Hi!
I’m new to the platform and thankfully had a great sitter over a day ago. However, I wish I had asked more questions when speaking to the sitters before they came. I feel like with every person that applied, their introduction message/profile says everything that I’d naturally ask (ie. “what brings you here”, “what do you do?”, “do you have pets of your own”, etc.). I just want the conversations to be productive, but not redundant for the sitter. What kind of conversations do you have?
Also, the sitters weren’t able to confirm the sit on the app (they still came and sat) because the app keeps acting up (which I understood because the app is so glitchy sometimes), but now they aren’t able to leave a review and neither am I. They did really good and I’m not too bummed about not being able to give/receive a review (this time), but I would hate for this to keep happening, so does anyone have any suggestions about this as well?
The conversation is going to be redundant. But that’s ok. I’d suggest making a list of questions and keeping it running as you read things here or they occur to you. You can learn a lot about what to ask from the problem posts you see here. Some might be: how will you be arriving, will you need transport from the airport/train station/bus station (if you’re willing), do you have any allergies, etc. Some will depend on what kind of pets you have. Dogs generally need more questions than cats.
As for the app, I don’t bother with it and do everything on the website. So my recommendation would be that if the app isn’t working you should use the website to do whatever needs to be done. You can leave a reference for her, but she can’t leave anything for you at this point and references don’t weigh the same as a review.
Definitely agree with @CreatureCuddler . The App is lacking. We always stick to the website. Much more reliable. Also, the fact that they couldn’t confirm the sit on the app does not seem to be an issue with the app…probably more on their end of not knowing how to.
We have found that a meet and greet is a great way to break the ice. Meet the animals, go over the house, maybe have a coffee or cocktail and just get to know each other. As for the conversations prior to the sit, it will be redundant. Ask about their experience, if they have any questions, offer suggestions of things to do in the area (you will find out if they like to do certain things this way, hiking, biking, etc). Until you have a Zoom call or a meet and greet, we suggest keeping it short and sweet and to the point…too much conversing or verbage beforehand can get ‘too much’ for some sitters…especially seasoned sitters who do this full-time. Heck, our last four sits that we have confirmed were all two messages…our message and then their response and confirmation. (We have over 30 sits and 5 star reviews, so it is pretty short, sweet and to the point at this period of our sitting). We like to chat more either on the phone or especially during the meet and greet.
Trust your gut. VET sitters and read reviews. Read their reviews of HO and vice versa. Take your time, go with more experienced sitters and look for ‘more the better’ in their profiles.
I don’t use the app, it just doesn’t work effectively on my phone, and keeps chucking me out, there are others on here with the same issue. So I use my laptop instead.
When video chatting, our profile gives a full and rounded image of who we are, so an owner shouldn’t really have any questions in their mind, and if they do, they ask it in their first message to us. So with any that we video chat with or speak on the phone with, it’s literally a case of the owner making sure that who we are in ‘person’ matches up with our profile, and from our point of view too. That way, the conversation flows quite naturally.
If you ask the sitter how they got into sitting in the first place, or do they miss their own home if they are pet sitting full time, then they will talk about themselves, and it will save you thinking of something to say. Because you may be naturally be intrigued by their story, as there are such a varied bunch of sitters with THS, that no sitters story will be the same as the next, unless they are younger obviously.
@MyMocha If you contact THS on support@trustedhousesitters.com and explain the problem, they may be able to do something re reviews. It’s worth a try, especially if you are both new members. It is so important that sits are confirmed by both owner and sitter and appear on your dashboards. Had something gone wrong or your pet needed an emergency trip to the vet, neither of you would have been entitled to any support from THS.
As a sitter, I am the one who generally asks more questions than the owner, especially if they are new! And this is because of what I have learnt in all the years I have been sitting. It also depends on how descriptive your responsibilities are in your listing or whether I need more information. I may have already raised those points in my application though. You can be proactive and reassure sitters, for example, that you have emergency contacts in place; you have an account set up at the vet in case of an emergency visit; there will be no third parties present during the sit.
If you use the spyglass, you will find other threads where owners have asked something similar to you and been given good advice.
That just happened to me. The sit was confirmed and everything via the app but afterwards neither of us could leave a review. Seems a glitch on the system.
@Savvysitter did the other person’s membership expiry before, during or immediately after the sit ?
This can be one reason why no reviews can be left by either party.