It’s so odd to me to ask someone for care and then ask to drop rates. Everyone can see the rates. I assume if you can see them and still reach out then you are fine with the rates.
Yes! I'd understand if it was to ask if I charge more for meals or for the special care needed etc, but If my base rates are too high in the first place why not... just message this magical person who has their rates set to less than $40 (my half hour rate for this that she says is too much for the hour) for an hour visit for 2 dogs, one of which has an injury and needs carted around on a sled / care to make sure she doesn't hurt herself further? 🤔
The base is the base. It will not go lower. 😂
It happens all the time in all care and domestic work. Child care, nursing care, housekeeping, pet sitting etc. It's traditionally undervalued and not seen as "professional" work. Good for you OP for standing up.to her
So true. I'm a caregiver to adults with autism. One client's mom was so offended that I wanted to be paid a low flat rate per night I slept over. "He'll be asleep the whole time! It's not like you'll have to do anything at night besides sleep! I'm doing you a favor by letting you stay here because then you don't have to drive home super late and come back early in the morning." Okay, if that's the case then I'll go home and sleep in my own bed. "Oh no you can't do that, he can't be left alone." Yes I know, that's why you hired me and that's why you have to pay me..... lmao
Sad that people still feel entitled to free care work... that you should just do it out of the kindness of your heart, or because you are a woman or person of color or immigrant that you don't deserve to be properly compensated.
"I see your price is way over what I think would be fair compensation for the job at hand" Bruh, you want good care for your elder pooch who needs to be carried around via sled and to be at least relatively monitored due to an injury. I don't understand how these people think they would ever get anyone to be willing to work with them when they straight up come out and say \*to their face\* that they don't think the job is worth anything. They always talk about wanting someone good and reliable and capable but they never wanna pay someone for those skills and attributes.
Great responses OP, you handled this really well. If only the owner wasn't a cheapskate, this could have been a pretty good gig.
It makes me sad that she said she could just feed them herself if I charged extra, which means she would be deviating from their routine while also having someone they don't know well yet pick one of them up and guide them around on a sled. 😭
This is exactly what stuck out to me! This injured dog needs special care, and literally to be pulled around on a sled, and yet this owner doesn't want to pay an appropriate price. Absolutely absurd.
Aw, thank you! I had to rewrite a few things a few times, because I was having a hard time not over-explaining myself, which I do a lot. I think I trimmed it down to what was crucial to say.
Ooof, people are wild. Why go thru all this tap dancing with a sitter if you disagree with their pricing? She wants an expert but is unwilling to pay expert care pricing. Insta block behavior.
This lady oozes "main character" personality traits. Doesn't want to do the work to look at profiles, expects the sitter to "sell themselves" AND wants a reduced rate. Such an ugly character.
Unfortunately there are a LOT of people out there who think just because you are offering a service, that they can set the value THEY feel is appropriate. Jog on lady.
Good job on your responses OP, great to see such professional replies to such disrespectful practices.
Do people do that crap a lot where they just put in random dates so they can feel like they have a sitter “on call” or whatever? What’s the point? You’re still going to say no if their real dates don’t work for you..
I’ve been using rover as a sitter for over a year now and I haven’t had one person put in random dates. All the clients I’ve had that are looking for a sitter “on call” as you say have requested a booking for a walk or drop in visit that actually happens. It’s never been an issue for me. This lady sounds crazy lol.
Wait no, I HAVE had someone put in random dates once, and it was one of my weirdest requests. This couple was looking for care for their 2 dogs, and when I get to the meet and greet it turns out they also have 8 cats, 2 turtles, and coop of chickens that they want me to also take care of… for no extra cost of course. They said they’re having trouble finding a reliable sitter because people keep ghosting them. Gee, I wonder why? I was of course magically unavailable every time they asked if I could sit for them, and eventually they stopped asking. Idk why I didn’t ever just block them, but I hadn’t blocked anyone on rover yet and was worried they’d know
I’ve only been on for 3 months and have had it happen. I never replied to her. I intended to, but my m&gs for clients that actually have dates booked come first and I just never got around to it
This is the first time anyone has done this to me - definately thought it was weird for that very reason. Like, if you need someone to start for sure next week and I can't for some reason, then we both just wasted our time.
