I’m an HO and at this very moment I’m sitting in Stuttgart, Germany in a hotel enjoying my first holiday away thanks to THS. I shall definitely make sure I do my review when I get back. Thank you Gavin (my current sitter) and thank you all my future sitters😊
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What a wonderful message @Sally1959 thank you for sharing, I hope there’s a glass or cup of something involved? I’m picturing feet up and relaxing after a great day of exploring …
Whatever you are doing so glad to hear you are doing just what makes you happy knowing all is well at home with Gavin … and who would Gavin be enjoying the companionship of?
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We were just getting ready to head onwards to Munich and then to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau, it’s only performed every 10 years. We should have attended the performance in 2020 but it was cancelled (I think we all know why) Very excited to be able to see it this year. We could not have done it without THS. I’m pretty sure Gavin is having a great time too😊
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I had to chuckle. You have a policy of only leaving a reference after the home owner has posted one for you. What if the home owner only leaves a review after the sitter has posted one for her?
You enjoyed the sit. Write about it and move on.
Happy sitting!
Cheri in Northern California
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I also find with new home owners if you do your review first some of them respond to that and then think they have left you a review. The review system is confusing enough for new people without having to message them again to explain that isn’t actually the review 
If I look at sits where the owners have had several sitters and never left a review I tend to not apply. These are popular sits where they get lots of applicants anyway so may be unlikely to change their behaviour even if it was pointed out.
Munich is a-mazing. Be sure to sample the main square and the bierkeller just off the centre. Lots of history there. Hitler addressed his followers in an upstairs room there. Ask to see it. Its unchanged since the 1930s.
Oberammergau is on my to do list once i retire!
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There are some people who won’t review anything online or anywhere else. It’s their choice. There’s nothing anyone can do to make someone write a review. In fact I have seen bad reviews (not on this site) because the person has been pestered by emails and messages to write one. So be careful.
If a pet owner doesn’t write a review after our sit it doesn’t put me up nor down. I know they are important to have but how many skims through them only looking at the star rating? To be honest they’re not worth the paper they are written on until THS fixes the way they are done. Everyone is afraid to give a bad one in case of retaliation.
Bring on the blind review…….please.
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I had that happen recently and they weren’t even new HOs. I just messaged them and ask them to cut and paste the same thing and leave it as a review. I told them where to find it and they did it for me right away.
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True to my word, we got back Monday 4th July and I have just been completed my sitters review.
If my first sitter, Gavin, is an example of all you other sitters, you are all more than welcome in my home to look after my dogs😊 Thank you THS
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@JudithRogers, interesting you should say that. I had two HO’s in a row saying that they are trying to figure out how to leave a review. I had to send them detailed instructions, and then it worked. So I agree it might not be very intuitive for everyone.
I was looking for the thread discussing split sits.
My most recent sit was a split sit. The HOs had invited back their fave sitter (who is clearly now their friend) and then their travel plans changed, so they needed a 2nd person (me) to take over for the 2nd week. I met the #1 sitter in person when I arrived at the airport (she was departing so the timing worked). It was early enough that I thought it reasonable that she might not have had time to wash sheets and remake bed, so I asked her about that. I didn’t mind if I had to do so. She said, “Oh yeah bed remade all done!” I get there, and one side of the bed is wrinkly. So, yeah, I don’t think she washed the sheets that morning and remade the bed, so I did it. The kitchen was clean. The bathroom was not. (Why people think it’s OK not to clean under the rim, is beyond me.)
Well, I thought the sit went fine overall. HO wife had traveled separately to where she didn’t have cell phone service. HO husb became the primary communicator. And his texting style was, um, curt. And then somewhat…I don’t know, snarky. I met him at the airport with his vehicle and we had a very brief chat and that was it. I just saw that they reviewed sitter #1 with ebullient praise, including that she left the place “sooo clean and tidy!!”. No review for me. I have a bad feeling. How would you handle this?
@Katie, I would write them a polite, upbeat note telling them you enjoyed your stay, then state everything you did while there, in a way that gives no impression whatsoever of sour grapes.
Then tell them in detail what you did for their home and their pets so when you ask them for a review they will be able to refer to this note.
End by thanking them, telling them how much you enjoyed the sit, that you were so glad to be able to help them out when they realized they had to extend their trip and then ask if they wouldn’t mind writing you a review as it’s very important to you.
Good luck and let us know what happens.
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I imagine it must be very frustrating to have a great sit, and afterwards not receive a review. Most certainly, when first starting out, and we know those reviews can lead to us being offered future sits. The idea of who reviews and/or does the feedback first can be a very personal choice. If I see lots of prior sits, and no feedback, it does raise a red flag. However, if a sitter returns several times, and still no feedback, then there is something to be said about that too. Perhaps there’s a point where it’s time to move on and consider it a lesson learned. Make it a personal decision to either pick a HO that consistently leave reviews, or take a chance on a new HO, and help them through the process of leaving a review, if that becomes an issue. We’ve been very pleased with the review process, thus far. To my surprise, since arriving overseas, I’ve noticed our HOs posted reviews almost immediately after we left. We are from the US and most of our sits have been in the US, so it was nice to have a quick response from the HO, rather than waiting (patiently) for some of our previous reviews. I did, at one point, submit the feedback before our review, but that was in an effort to remind our HO to provide her review. This is definitely a two-way street 
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I’m going through this right now - waiting for a review. After my last few sits I decided a few days after the sit to leave the homeowner a review which prompted their review. It’s been almost a week now so I will just message the homeowners to follow up. I left them a nice thank you gift upon parting and have no acknowledgement of that either.
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That would really leave a sour taste in my mouth, having left a small gift, even a token gift, and to be kept waiting for a review. I’m also waiting on a review.
I did a three week sit recently which ended two weeks ago: a hefty chunk out of my summer school holiday. I spent the first three days knocking on neighbours’ doors searching for one of the two cats which went awol the minute I arrived (I’m sure it was nothing personal!). The HO was in the Far East and was, I know, frantically worried but the cat reappeared and I went over and beyond to make sure the cat was safe until the HO’s return. They’ve promised to review but nothing has been forthcoming and my WhatsApp messages and texts are unread.
So far, I’m pretty disappointed especially as I wrote my feedback within 24 hours.
Did you get your review after all?
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Yeah - it wasn’t exactly the greatest sit either as the dogs chewed my husband’s glasses but I didn’t mention that in my review but will personally email them to warn future sitters. That is if I hear from them!
That is so annoying and disappointing. This is something that makes me question whether to renew my membership each year as I don’t like feeling used. When you think of what it costs to put pets in a kennel or cattery, and as a sitter being so responsible for the pets, the least homeowners can do is a leave a review in a timely manner.
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I think it happens pretty rarely so I wouldn’t use that as a basis for the decision. We’ve done 15 sits and have had 15 reviews. Only one we had to wait a week for and I know they’d had a lot going on at the time so I wasn’t worried about it.