@Angela_L@Vanessa_A@Therese I just did a ‘find a sitter’ search and noticed what seems to be a high number of sitters that have private references but no reviews yet. Is there any system in place to be in contact with these people.
Surely these must be the easiest route to helping redress the balance? They have paid their memberships but are still waiting in the wings , still not actually started sitting yet.
What are the reasons for this? Nervous to start? Not understanding the process?lost the momentum to get going?
A gentle nudge might be all that is needed to add a few to the active sitter numbers…
Obviously some may have done a sit or two but failed to get the review, in which case extra help getting that all important first review may also be appreciated and, once they have this more home hosts will feel comfortable inviting them to sit in the future.
Hi @Colin thank you for your excellent observation and for opening the discussion.
We do have a high percentage of new members achieving success as it is a top priority, something we are all focussed and we have a team specifically working to help both new sitters and owners achieve success after all we want everyone to get full benefit from their membership but more importantly enjoyment of our lifestyle and community so they remain part of our community for years to come.
Advising on profile creation, encouraging and motivating new sitters to apply and keep applying for sits, helping and guiding in that application process also motivating owners to consider new sitter members, after all we all started from the same place … new, without any THS reviews, are just some of the journey the team focus on.
The forum really helps too and the success stories we’ve had prove that when experienced members like you give help and advice it can make all the difference … mentoring at community level.
It also helps for us to remember how it was in the beginning when we were starting out. I don’t know about you Colin but it took me almost two months and numerous applications before I was successful, although there were far less opportunities then, also much less support.
If you or anyone have other suggestions or ideas on how we can help new members achieve their pet and housesitting lifestyle goals, which will ultimately help "redress the balance"then we’d love to hear them.
Hi @Colin, I am a newbie, I have loads of references but no reviews. This is because I am not looking for sits until the end of January when I am taking 6 weeks off work. My calendar has been filled out to reflect this. It could well be that there are many other sitters like myself who are “holiday sitters” rather than full-time sitters (and in that I mean those available most of the time). Because I run my business out of home I can’t even do an overnight sit!
I am a HO currently badgering these people Colin! I am getting a bit panicky about our family holiday in June and I’d equally love to give someone a chance to get started, as I remember being really anxious as a new HO with no reviews and delighted when someone decided to take a chance on us. Our animals are easy to look after so would be a good starting point too. I am currently actively reaching out to people with no reviews but as many of them don’t have their calendars filled in at all it’s impossible to know if they’re available, if they haven’t started yet, if they have very specific dates in mind, if they are busy through another site… Part of me is really pleased that the balance has swung a bit in favour of sitters, while the rest of me is really anxious about our holiday!
Maybe the sitter should simply say “available (insert dates) in (insert location) and update on the regular.
I have had zero requests since I have indicated that I am not available till after April 2023.
Not a long term solution but might help some avoid a bit of grief and time in their search.
Of course not everyone reads the forum or anything for that matter but it might help those that choose to try it.
Also, I think there’s a difference between ID check (proof of ID- driver’s licence or passport) and background check (criminal record check). We, as Canadians, were able to do the criminal record check when we first joined so we are grandfathered in but it’s now only an option for the US.
Having been both a host and sitter, I think the success of this site depends on sitters loving pets, and hosts showing appreciation sitters.
In my experience, it seems that only about half of sitters actually enjoy spending time with pets, and the other half are solely sitting to save money.
On the flip side, there are certainly some hosts who don’t appreciate sitters enough.
Generally, it’s a lot harder for a host to find a good sitter, than it is for a sitter to find a place to stay (Airbnb, etc), so I think that any sitter looking for a truly even exchange will be frustrated unless he or she really takes pleasure in caring for pets and helping a host.
“In my experience, it seems that only about half of sitters actually enjoy spending time with pets, and the other half are solely sitting to save money”.
How did you arrive at this conclusion? As a full-time sitter, with many sitter friends, and being involved in several house sitting groups I would disagree with your estimation.
Wow - lack of sitters really is serious! I have used TH 7-8 times before, and every other time, within the first ten minutes of posting dates I got 6+ responses. (I have easy pets in an exceptionally desirable location right in the heart of Washington DC. ) I posted new dates in June yesterday and no responses at all.
My 2 cents on how to get more sitters to apply for your sit…
Leave out dates/duration of sit in your headline (that info is already underneath your listing pic). The headline also isn’t the place to tell us your cats are ginger, adorable, playful, etc. Don’t even need their names. Type of pet, number of pets, and your actual location will do. Everything else can be addressed in the listing itself.
Cut down on scenery pics, and focus on the home, especially the space the sitter will be using, plus the kitchen and bathroom. We don’t need to see 5 different angles of the living room and dining room, a vase of flowers on a table, the art on the walls, etc.
Nor do we need to see 12 pics of the pet, just a few, and the necessary details. If your pet is a cat, is it indoor or outdoor? Any behavioral issues or special needs?
Also, in the “Home and location” section, tell us about your home as it applies to us. Does the sitter get their own room and/or bathroom? If not, is there an alternative for a sitter who would rather not sleep in the owner’s bed? Is there a dishwasher, a microwave, a washer and dryer? If the weather is warm, is there air conditioning, or at least fans? Is there a TV, wifi? Are there potentially problematic neighbors (like a noisy family living upstairs, lovers of loud music next door, or a barking dog)? Is there a dog run/park or playground nearby that might disrupt sleep or work?