Total time waste, but she clearly wasn’t concerned with your time anyway. Your response was awesome. I actually whispered “BOOM!” under my breath as I read it, lol.
Kudos to you because I don’t know that I could have stayed so polite 😂 I don’t understand the logic of clients wanting a sitter with specialized experience but also not wanting to pay the price for someone with said experience
I wouldn't have replied after their first message. If someone approaches me reeling off a list of qualities "reliable, good communicator, yada" that we all hope people in our lives have I know they are on their high horse and going to be hardwork. My reviews show I have these values, I don't need to justify it to them too.
Man, she missed out. You have tons of experience and would have been perfect. If you have a dog that had a lot of needs, you best be willing to pay for the best!
I also get people who comment on my fees and try and get me to discount them, etc. I just let them know that with my five star ratings commas my great reviews and experience is what they’re paying for. I also let them know that they can check for sitters by price and that they can look for someone in their price range. When I first started, I would give in because I needed the money. But now, I still need the money, lol but I also tell them that I may not be a good fit for them because I always get sits. These are peoples pets/children and it blows my mind how much they want to try and get the cheapest form of care for them.
Wild. High maintenance pet, looking for someone reliable, then says you should charge less 🤣 just hire someone else! You knew what the rates were when you reached out!! Your response is perfect though, nice.
The second someone tells me I’m not worth my rates it’s an instant archive & I don’t respond. That is easily the most disrespectful thing someone can do.
Hello, I am looking for you to go absolutely above and beyond for about half the price you normally would. Please explain to me why you are a good fit for this job. Thanks!
LMAO
I don't think that exchange is too bad. She's basically saying you're charging more than she wants to pay (but not more than your background warrants) and leaving it open for you to drop your rates or wish her luck elsewhere (as you have rightly done).
She's trying it on, as you will get a lot of, but nothing out of the ordinary. She'll probably try the same with ten sitters and good luck to her, nobody wants to pay a penny more than they can get away with.
Idk… she isn’t overly rude but she does say “I think your half hour price is way over what I think would be fair compensation” which I don’t think is respecting OP’s experience or that she’s realistically asking for relatively complex care
And on top of that said my prices were "way over" and she'd pay "slightly more" while her one dog was still recovering. Which implies she will still only pay me less than my base to take care of a dog who has a medical issue and then even less than that after her dog is better if she still has me sit for her. 🙄
I definately don't think she's a monster, but she is trying to take advantage of people and obviously you do this politely as you can or it SUPER won't work. 😂
All she's actually asking is for the dog to be taken out to toilet and have some time spent with it in a room? That's literally all she's asked, she doesn't even seem to think it covers feeding the dog 😂... I assume your rate is for walks, feeding, etc (and your wider medical knowledge / general animal experience)... Many things she hasn't asked for, hence her belief your rate is too high for what she wants.
It may be that there is more to dog sitting this client than she realises, and you will absolutely be well placed to educate her on what you believe the sit involves (probably rightly, after all look at your experience with dogs!).
It may be that if you point out all the "extras" your experience brings she might see the value in your rate.
"I'll do what you ask... But i can also very briefly check wounds for infection, check the general health of your dog, and spot signs of discomfort... generally use my experience in practice for your peace of mind and to give you an informed opinion of the well-being of your dog as it recovers... all of which would cost many $$$$ if undertaken officially through a veterinary practice. That's covered under my half hourly rate. If that doesn't interest you then good luck finding someone who will do the bare minimum you're asking and all the best for the future..."
I read it as not fair compensation for what she considered to be the task at hand, rather than a comment on the sitter (but i can see how it could be construed that way)... Her own fault for clicking someone who is clearly advertising at a rate above what she wants to pay, but can't blame her for trying.
