New to THS (for context). Should all HO’s have an electronic welcome pack and are they required to send in advance. I have received one for a sit later in the year but not for one coming in May. I have a button to request one but I don’t want to come across as overly pushy. The reason I am saying that is we have spoken with each other already and we are going to be there before they leave so they can walk us through everything. Previous reviews all mention a welcome pack on arrival - so I am not concerned we won’t have one. It was helpful to get the other sit in advance - it has given me time to review and think about is there anything else I need to ask. As it happens I am going to have to go back to the early sit HO’s any way as I am missing information, like the full address etc to find them. I suppose at this point I am trying to strike a balance between showing we are both organised and self-sufficient/not over needy. They have been a little slow in responding leading up to confirmation - and I’m one of these people who likes things sorted - i’s dotted, and t’s crossed. Hope that makes sense.
Personally we would always ask for a WG as then you know if there are any hidden issues and/or bonus info @ChristineB. It’s good to get it if you can and not an imposition to ask. If there are problems later then it can be your back up, don’t leave it to chance. #forewarnedisforearmed
You need to see the Welcome Guide before you arrive - as soon as possible after the sit is confirmed.
It doesn’t have to be the official THS one .
Why ? Because the morning of your arrival is too late to learn of additional responsibilities not previously discussed ( eg additional pets not mentioned in the listing - more frequent walking of dogs , pets that require medication or have behavioural issues or can’t be left alone )
Many of the “bad” sits discussed on the forum the owner hadn’t provided the WG prior to the sit .
Here is an example
It really should be required by THS that the HO provide prior to agreement. Have had a couple “bait and switch” issues between what was in a listing & discussed vs. what the HO put in their “welcome” guide. IMO, you’re not being pushy, you need the info.
It’s worth asking, because usually they just need to press a button to send it to you and they haven’t thought of it yet.
I only ask about a week out when I contact for address/ key handover details, but I know some people like to ask when the sit is confirmed. A WhatsApp message is probably nicer than the THS button, but that may be some quirk of internet etiquette I’ve absorbed.
I’ve also had information relayed in different ways (handwritten on paper, handwritten on kitchen whiteboard, another document, verbally during a meet-up in a park). I’m personally ok with this, but make sure you get it in some way that works for you.
We’ve been housesitting full-time for nearly 4 years now and seen the whole spectrum: from hosts who send the welcome guide months in advance to ones that have a Word-document ready when we arrive to hosts that don’t have anything written down.
While it’s nice to read certain info before we arrive, we don’t mind if we don’t get send one.
We ask all important questions during the call before accepting the sit, and we ask our list of practical questions (where’s this, where’s that) when we arrive at the sit.
All good!
Tomorrow I will have a video chat for a sit that I have applied to. And today the HO sent me his guide as a Word document. That is perfect!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Personally, I have no trouble nudging for welcome guides and I make clear that I won’t go into a sit blind. If the hosts don’t share one in time, I’m prepared to cancel the sit.
I don’t get why it’s “pushy” to expect a welcome guide well ahead of a sit. It’s one of the key ways a sitter can be set up for success or can push back or cancel a sit if a host introduces unpleasant surprises. If you’re willing to take on unnecessary risks, your choice. To me, it’s a bad approach that invites trouble.
I am with @Els on this one.
…While it’s nice to read certain info before we arrive, we don’t mind if we don’t get sent one.
"We ask all important questions during the call before accepting the sit, and we ask our list of practical questions (where’s this, where’s that) when we arrive at the sit…
To me it is a personal thing. In over five years of full-time sitting and over fifty five star reviews, I have never once received or requested a welcome guide. I do, however, always receive a handwritten or typed up guide/notes on arrival which I much prefer so it is really simple to refer to if required. Some people, like myself, still prefer hard copies of things. Old school maybe but it works best for me, I’m a visual person. To date I have had no issues whatsoever, or surprises, so maybe I have just chosen well or been very lucky. I do not see the WG as a make or break deal as some others do. I accept a sit on instinct from communication/video chats and to date have not been let down or deceived. Your personal choice whether you want it before.
Thanks. I’ve decided I’m going to drop a note just to say if one’s available electronically could she send it over so I can familiarise myself before we arrive.
Thanks. It’s really helpful to hear everyone’s experience.
In my ~first year of sitting (14 five-star reviews so far, from sitting part time), I’ve found it relatively easy to get welcome guide info from hosts ahead of sits.
Whether they use the THS template varies, and personally I don’t care, as long as I get the info. So far, many automatically print it out and have it at the house as well, I’ve found. Personally, I’d rather have it in digital form, because it’s searchable. Plus, if I wanted a printout, I could easily do that myself, though I don’t.
I typically do screen grabs if they use the THS template. That way, if the host changes it, I still have the original. Plus, THS tech sometimes hangs up and you might not necessarily be able to access it when you need it.
You also can see on the forum (in some sitters’ posts) that some hosts neglect to include key info, including vet or emergency contacts. If that happens, better to be able to have leverage ahead of a sit, to get such info or drop the sit.
Personally, if I have a digital version captured, I can get whatever I need in an emergency, whether I’m at the sit home or not. Like I wouldn’t be carrying a printout around if I’m out and about with a dog. Or say I forget or lose a key, I want to be able to access such info from any device, as long as I can log into my own accounts in a cloud.
I had a recent sit where the elderly and sickly dog had catastrophic seizures, which required me to rush her to 24/7 emergency care. I was glad I had everything I needed online. I easily could dial all emergency numbers and map driving directions within keystrokes on my phone.
I have messaged to request in advance an electronic version if its available. I think everyone was right that its not anything unusual to request and not to feel awkward about asking.
As a HO I probably have a slightly different perspective! I list our sits months ahead but am reluctant to update & send the sitter the WG until closer the time. If I send it too early things could change. We have hens, ducks, sheep etc and the numbers are always changing, their feed regime changes dependant on weather/time of year, I don’t know in advance what veg may be ready/need watering, places to visit change opening hours, eating places change chef and quality varies, shops close down etc etc. I could send an out-dated version just for a general indication but I would not want to keep sending slightly amended versions as it could get very confusing. If a sitter followed an older version and hadn’t spotted an update it puts sitter and house owner in a very difficult position, particularly when it comes to writing reviews.
No need to send months ahead for my purposes — I don’t want to be reading info that I’ll forget anyway, especially if I have multiple sits ahead of yours.
Some bad hosts hold back info till late, hoping to trap sitters who can’t change plans even if unpleasantly surprised. That’s happened to some sitters, according to some forum posts. For my part, I always have a backup plan, so I wouldn’t ever be trapped. And I suggest that all sitters and hosts have them as well.
Personally, I also have no interest in sitting anywhere with unexpected gardening or plant care, or with animals that unexpectedly increase in numbers. I’ll happily leave those sits to other folks.