I’ve recently had some sitters who did not perform some of the non-critical tasks requested of them, e.g., playing with my pet. I only have circumstantial evidence (one example: toys were all in the exact same place as where I left them and put away in exactly the same way. I do not have surveillance devices but I have an extremely keen eye for this).
Questions:
Has anyone had this happen with their sitters?
How do you deal with this and how do you review them?
Any strategies you use to ensure your sitters comply with all care tasks?
Hello, we always take photos of how things were left, such as toys, fridge content, cutlery and crockery and anything else we move during a sit, even down to putting cleaning products back to where they were, glasses and put them back in the exact same place.
As you say, they may well have not played with the pet/toys, however, they may have been as meticulous as we are when it comes to looking after items and returning them to their rightful place.
That is very impressive that you go above and beyond like that. In my case, there are various signs of other highly visible items that were definitely not left as-is, and so I have difficulty believing that these individuals were extremely meticulous with some items but not with others. My belief stands that they did not perform non-critical pet care duties.
Perhaps what may be more important is do you have evidence from them that they performed the critical pet care duties @anon65560139 that you specified in your listing?
I’m not going to be as diplomatic as the lovely @Silversitters though I’m sure our sentiments are the same.
I think you are probably being a bit petty. Maybe the sitters played other games/did other fun stuff. Maybe they did a lot of other things that you can’t visibly see. Maybe they walked longer than normal (if a dog). Maybe your pet was well looked after and loved. Maybe your home was left clean and tidy. Did your pet suffer from not playing with toys? I doubt it! An awful lot of maybes to consider here. How can you possibly consider being unkind to these sitters if all they did "in your opinion ’ was to not use a few toys? I have been at sits where there are toys and never touched them! Pets and I had far better things to do.
I think you need to reconsider exactly what these sitters DID do for you rather than focusing on a few toys for goodness sake. I am pretty upset by this post to be honest. Sounds like you expected more than what is expected. You are scrutinizing these sitters every move completely on petty circumstantial “evidence” (what a phrase). We are sitters, not servants.
As You’ve said it was not critical , something to bear in mind when writing your review is that future potential sitters will read it and may be put off from applying if your review sounds overly critical .
Also using the word “duties” may also put some off.
Surely the main thing here is that the pets were happy and you came back to a clean and tidy home. I am sure updates and photos were sent during the stay. I too take photos when I leave so there can be no dispute about how things were left. Internal surveillance certainly isn’t allowed and nor should be. Just concentrate on the good things you got from having sitters. I too find this very petty as others have said
I agree with others that your focus should be primarily on what the sitters did right. Were your pets happy & relaxed when you returned? Was your home clean and tidy? Did the sitters send you pics & updates as per your request during the sit?
As a sitter I see my role as to give the pet lots of love and care and daily walks & exercise, keep them safe and happy in their own environment. etc I will try to keep to the pets routine but will do things my own way. I am not there to entertain the pet. I frequently see baskets of toys but rarely see pets showing interest in them.
It would be good to manage your expectations of sitters- remember this is an unpaid service! If all critical ‘duties’ are performed then anything extra is a bonus.
This seems extremely unfair and nitpicking, we also tend to put all things in the house the exact way we found them according to pictures.
Reading posts like this just get me down as it’s like a ‘you can’t win’ type of situation.
You don’t have any evidence at all to support the claims you are making. Was your house left clean and tidy? Were your pets happy and healthy? Was communication good?
Quite honestly we would be heartbroken if an owner accused us of not adequately playing with their pet because the ‘toys looked like they haven’t moved’
I’d also give an owner a wide birth if I ever see them being overly critical of a sitter. Also the tone of your message conveys a lot here - you are talking about them as if they are subservient. Playing with a few toys is not ‘critical care’ for your pet - that would be feeding, medication, toilet etc.
The title of your post is “Sitter did not perform all duties”. Then you go on to say that it is your “opinion” based on “circumstantial evidence” that the sitter didn’t use the toys that were in the house. There is a lot more to playing with dogs than toys. I do simple nose work with my border collie cross. She also loves to dance when I have music on. She gets so much love. Her walks are long and she is engaged with the world around her. She doesn’t like toys at all so I’ve given hers away.
Your attitude towards your sitters is absolutely appalling. They are not your servant. And for you to accuse the sitter of something for which you have zero proof when they are there caring for your pet is truly vile. You need a paid service so that you can complain about a perfectly good sitter to the business.
Can you clarify? Are these toys that your pet would play with and move on their own, even if the sitter hasn’t moved them as you suspect? It seems odd that they are all in the exact same spot. It makes me think the sitter did put them back.
Also you said there are other non-critical tasks that were not taken care of. Can you elaborate? I am trying to understand the situation to consider how one can verify.
While I am not offended by your question as some seem to be, I think trust is the most important part of TrustedHousesitters.com.
@Shella_in_the_Forum it’s not so much about being offended by the post, it is about being offended by basically referring to ALL we sitters as “the individuals” who are to “carry out duties”. This is derogatory to all of us, not just the sitters in this instance. I, personally, would not tolerate being referred to in this manner and I stand in support of the sitters in question who are oblivious to this post and have no recourse on the Forum due to their absence here.
Innocent until proven guilty, but this is Trusted Housesitters not a court of law.
@ziggy I understand that folks are put off by the words used vs. the question itself. Although from the piling on it appears people are putt off by both. This is a forum not a court of law so I am not arguing a case and we will have to agree to disagree. I am simply not offended.
When I agree to a sit I am taking on responsibilities and duties. Some are essential (food, safety, exercise). There is nothing negative in that. It is the exchange. I need far more context. What instructions were given about playing? What are the other neglected non-critical tasks? This HO may be off base or on base. I just don’t know and I am not offended by the wording.
I also don’t see “these individuals”. Perhaps the HO changed those words when folks pointed them out?
From my experience, sitters have really appreciated detailed instructions and complemented us on proving useful guidance about our dogs routine, likes/dislikes etc. It always works out well, and everyone is happy, specially the dog. They get used to their routine and as far as possible like to keep it (within reason).
I wonder if you can chalk this up to a learning experience for future sits? I’ve done sits where there were toys but the pets didnt seem interested and the owners didn’t mention it. And equally I’ve done sits where the owner specifies what toys they pet likes and how they like to play with it. Both options are fine but it seems like playing with the toys is important to you - so put it in the welcome guide and I bet the vast majority of sitters will do as you ask.
Maybe you did highlight it already, I can’t tell. But just saying “play with the dog” could mean so many things without more clarification so I wouldn’t ding the sitter.
As others have said it might make it a little harder to secure a good sitter in future as they’ll be wary of making a mistake unintentionally.
@Sit4myDog I’d love this! One thing we’ve had only one time and loved was a written list of commands. So many times I’ve been standing in the cold and dark trying to say the magic words to get the dog to pee haha
I don’t know what sort of pets you have, but my cat has baskets of toys and her favorite things are bread ties, milk bottle caps, and moths.
If you’re concerned the pet isn’t getting enough play or enrichment, best to mention this during or prior to the sit. Certainly if lack of stimulation leads to destructive behavior it’s worth emphasizing to future sitters.
If someone told me they had a “critical eye” for what seems like a bonus for the pets, I would not apply for the sit, or withdraw immediately. What other missteps might I be making without being aware? No thank you.