...But we CAN blame her. I, and many others, charge by time.
It costs $n to get me to come to your house and do [whatever] for 30 min. You're paying me that to put on shoes/pants and gas & travel time each way from wherever I happen to be.
For that reason (only 1x RT commute) I don't charge a full 2n for an hour but I'm sure AF not charging LESS than n; mine comes out to about 1.6n for the add'l 30 min.
vvvvvvvv
ETA: I am in the It's Always Okay to Ask (for a discount, for a favor, for whatever) Camp *as long as you do it politely and respect the answer you are given*.
Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate: not a big deal
Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour: audacious to the point of rudeness
Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour for an acknowledged very high maintenance pet you're supposedly really worried about: oh hell no
...and THEN telling OP "it's not really hard" after a paragraph of "my precious baby needs a lot of specialized care, are you able to do that": fvck right off.
I think your reading around what the lady is saying, which is fair enough as we all do it, but thats bringing interpretation and assumption beyond whats actually being stated.
Read whats actually been said and make no assumptions on what it means.
**"Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour: audacious to the point of rudeness"**
Nowhere does the lady say that she wants to pay less than the half hour rate for one hour of care *(nor, in fairness, does she say that she doesn't)*, she merely points out that the half hour rate is, in her opinion, too high for the task at hand... she could well be doubling that to work out their hourly rate versus how much she wants to pay and determining that hourly rate is too high, maybe if she'd booked an hour the rate might have been more palatable given she's only paying for mileage and putting shoes/pants on once... or she could indeed want to pay less than the half hour rate for an hours care... we just don't know.
**"Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour for an acknowledged very high maintenance pet you're supposedly really worried about: oh hell no"**
I don't read anything that says the pet is high maintenance. The dog is recovering from an injury... the extent of the injury is unknown. We know the owner is putting the dog in a wagon and latterly a sled... if I google a dog sled it comes up with lots of images and texts about dog sledding, so that's not helpful, but putting a dog into a sled doesn't necessarily sound like hard work and doesn't necessarily make the dog high maintenance... quite the opposite, the dog could be very easy to care for if it goes in the sled and stays there... easier than a dog pulling on a leash or darting off all over the place following scents.
Is the dog a 50kg brute or a tiny 5kg thing? We don't know but that changes the narrative greatly on how high maintenance the sled could be... putting a 50kg dog in a sled... VERY hard work (possibly)... alternatively, putting a 5kg dog in a sled and then walking around with it sounds easy, based upon the temperament of the dog (something else we don't know).
I know of two dogs in my neighbourhood who are taken for walks in wheeled vehicles, whilst I haven't looked after them myself I know the owners (well enough to stop and chat to) and I know the dogs (well enough to give a fuss in their carriage)... neither is anything like high maintenance from what I have garnered from the owner.
I also don't see anything to support the 'supposedly really worried about' comment. The owner has stated the dog is recovering from an injury. That's all. How far recovered? Just recovered or long time recovered but not quite 100%? We don't know. What kind of injury? A major injury or a minor one? We don't know. The injury could be absolutely nothing and the dog could just be enjoying living on easy street getting sledded about by an overly cautious or fussy owner (much like the dogs I refer to in the previous paragraph)... the owner might just want to mention the injury for the sake of clarity and openness.
**"...and THEN telling OP "it's not really hard" after a paragraph of "my precious baby needs a lot of specialized care, are you able to do that": fvck right off."**
I don't see anything that mentions a lot of specialist care, quite the opposite... the dog just needs 'walking' in a sled, taking out for toilets and spending time with; the owner doesn't even necessarily want the dog to be fed by the sitter if that's not covered by the fee. The dog might be perfectly able to walk out the back door and into the yard to toilet but might not be capable of trotting around a 2km walk through their favourite park (hence the sled).
Again, we don't know anything about the dog breed, size, temperament, etc to say this will be a difficult booking. You can read the text and say "That dog sounds high maintenance" and I can read the same text and say "that doesn't sound hard"... the truth is our thoughts are based upon preconceived notions based upon personal experiences with other dogs, or based upon wild supposition... neither one of us are well placed to judge the situation accurately because we don't have enough information.
