Welcome guide/ address

[Lala]

When do you give your sitter your welcome guide and home address? I have recently booked a couple of sits, and had the sitter request these immediately, even thought the sits are a month or more away. I assumed I would send them maybe a week before. What are your thoughts?

[B1anca]

Sending it early means the sitter has plenty of time to digest and ask questions and the address is useful to figure out logistics of how to get there and also what is nearby. If the Guide is ready there really isn’t a reason to not share it sooner rather than later. If it’s not ready yet you can always explain and share it as soon as is.

[HelloOutThere]

Send right after the confirm with caveat that there may be a change or two, especially if the sit is a distance off.

But if the responsibilities change that should be discussed directly with the sitter and not assumed that they are agreeable to any responsibility changes, regardless if the welcome guide was sent or no in the meantime.

[Enjaybee]

Usually HOs send the welcome guide straight away. Sitters are going to be living in your house…. They need to know where it is to plan how to get there. They need to buy transport tickets and make arrangements. Please trust the process and be upfront. You don’t need to hide your address until the last minute.

[Lala]

Thanks, everyone. I also host Airbnb where it’s customary to give the neighborhood, but not the exact address until closer to the stay. I’m new to TH, so appreciate the advice.

[HelloOutThere]

@Lala I use a draft that does not have personal details but provide that info via whats app/text when the sit draws near.

I do share my phone # and email outside of the THS platform once we have a video call set up.

[belluca]

My sits generally get books about 2 months ahead. I send the WG a week or two before the sit.

[Chrissy]

I like the welcome guide as soon as possible after confirmation. I need the address to check the time taken to get there as mostly I will be driving. The welcome guide sometimes states things that are not in the listing, one had that the grass needed to be cut once a week with a huge petrol mower with a pull start. There were two enormous areas and I am 70, it needed a gardener. I spoke to the owner who was not happy that I wouldn’t be able to do it and promptly cancelled the sit and said her daughter would do it. In another there were lots of instructions about the swimming pool cleaning and checking on her mother who lived in a cottage in the garden. I asked to cancel. Thankfully the majority of people have a nice normal house with no expectation that the sitter is a member of staff.

[Jackievw]

I like the address in the welcome guide to search the nearby area. I look for pharmacy’s, grocery stores, areas of inter interests, busses. I am more of an organized person. I like to know my surroundings before getting there. Even if the home owner just shares the a basics like living on the 2400 block of South Ave. It dont have to be the exact until I’m getting close to departure.

[Crookie]

Definitely send the address & WG now. If an owner didn’t give us the sit address as soon as we confirmed, so we could do some planning on how to get there via public transport, then we would immediately cancel as it shows the owner has trust issues. No quality sitter wants to sit for a “flakey” owner. That’s a huge red flag.

THS is very different to AirBnB.

[Lala]

Interesting take. For me it’s not about me being flakey, but more that I’ve had sitters flake close to the sit, and now they know how to get into my house. I think giving the neighborhood/street is reasonable, and the exact address closer to the sit.

[PVGemini]

This is a reasonable approach with your address.

Another reason that Sitters appreciate receipt of a Welcome Guide early is that they can read it, ask questions, and avail themselves of the nitty gritty details and responsibilities of the actual Sit.

If there was miscommunication or omissions during the conversation prior to confirmation, the Sitter has a chance to renege on their commitment if there are obviously new or different expectations in the Welcome Guide that the Sitter does not accept.

Unfortunately this does happen. Owners don’t reveal all the details and then expect the Sitter to suck it up.

[Silversitters]

@Lala below are a few forum posts that explain why many sitters like to get the Welcome Guide asap.

Behavioural Issues not Declared

A few days ago, we confirmed a sit to look after 2 large dogs and a cat. In the welcome pack, received this evening, it states that one of the dogs - a Husky - sometimes messes in the house, especially in the bedrooms, and snaps at other dogs. A few other things are worrying but these are the main issues of concern. We’ve messaged the pet parent and said that behavioural issues should be included in listings, not just in the welcome pack, and we’re not willing to do the sit (which starts on 9th…

Behavioural Issues not Declared

We recently secured a sit after having a nice video chat with the HOs. Unfortunately once they sent us the welcome guide we found out the pets are often aggressive and also randomly pee/poo around the house and bed. We quickly requested to be unconfirmed and canceled the sit. The HO was not happy and messaged us that they didn’t appreciate our “overaction”. The listing has 3 active sets of dates and multiple applicants for each date. I am wondering if the HO will remove that information from th…

New trend asking sitters to pay for utilities

I had similar experience, except learned about the potential need to contribute to paying for AC/Heater bill if it exceed their “typical (monthly) rate”, however, this was disclosed after I’d agreed and I was not aware of their typical monthly rate. Therefore, I was worried about using heater, despite cold weather. That being said, was concerned about whether or not this is something I should mention in my review. Would appreciate thoughts/recommndations, as I’m still fairly new to TH. Thank yo…

