Good Good Day Fellow Sitters!
Hope all is well wherever you are
My last sit review is abit odd
Owner gave me 5 Star in each category
but Overall 4 Star
Because…
We have given him 5 stars for evrything but a 4 overall because unfortunately our wood burning stove has been damaged and we are still awaiting a quote to fix it. I suspect it was running too hot for too long.
YOU SUSPECT!!!
YOU CANT SAY WITH 100% CERTAINTY!
Yet you can 100% devalue my rating by 20%?!?!??
Did the homeowner proved a thermometer for the stove?? NO
I stocked the stove as directed by the owner
EXACTLY as I was shown.
Fill stove each night
No wood touching glass
Close door immediately
This is beyond infuriating and unacceptable!!
My name and reputation are damaged as a result of her review and her SUSPICION!
Mind you, I was told by both the owner and
The maid that they regret installing this stove.
AND THE REVIEW WINDOW HAS CLOSED!!!
This is not fair to me as a Professional Caretaker
Any feedback is appreciated
I have reached out to to Support, but wanted to get feedback directly from my fellow sitters
All my best,
John
(edited by Forum team to remove OP’s surname and some details about the host 
)
Move on. It’s simply not worth the angst.
13 Likes
Hello @BigDog. I can understand your concern but 4/5 is not horrible.. You get one chance to respond to the review and there is no time limit for that response so there is no need to rush That response needs to be devoid of any emotion.
Quite frankly, your post is rather dramatic and I am unsure if you are in the right frame of mind to compose that response at this time.
When you are ready, keep it simple.
My thoughts:
‘I am sorry to hear about your wood stove. However, I followed the operating instructions that you provided’
If it was working fine during your sit then add that as well.
Cheers
15 Likes
I’m sure with a few more sits and good reviews that 4/5 review will be buried. Especially if they scored you 5 on each individual rating.
I was a bit confused by this part, though - ‘‘This is not fair to me as a Professional Caretaker’’ . Is that your job, or , well, I’m not sure!
5 Likes
My suggestion is that you try a more stoical approach. Firstly, a 4 star overall review isn’t a red flag and is unlikely to impact on your ability to get other good sits. Secondly, there’s no further means within the THS system to add any further comments.
“No one can make you upset. You choose to be.” This principle means that while we cannot control external circumstances, we always control our internal response.
I don’t always get this right, but when things go awry I try to stop, take several deep breaths and calm my thinking. Realising that I don’t have to get upset enables me to deal with it much better. It’s not always easy to do so and when THS introduced sit fees I didn’t react well.
Anyway, good luck in putting it behind you and move on.
6 Likes
@BigDog, welcome to THS Forum.
THS review system is blind and has two components, being review and reply.
Review, by either/both party, can be completed within 14 days of end of housesit.
Reply is a one-time opportunity to formally respond to a review - no time limit applies.
Should you feel inclined, suggest let time pass to calm down then draft a brief, reasonable reply. Post. Then forget it and move on with your life. Plenty of great housesits out there.
2 Likes
Definitely wait on your response to the review until you are calm and have thought about it. I got two bad reviews in a row and my response is all about how bad the hosts were and how messy the property was and how it wasn’t my fault and I think I came across as defensive and didn’t send the right message.
2 Likes
Yes, stick to facts, use businesslike language. ChatGPT could be a great help there.
2 Likes