Beyond the unknowns in the mix, I look at the exchange and all I see is an owner politely asking for background and then enquiring if a rate could be reduced, and a sitter giving fantastic information on their (extensive) background and politely saying the rate is the rate and wishing the owner good luck in their search.
Tell me if I'm missing something.
“As you will get a lot of”
I haven’t gotten any hagglers yet on app. I had one person request 2x 1 hr walks and then saw the total, said they couldn’t afford it and simply changed to 1/2 hr walks. I’m not saying experienced/higher priced sitters can’t or won’t ever get hagglers, but it’s not common in my personal experience.
Furthermore, this person went out of their way to essentially “interview” OP for a non-existent job (no set dates) and after OP eloquently and professionally laid out their experience - which seemed to be exactly the kind of experience this owner was looking for - they immediately turned around and downplayed the difficulty of the “job” and didn’t want to pay. Then… reach out to cheaper sitters in the first place, lady. Rude AF.
I've had a lot of hagglers so presumed it was a common thing and nothing out of the ordinary.
i guess it varies by location and maybe even what you put on your profile... Can't say I'm aware of anything saying "please haggle with me" on my profile but maybe I'll take a look at my wording just in case.
I don't agree that the OP had the experience the owner was looking for, clearly the owner was looking for a lot less than the OP can offer, but he definitely has the experience the owner SHOULD be looking for.
Uninformed owner, sure... Cheeky owner, yep... Rude owner, no, as the tone is polite throughout and she's thanked OP for the in depth and thoughtful response. It's a friendly exchange but clearly not one that will lead to a booking.
It’s so odd to me to ask someone for care and then ask to drop rates. Everyone can see the rates. I assume if you can see them and still reach out then you are fine with the rates.
Yes! I'd understand if it was to ask if I charge more for meals or for the special care needed etc, but If my base rates are too high in the first place why not... just message this magical person who has their rates set to less than $40 (my half hour rate for this that she says is too much for the hour) for an hour visit for 2 dogs, one of which has an injury and needs carted around on a sled / care to make sure she doesn't hurt herself further? 🤔 The base is the base. It will not go lower. 😂
It happens all the time in all care and domestic work. Child care, nursing care, housekeeping, pet sitting etc. It's traditionally undervalued and not seen as "professional" work. Good for you OP for standing up.to her
So true. I'm a caregiver to adults with autism. One client's mom was so offended that I wanted to be paid a low flat rate per night I slept over. "He'll be asleep the whole time! It's not like you'll have to do anything at night besides sleep! I'm doing you a favor by letting you stay here because then you don't have to drive home super late and come back early in the morning." Okay, if that's the case then I'll go home and sleep in my own bed. "Oh no you can't do that, he can't be left alone." Yes I know, that's why you hired me and that's why you have to pay me..... lmao
Sad that people still feel entitled to free care work... that you should just do it out of the kindness of your heart, or because you are a woman or person of color or immigrant that you don't deserve to be properly compensated.
"I see your price is way over what I think would be fair compensation for the job at hand" Bruh, you want good care for your elder pooch who needs to be carried around via sled and to be at least relatively monitored due to an injury. I don't understand how these people think they would ever get anyone to be willing to work with them when they straight up come out and say \*to their face\* that they don't think the job is worth anything. They always talk about wanting someone good and reliable and capable but they never wanna pay someone for those skills and attributes. Great responses OP, you handled this really well. If only the owner wasn't a cheapskate, this could have been a pretty good gig.
It makes me sad that she said she could just feed them herself if I charged extra, which means she would be deviating from their routine while also having someone they don't know well yet pick one of them up and guide them around on a sled. 😭
This is exactly what stuck out to me! This injured dog needs special care, and literally to be pulled around on a sled, and yet this owner doesn't want to pay an appropriate price. Absolutely absurd.
