How long before the sit do you decide on your sitter? I have one application for a sit in early October but apparently several others have “saved my sit”. Should I wait a bit or grab the one who has applied? She seems ideal
If she’s ideal, grab her now. People who save sits usually do it because they can’t make the dates, but are interested for future potential.
If she seems ideal then what are you waiting for? Is there something better than ideal , I don’t think so. If you wait she will take another sit because you didn’t grab her. Book now.
Hi @Alison50
Welcome back to the forum!
There’s some great advice from @Maggie8K and @SeniorSitter1 who both have a wealth of experience.
I’ll also share a link to TrustedHousesitters’ advice.
If you don’t grab her potentially she’ll not hang around, she’ll find another sit.
Do a video call with the sitter find out if they are a good match, if yes, confirm, if not look for others.
I save searches because I’m not necessarily looking for houses now, but potentially months or years later.
Have you already had or scheduled a video chat? Definitely do that, and if this sitter seems like a good match, go for it!
You don’t need a ton of applicants; you just need one good one.
Many experienced sitters withdraw their applications after 48-72 hours without a response (we consider it a sign of non-responsiveness and a possible red flag that communication will be difficult when we are taking care of your animals).
If you get an application for a sitter that you like, schedule a video call ASAP. For sitters that are not a good fit, a polite ‘decline message’ is also appreciated. Thanks!
How much time has passed since the sitter applied? If it’s more than 72 hours they might’ve already found another more responsive listing. I can understand waiting if the 1st sitter didn’t seem suitable but ‘ideal’ (if they’ve got THS REVIEWS not just the references, and the REVIEWS were all good) is somebody who deserves an immediate positive reply ie the same day, followed by a quick move to WhatsApp then phone/video chat within a few days to explore further.
Don’t hold off if she’s ideal, grab her before someone else does. You can confirm her straight away, or video chat, or telephone, whatever you feel comfortable with.
We typically get a response within an hour or so of applying, with about 90% of the sits we apply for. Not necessarily things confirmed within an hour, just a response where messages start going back and forth.
Also, we’re much more likely to sit for those that responded to our application quickly who thought we were a perfect fit for each other, over those that held off 24 hours.
Thanks to everyone. I did respond immediately thanking her for her application and saying i would consider all applications within a few days. I’ve now contacted her and arranged a video chat in case I lose her!
If video chat goes well, ask her if you can book her now and then do it as soon as you end the video chat. If you just say it was lovely chatting with you and I am video chatting with two others before I make my decision and will get back to you soon, you will lose her. I would immediately decline. If you don’t know right then and there then you’re not the host for me.
If after the video call you think she’d do a great job and you feel comfortable, what’s to gain from chatting with other applicants? Perfection is the enemy of progress and you risk losing a great sitter.
We have definitely learned that if a sitter seems ideal, schedule a call or video chat ASAP. You don’t want to risk the sitter thinking you are not interested and they find another sit.
Thanks for that. Yes that is what I have done every time so far. Luckily my video calls have all gone well so I’ve offered them the sit during the call. and I have had lovely sitters, tho only 4 so far.