Tell us where your home is. Where it really is. If you’re south of London, don’t list your sit as in “South London.” Newark, New Jersey is not New York City. Maryland is not Washington, DC. Substituting what you think is a more attention-getting location for where you actually are helps no one. What is the public transport like? Which train/subway/metro stations and buses are closest? Is there a grocery store nearby? A long tourist guide is not necessary, just the basics.
Above all, be honest! For every person put off by a flat overlooking a noisy playground, there’s another person who loves the sounds of children playing and would see it as a plus. So tell us what you think might be a concern, and let us decide if it’s a plus or minus.
Sitters are scrolling by or discounting your sit for a reason. Obviously I can’t address them all or speak for every sitter; I can only say what kinds of things I look for and care about, and what puts me off applying. I think if you change even a few of these things, you will get more interest and applications.
Free accommodation is definitely a big draw, but there’s also the companionship aspect, which is important for those of us who have lost beloved pets and aren’t ready for another yet, or who live in situations where we can’t have pets but love spending time with them. I have an upcoming sit in the UK where I am sitting for half of my trip, but paying for accommodation for the other half to balance out having time with responsibilities and time without.
Exactly. And people like us who would LOVE to have a pet but we travel too much and don’t want to make that commitment right now. We absolutely love spending time with pets when we are away. It makes our trip.
I tend to agree with your assessment, because I’ve seen it in those groups/Reddit subs too. I just hope that homeowners realize that there are so many of us out here who aren’t just looking for a free stay… if we were, we’d take pretty much anything without caring whether or or not we’d be a good fit for the pets or the homeowner’s needs. We often don’t or can’t have pets anymore, but we miss the pet experience at times.
My husband and I are sitters who are looking for a place to stay AND we love being with pets. We take our sitting responsibilities very seriously. We are building a house and decided to go this route for two reasons. It provides us a place to stay instead of trying to find temporary housing which is quite expensive and we get to be with animals. I adore animals and once we settle into our new home, I plan on adopting a dog or two.
Maybe we are outliers in this regard. In the future, we may use this to travel as both a host and a sitter to get to see different parts of the world. Again, we would care for the animals as if they are our own.
And this is perfectly alright! Of course I would never expect that the sitters want to be in the house for the complete stay and look after our pets only. If I were a sitter I certainly would want to do some sightseeing (which doesn’t necessarily mean highly touristy spots), but I would like to get to know the area I stay in. The “free” stay is the exchange both the HO and sitters benefit from and it would not occur to me to look down on someone, who admits this, because it’s part of the deal.
We should not forget that we have just been through almost 2 years of unprecedented personal and universal turmoil. Many countries still haven’t returned to “business and usual” and people; individuals, families & communities are still recovering.
Many may take a very long time before they are completely comfortable with getting back into the world, especially for international travel.
I have just spent 3 months in the US and I can say from personal experience that attitudes are wide and varied, even in the same city for every individual who is comfortable to act as though the pandemic is history there are more who are still being incredibly cautious including owners and sitters.
Addressing the “free accommodation vs the true pet lover”
The percentage of full time sitters within our community is small and If a sitter joins with the intention of using THS solely for free accommodation then the illusion will be short lived, listings actually outline that it’s not about a free place to stay and comes with both responsibility and commitment as well as amazing opportunities to experience different places, some you might otherwise never see. It’s about a fair exchange opportunity with pets at the very heart of what we do and why we do it, otherwise why become a pet sitter?
If the intent isn’t genuine most owners and especially pets are savvy enough to see through an insincere applicant but if they did land the sit and their commitment to pets and homes was lacking the chances of receiving a good review would be zero and their success would be short lived.
Like many other businesses TrustedHousesitters was shut down completely by the pandemic, overnight everything came to a standstill. It was my responsibility to be front and centre of communications with our community during those dark days. I had daily emails from around the world expressing support for our company thanking our team for doing everything we did to keep TrustedHousesitters viable, not one email said “I really miss my free accommodation” instead …
“We miss the pets more than anything … and our friends at TrustedHousesitters of course”
Just posting to say with great relief, “sit confirmed” (with 3 weeks to go!) I took on board all the great advice on the forums, improved the photos and information on the listing and sent out about 30 invitations- I think what ultimately worked was the tactic of targeting new sitters, within the country, with no reviews. Having talked with her I’m very happy that the lady I got will be great but she is not that comfortable yet with using the site, has a pretty basic profile and no reviews. So for others in a similar position, I would say don’t give up hope, send invitations to newbies and do a proper assessment if you get a reply.
+1. I’ve raved about TH to two friends this past year. Both of them were not able to find sitters. Thankfully my friends don’t hold it against me, but it’s a bit of a catch-22 for TH. If they encourage more HOs to join but then those HOs have a bad experience, it wouldn’t be good for TH’s reputation or business. So for the moment I will probably hold off encouraging other HOs to join. On the other hand, I’ve tried to encourage a couple folks to become sitters
@Amparo I don’t think so, I think she’s more an offline person! But I will try and help her a bit myself if she wants it and certainly hope to be able to leave her a great review. Thanks, I am now really looking forward to our holiday!