New trend asking sitters to pay for utilities

@MaggieUU; @Lokstar ; @Silversitters Thank you for your feedback and suggestions! I’ve felt conflicted because the host was nice friendly, and encouraged me to turn on heater (2 days in) via text when she checked in to inquire about how things were going. *However, I was a bit taken a back when I learned this after the fact (literally reading through the “Welcome Guide” after they left). I’d also wasn’t aware of the “Welcome Guide” via TH inbox, since all previous sits only provi…

[pietkuip]

@Lala

now they know how to get into my house

Is all that is required is that one knows a number code? Then I think you have poor security of your house.

[Visit]

After a sit being confirmed it will be on the sitters dashbpoard to click, request Welcome Guide. I always request immediately after being confirmed. I also like to receive the Welcome Guide fairly quickly after that, so I know where I am going, emergency numbers, diet for pets etd. and other details etc. . It can make you feel extremely anxious if pet owners do not send the guide and leave it till the very last minute. A week before the sit is way too late, especially if you have had to book flights or anything like that. I also ,like to see in advance exactly where I am going. Many sits only mention the nerarest town, which can be several miles awy from where the actual sit is. But if you hear nothing from the pet owner you worry that they will suddenly change their minds and leave you in the lurch. It really is not fair to leave it so late. If you have confirmed the sit then please do send out all the details that your sitter will need, as soon as possible and not leave till the very last minute. Thank you.

[DianeS]

When you let the sitter know your address, give them more than just the post code - even a house name is useful. On my 2nd sit i was only given the post code which was for around 200 houses. After repeated requests for the address, I found the home by some internet sleuthing. I was new to THS then, and I think I’d cancel now in the same circumstances.

[Silversitters]

@Lala

I also host Airbnb where it’s customary to give the neighborhood, but not the exact address until closer to the stay. I’m new to TH, so appreciate the advice.

The difference with THS and AirbNb is that your sitters will be taking care of your precious pets and all the detailed information about how to do that is the welcome guide. So sitters need to know this asap.

Include in your Welcome Guide how long your pets can be left alone for - where they sleep , any medications , the vet details , what time they are fed and walked , any behaviour issues, an emergency contact ( if sitter can’t get hold of you ) and importantly the arrangements you have made to pay for any emergency veterinary fees in the unlikely event that this is needed during the stay.( such as an account set up with the vet or an emergency contact who will pay )

It takes a long time to compile all this information but it all helps to a smooth sit and once done can be quickly updated for future sits.

You don’t have to use the THS Welcome guide you can create your own one and send to sitter by e-mail .

You can also include the wi-fi code or have that written /printed out for your sitter when they arrive .

[systaran]

I agree that it is important to get the welcome guide early. As soon as I click ‘accept’ I go to my dashboard and click ‘request welcome guide’. Sitters need to be able prepare for the sit. Often there are responsibilities that were not mentioned previously or just something that’s not clear that I may have a question about.

The address is also important to be able to plan my trip. I am not just planning my travel to get there but also the things I want to do while I’m there. If I’m relying on public transportation, I need to be able to see how long it will take to get to places on public transit.

After having done a couple sits early on with no welcome guide and no address until days before the sit, my general rule now is that I don’t make any travel arrangements until I have the address. I feel if they have read my profile, my reviews, talked with me via video chat, confirmed me as their sitter, and view this as the mutual exchange that it is, then they should trust me with their address. If they don’t, they should choose another sitter. I have to trust the HO too. If they are that nervous, they may cancel at the last minute.

I’m someone who is extremely organized and likes to plan ahead. If an HO is delaying in a way that interferes with my ability to make travel plans then we are just not a good match. It tells me that it probably won’t be a good sit for me. They may be disorganized, or distrustful, or may think of the sitter as staff and have not given any thought to the fact that the sitter needs to make plans too.

[cawosey]

Why would you want to hide your address from someone you are entrusting to look after it and your pets? Sitters have travel plans to make and need to know where they are going and how to get there.
The THS T&C also say that the sitter is agreeing to everything in the Welcome Guide. If you’re not going to provide that then the sitter has every right to cancel when you do provide it and they don’t agree to something in it. You should provide an accurate guide as soon as possible. It should already be complete as it includes your expectation s of what the sitter will be doing and this shoudl already be known.

[cawosey]

@Lala

I also host Airbnb where it’s customary to give the neighborhood, but not the exact address until closer to the stay.

If I don’t know where the AirBnB is that I’ve paid a lot of money for I’m cancelling. If the exact location is not provided before I book then I request it immediately after and will cancel if it is not provided or if I do not like the location or it is not “minutes from x” as the ad claimed. It’s paid accomodation not a magical mystery tour.