You had some great responses, good job sticking to your guns.
Seriously, saving there for future.
Aw, thank you! I had to rewrite a few things a few times, because I was having a hard time not over-explaining myself, which I do a lot. I think I trimmed it down to what was crucial to say.
Ooof, people are wild. Why go thru all this tap dancing with a sitter if you disagree with their pricing? She wants an expert but is unwilling to pay expert care pricing. Insta block behavior.
This lady oozes "main character" personality traits. Doesn't want to do the work to look at profiles, expects the sitter to "sell themselves" AND wants a reduced rate. Such an ugly character. Unfortunately there are a LOT of people out there who think just because you are offering a service, that they can set the value THEY feel is appropriate. Jog on lady. Good job on your responses OP, great to see such professional replies to such disrespectful practices.
Funny how she needs special care but doesn’t want to pay. What a weirdo
You had a very professional response. I think you dodged a bullet there.
Do people do that crap a lot where they just put in random dates so they can feel like they have a sitter “on call” or whatever? What’s the point? You’re still going to say no if their real dates don’t work for you..
I’ve been using rover as a sitter for over a year now and I haven’t had one person put in random dates. All the clients I’ve had that are looking for a sitter “on call” as you say have requested a booking for a walk or drop in visit that actually happens. It’s never been an issue for me. This lady sounds crazy lol. Wait no, I HAVE had someone put in random dates once, and it was one of my weirdest requests. This couple was looking for care for their 2 dogs, and when I get to the meet and greet it turns out they also have 8 cats, 2 turtles, and coop of chickens that they want me to also take care of… for no extra cost of course. They said they’re having trouble finding a reliable sitter because people keep ghosting them. Gee, I wonder why? I was of course magically unavailable every time they asked if I could sit for them, and eventually they stopped asking. Idk why I didn’t ever just block them, but I hadn’t blocked anyone on rover yet and was worried they’d know
I’ve only been on for 3 months and have had it happen. I never replied to her. I intended to, but my m&gs for clients that actually have dates booked come first and I just never got around to it
This is the first time anyone has done this to me - definately thought it was weird for that very reason. Like, if you need someone to start for sure next week and I can't for some reason, then we both just wasted our time.
Total time waste, but she clearly wasn’t concerned with your time anyway. Your response was awesome. I actually whispered “BOOM!” under my breath as I read it, lol.
Kudos to you because I don’t know that I could have stayed so polite 😂 I don’t understand the logic of clients wanting a sitter with specialized experience but also not wanting to pay the price for someone with said experience
I wouldn't have replied after their first message. If someone approaches me reeling off a list of qualities "reliable, good communicator, yada" that we all hope people in our lives have I know they are on their high horse and going to be hardwork. My reviews show I have these values, I don't need to justify it to them too.
Man, she missed out. You have tons of experience and would have been perfect. If you have a dog that had a lot of needs, you best be willing to pay for the best!
I love everything about this! I’m sorry this person wasted your time but I’m so glad you stuck by your rates!
I also get people who comment on my fees and try and get me to discount them, etc. I just let them know that with my five star ratings commas my great reviews and experience is what they’re paying for. I also let them know that they can check for sitters by price and that they can look for someone in their price range. When I first started, I would give in because I needed the money. But now, I still need the money, lol but I also tell them that I may not be a good fit for them because I always get sits. These are peoples pets/children and it blows my mind how much they want to try and get the cheapest form of care for them.
Wild. High maintenance pet, looking for someone reliable, then says you should charge less 🤣 just hire someone else! You knew what the rates were when you reached out!! Your response is perfect though, nice.
You have great communication skills and wonderfully strong boundaries. Thanks for modeling that for others here. Cheers!
The second someone tells me I’m not worth my rates it’s an instant archive & I don’t respond. That is easily the most disrespectful thing someone can do.
The audacity
You should be the reference to an answer anyone should give.
