Hi all.
I listed dates for a house sit for my dog and had an application from a single male. I’m a single female and I don’t feel comfortable bringing a single man into my home. He has asked for feedback on why I didn’t choose him. Can I be honest on this?
He may be a great sitter and I’m sure a good man but my preference would be a woman or a couple due to me being on my own. (Also, only one review that seems like it’s from a friend.)
You can be honest with him.
Going forward, if you won’t choose solo male sitters, you should be clear upfront in your listing and say you prefer women or straight couples, because otherwise you’re wasting the time of solo male sitters who unknowingly apply.
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Definitely put your preference up front in your listing.
I’ve looked at plenty of sits that don’t mention it but when you check what sort of feedback they have you notice it’s all from single females. You’re wasting peoples time as well as you’re own if you aren’t clear from the beginning.
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You should be honest about why you didn’t choose him. Then update your listing to state that you prefer sitters that are single women or couples. Always best to be up front - it will save you a lot of time and you will get the applicants you want!
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Additionally, if your preference is for sitters with a demonstrated track record on the platform, it’s good to include that in your listing upfront as well. It’s perfectly ok to hold these preferences, but better for everyone when they’re stated outright.
It sounds likely that the sitter is new to the platform and might still be getting used to receiving sit rejections and/or simply wants to know what he can do to improve his chances of landing his first sit.
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You don’t have to overthink this. You don’t owe the applicant an explanation. Legally, this isn’t employment or housing so you can choose whom you are comfortable with. You can simply say that they aren’t a good match. In this case in addition to your general comfort level and preference for female sitters, it also souds like this person only had a reference and no reviews, so you can honestly state that you’d prefer a sitter with a few excellent site reviews.
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On my most recent sit posting, I had several sitters apply that joined THS, the day before my post, 2 days before my post and 3 months before my post. None of them had any THS reviews and this particular sit was the longest vacation I would be away from my pet. I was surprised by the 2 people who applied that just joined THS. I explained to all 3 people that it was my longest vacation to date and since they didn’t have any reviews from actual sits, I was going to decline their app.
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As a new THS member with no reviews yet, if you respond in a timely manner with or without a reason, I appreciate it. If they otherwise appeal to you, offer them to apply at a later date after a couple of good reviews. I would much rather have a quick decline, than to be left hanging.
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In our experience, single women don’t have any issues of concern when hosting male gay couples.
We only miss out when the pets supposedly don’t like men
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