Total newbie here - etiquette question. My request for a sitter has only just gone live and I have one applicant and five savers. What should I say to the applicant? I want to be polite and acknowledge their interest but want to see if any of the savers actually make an application first
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Savers don’t usually apply. They typically save a sit because of timing conflicts, etc., but they might like to do a sit there in the future.
You can politely acknowledge receiving the application, but there’s no practical value in that, because sitters can see whether a host has read a message — that’s an automatic feature in inboxes. So it’s better to provide some useful info, like your timeline for deciding, or if they look like a good match for sitting, ask about scheduling a video chat.
Note: Good sitters can be snapped up quickly by savvy hosts, not just because they apply for sits, but because they also get invites for repeat sits and referrals to other hosts. And many sitters apply for multiple sits at the same time, so faster hosts might have an advantage.
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Does your applicant come across as the kind of sitter you’re looking for? Have you read all their reviews, and reviews they’ve left for others? If it feels like a good match, I’d advise communicating and setting up a video chat ASAP. Sitters can see when their messages have been read so delay can indicate indecision or that they haven’t made a convincing application. Many sitters - us included - will have several irons in the fire, so won’t hang about too long waiting for responses. Above all, please bear in mind that an application is essentially a way to find out more and not necessarily an offer to sit.
Best of luck with it. 
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If you cant say it straight, you are away from etiquette. Meaning that you can keep as many sitters waiting for you as you want, but don’t be sorry if they then disappear. How many hours has your sit been visible? Only one applicant in 12 hours makes it not sound like a sit that sitters will be competing for. Schedule a video call with the applicant, or ask any question you might have, and that gives you a bit of extra time to wait around. You can anytime, even after video call, just ditch the sitter if you get a better one - maybe not something one would call etiquette, but all the power is in your hands. But if you do let the sitter know “oh I´m looking for potentially someone better”, don’t be surprised if they don’t like you.
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I would set up a video chat with the applicant you have (assuming you like their profile and reviews).
A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush and most good applicants aren’t going to wait around while you see who else applies.
If there is something about the sitters profile that is giving you pause, then you may want to wait a day or two before deciding. I wouldn’t drag it out longer than that.
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As mentioned, there’s no reason to wait if the first applicant looks like a great match. Does your applicant have a few excellent, detailed THS reviews? Keep in mind, you are new and I assume have zero reviews, so sitters are taking a chance on you. If a good one applies (based on initial introduction, profile, and reviews) I’d write back, thank them, and ask if they have any questions. If they look really great I’d schedule a video chat and keep things moving.
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Thank you very much, that helps me to understand.
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Thank you so much for the helpful response.
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That doesn’t seem to be an issue from my experience here. Even when listing our first sit, with no prior references, we received a slew of applicants and were favorited over 200 times before even getting a first review. It would appear that if the sit looks good, most sitters aren’t going to care about a lack of history and are willing to chance it.
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If that candidate looks good to you and there are no red flags, set up a video call for the next day. You have 24 hours to see if you receive other replies. Some of us will not sit for first time PP with no reviews. I did once and never again. It turned out they had a recent rescue that was aggressive. They are now off the platform. Maybe people who saved your listing are waiting to read reviews as well. Good luck with your first sit, hope all goes well.
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I haven’t seen this before and I wonder where you got it from.
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I mean she schedules a video call for 24 hours. It gives her time to see who else will reply. She is new so wants to see who else replies. I didn’t mean it as a THS rule. If she has no other interested parties in 24 hours she should book with this candidate if no red flags.
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This seems to be happening to me more frequently nowadays. I misunderstand something, and when it’s clarified I find myself thinking “why didn’t I get it the first time I read it, it’s so obvious”. In this case I’m on the fence, thankfully @Kateon52 gave my post a “like” so at least I’m not the only one.
The savers can’t do your sit and won’t apply. They saved it because it interests them but they can’t do the dates. They want to be alerted by the system to future dates. You have one application. If the savers could do the dates, they would have applied.
If that applicant looks good to you – has experience with your type of pet, and some great site reviews, and nothing that looks like a red flag, it would be worth having an online chat to see if this is a good match.
If there is something about the applicant that seems like a red flag then you can decline them. There is no obligation to choose someone just because they apply.
If you want to see a larger pool of applicants, you could try linking your listing to a thread and getting some feedback on it from other members.
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I would guess that most sitters with some experience would care about a lack of history. Of course, one may still take a chance.
And favouriting is not taking a chance. Not at all. It just means that one would like a notification when there is a later sit. Which should show a review then.
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Most of our applicants have been multiple 5 star sitters.
Thanks Marion. I now have five applicants and am chatting to three tomorrow. It all happens so quickly! The other two applicants have dogs, although I clearly stated I can’t accept strange dogs in the house - mine would not be happy.vv
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Sitters tend to rush the applications in to avoid being shut out when the 5 application limit is reached, so they don’t thoroughly read the listing prior to doing so. Which means that oftentimes you’ll find yourself chatting with sitters who aren’t a good match for your sit. It’s a waste of everyone’s time, and it also means that good sitter matches don’t get the opportunity to apply in the first round.
The 5 application limit rule is not a good idea. I don’t see any upside to it at all.
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If you clearly stated on your profile that you can’t accept people with dogs but they applied anyways, I call that a clear red flag! What other directions of yours won’t they follow. That would make me nervous. What if the dogs after a day or two don’t get along. Will she walk her own dog and leave yours behind. Will yours be locked up in another room. You won’t be there to know.
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As a newbie she may not know that she can cancel applications to make room for others.
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