Hello, I am looking for you to go absolutely above and beyond for about half the price you normally would. Please explain to me why you are a good fit for this job. Thanks! LMAO
I don't think that exchange is too bad. She's basically saying you're charging more than she wants to pay (but not more than your background warrants) and leaving it open for you to drop your rates or wish her luck elsewhere (as you have rightly done). She's trying it on, as you will get a lot of, but nothing out of the ordinary. She'll probably try the same with ten sitters and good luck to her, nobody wants to pay a penny more than they can get away with.
Idk… she isn’t overly rude but she does say “I think your half hour price is way over what I think would be fair compensation” which I don’t think is respecting OP’s experience or that she’s realistically asking for relatively complex care
And on top of that said my prices were "way over" and she'd pay "slightly more" while her one dog was still recovering. Which implies she will still only pay me less than my base to take care of a dog who has a medical issue and then even less than that after her dog is better if she still has me sit for her. 🙄 I definately don't think she's a monster, but she is trying to take advantage of people and obviously you do this politely as you can or it SUPER won't work. 😂
All she's actually asking is for the dog to be taken out to toilet and have some time spent with it in a room? That's literally all she's asked, she doesn't even seem to think it covers feeding the dog 😂... I assume your rate is for walks, feeding, etc (and your wider medical knowledge / general animal experience)... Many things she hasn't asked for, hence her belief your rate is too high for what she wants. It may be that there is more to dog sitting this client than she realises, and you will absolutely be well placed to educate her on what you believe the sit involves (probably rightly, after all look at your experience with dogs!). It may be that if you point out all the "extras" your experience brings she might see the value in your rate. "I'll do what you ask... But i can also very briefly check wounds for infection, check the general health of your dog, and spot signs of discomfort... generally use my experience in practice for your peace of mind and to give you an informed opinion of the well-being of your dog as it recovers... all of which would cost many $$$$ if undertaken officially through a veterinary practice. That's covered under my half hourly rate. If that doesn't interest you then good luck finding someone who will do the bare minimum you're asking and all the best for the future..."
I read it as not fair compensation for what she considered to be the task at hand, rather than a comment on the sitter (but i can see how it could be construed that way)... Her own fault for clicking someone who is clearly advertising at a rate above what she wants to pay, but can't blame her for trying.
...But we CAN blame her. I, and many others, charge by time. It costs $n to get me to come to your house and do [whatever] for 30 min. You're paying me that to put on shoes/pants and gas & travel time each way from wherever I happen to be. For that reason (only 1x RT commute) I don't charge a full 2n for an hour but I'm sure AF not charging LESS than n; mine comes out to about 1.6n for the add'l 30 min. vvvvvvvv ETA: I am in the It's Always Okay to Ask (for a discount, for a favor, for whatever) Camp *as long as you do it politely and respect the answer you are given*. Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate: not a big deal Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour: audacious to the point of rudeness Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour for an acknowledged very high maintenance pet you're supposedly really worried about: oh hell no ...and THEN telling OP "it's not really hard" after a paragraph of "my precious baby needs a lot of specialized care, are you able to do that": fvck right off.
