one once, by accident, on a random sitter search!
They could probably offer a few good tips! :grin:

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@CA_Denise

We have been using two accounts for a while and it works well.

If we use our main account, we do not mention our second account. The main account has many reviews so there is no need.

If we use our second account we include the following…

This is a new profile that we have recently created as we occasionally overlap our sits to avoid costly hotel bills and also to give home owners better flexibility on their departure and arrival times .

Here is the link to our main Trusted House sitter profile so that you can see the full list of our past reviews. ( Then add the URL link)

Our second account now has ten reviews so is probably at the stage where it can stand on its own two feet and links to our main account are no longer necessary.

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I love this. It’s brilliant that you explain the reason in one sentence that manages to explain how this benefits the home owner.

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