Curious, if other sitters have ever wished there was an opt out button for invitations for sit you have not applied for and have not listed in your favorites. While it’s flattering to be invited on sits, I always try to be kind and respond to the homeowner and it’s quite time-consuming. This week I’ve had four invitations already, none of which I would have any remote interested in even if I was available. In fact over the years being with THS I don’t think I’ve been invited to a single sit I was interested in. It seems if sitters had a way to opt out It would save both the homeowner and the sitter a lot of wasted time and energy.
I understand your idea and its merits. However, THS is unlikely to take measures that limit the HO access to sitters.
They tend to go the other way by limiting the sitters’ access to sits.
For example: I cannot apply to sits if I am already booked during those dates. But a HO can invite me even if I am booked elsewhere.
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@Freebird, we receive a steady trickle of unsolicited housesit invitations. Some in locations to which have a personal connection or a prior housesit. Some far-flung and speculative. But the trickle is not overwhelming. So we politely decline.
It seems human nature that some Pet Parents - whether newbies or proactive characters - seek to actively identify, approach and invite specific housesitters that meet Pet Parent criteria. For us, and others in THS Forum, it almost never works. But the psychology seems easy and harm seems low. There’s plenty other THS functional upgrades that I’d applaud before such an opt-out button.
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I use keyboard shortcuts on my mobile device — save a message and then hit a combo of three letters to spit the message out as needed. Easy.
“Thanks for your invitation, but I’m not available for your sit.”
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Yes, I don’t expect THS will actually address this but mostly I feel bad for the homeowners. It seems like maybe there’s a lack of education that this is not an efficient way to try to locate a sitter. The invite messages I am getting are highly personalized so I know the homeowner has taken time to read my profile and reach out. It’s just in my nature to be kind and respond personally to everyone, but perhaps I should take the lead and just do a simple “sorry I’m not available.’”
There is a lot of learning for both sitters and homeowners. It’s a matching site that allows for that. The forum is supported and exists in part I’m sure to keep people from constantly contacting customer service. Probably most of the homeowners contacting you are new or haven’t had much luck with the regular system. Probably THS could do better on answering the question for homeowners: How do I find a great sitter?
@Freebird If you receive highly personalized invitations it certainly nice to respond personally in a friendly way. I would do the same. If I receive an invitation with no message attached or with an obviously generic message I also reply, but much more briefly. If the invitation was friendly I will have a oroper look at the listing snd if it appeals I’ll favourite it and also tell tell them they are welcome to invte me another time. We get fairly regular invitations but not enough to both us. In the early dates we were invited to a sit in the south of France. The dates were a perfeft fit.