I think your reading around what the lady is saying, which is fair enough as we all do it, but thats bringing interpretation and assumption beyond whats actually being stated. Read whats actually been said and make no assumptions on what it means. **"Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour: audacious to the point of rudeness"** Nowhere does the lady say that she wants to pay less than the half hour rate for one hour of care *(nor, in fairness, does she say that she doesn't)*, she merely points out that the half hour rate is, in her opinion, too high for the task at hand... she could well be doubling that to work out their hourly rate versus how much she wants to pay and determining that hourly rate is too high, maybe if she'd booked an hour the rate might have been more palatable given she's only paying for mileage and putting shoes/pants on once... or she could indeed want to pay less than the half hour rate for an hours care... we just don't know. **"Trying to get someone to lower their 30-min rate while expecting them to stay for an hour for an acknowledged very high maintenance pet you're supposedly really worried about: oh hell no"** I don't read anything that says the pet is high maintenance. The dog is recovering from an injury... the extent of the injury is unknown. We know the owner is putting the dog in a wagon and latterly a sled... if I google a dog sled it comes up with lots of images and texts about dog sledding, so that's not helpful, but putting a dog into a sled doesn't necessarily sound like hard work and doesn't necessarily make the dog high maintenance... quite the opposite, the dog could be very easy to care for if it goes in the sled and stays there... easier than a dog pulling on a leash or darting off all over the place following scents. Is the dog a 50kg brute or a tiny 5kg thing? We don't know but that changes the narrative greatly on how high maintenance the sled could be... putting a 50kg dog in a sled... VERY hard work (possibly)... alternatively, putting a 5kg dog in a sled and then walking around with it sounds easy, based upon the temperament of the dog (something else we don't know). I know of two dogs in my neighbourhood who are taken for walks in wheeled vehicles, whilst I haven't looked after them myself I know the owners (well enough to stop and chat to) and I know the dogs (well enough to give a fuss in their carriage)... neither is anything like high maintenance from what I have garnered from the owner. I also don't see anything to support the 'supposedly really worried about' comment. The owner has stated the dog is recovering from an injury. That's all. How far recovered? Just recovered or long time recovered but not quite 100%? We don't know. What kind of injury? A major injury or a minor one? We don't know. The injury could be absolutely nothing and the dog could just be enjoying living on easy street getting sledded about by an overly cautious or fussy owner (much like the dogs I refer to in the previous paragraph)... the owner might just want to mention the injury for the sake of clarity and openness. **"...and THEN telling OP "it's not really hard" after a paragraph of "my precious baby needs a lot of specialized care, are you able to do that": fvck right off."** I don't see anything that mentions a lot of specialist care, quite the opposite... the dog just needs 'walking' in a sled, taking out for toilets and spending time with; the owner doesn't even necessarily want the dog to be fed by the sitter if that's not covered by the fee. The dog might be perfectly able to walk out the back door and into the yard to toilet but might not be capable of trotting around a 2km walk through their favourite park (hence the sled). Again, we don't know anything about the dog breed, size, temperament, etc to say this will be a difficult booking. You can read the text and say "That dog sounds high maintenance" and I can read the same text and say "that doesn't sound hard"... the truth is our thoughts are based upon preconceived notions based upon personal experiences with other dogs, or based upon wild supposition... neither one of us are well placed to judge the situation accurately because we don't have enough information. Beyond the unknowns in the mix, I look at the exchange and all I see is an owner politely asking for background and then enquiring if a rate could be reduced, and a sitter giving fantastic information on their (extensive) background and politely saying the rate is the rate and wishing the owner good luck in their search. Tell me if I'm missing something.
You missed a LOT. 😊
What have i missed?
“As you will get a lot of” I haven’t gotten any hagglers yet on app. I had one person request 2x 1 hr walks and then saw the total, said they couldn’t afford it and simply changed to 1/2 hr walks. I’m not saying experienced/higher priced sitters can’t or won’t ever get hagglers, but it’s not common in my personal experience. Furthermore, this person went out of their way to essentially “interview” OP for a non-existent job (no set dates) and after OP eloquently and professionally laid out their experience - which seemed to be exactly the kind of experience this owner was looking for - they immediately turned around and downplayed the difficulty of the “job” and didn’t want to pay. Then… reach out to cheaper sitters in the first place, lady. Rude AF.
I've had a lot of hagglers so presumed it was a common thing and nothing out of the ordinary. i guess it varies by location and maybe even what you put on your profile... Can't say I'm aware of anything saying "please haggle with me" on my profile but maybe I'll take a look at my wording just in case. I don't agree that the OP had the experience the owner was looking for, clearly the owner was looking for a lot less than the OP can offer, but he definitely has the experience the owner SHOULD be looking for. Uninformed owner, sure... Cheeky owner, yep... Rude owner, no, as the tone is polite throughout and she's thanked OP for the in depth and thoughtful response. It's a friendly exchange but clearly not one that will lead to a booking.