Please help me clarify some standard practices
I recently applied and was chosen for an exchange and I think the homeowner accidentally put in the wrong start date. When I messaged them to confirm my arrival time on the original start date that we had spoken about they asked how I was going to get the keys and see the apartment since I wasn’t coming in a day early.
This is for a cat and in over a dozen Trusted house sitter exchanges so far we have only met the homeowner once. All other times there have been detailed instructions on how to enter and I have typically been given a tour of the Home or apartment in the initial video call interview.
I am feeling a little stressed right now because before I went back to double check our conversation and verify that I had not told them I would be in the day before or that I would even be able to do that, I was eager to appease and offered to even have a relative pick up the key.
but then I realised I had never committed to a specific arrival time, even though they thought I had. Our last conversation said that we would discuss the arrival details later..
The homeowner already checked with their regular paid to see if they were available after our conversation , but they also said that they would prefer to work things out with me.
Have I just sat for unusual Cat people/homeowners? In that they aren’t concerned about in person hand off /meeting?
Isn’t it the responsibility to think about how to safely get the key to sitter if they don’t meet ahead of time?
I have learned over the years that I am happiest when I have a relaxed homeowner- Whether that be in my professional life as a house and petsitter or in the exchanges we have done. I feel some stress about this now because I don’t want to jump through hoops to try to figure out the key situation and I really am not able to arrive a day earlier.
I also am very proud of not cancelling any confirmed exchanges and I want to keep it that way. At this point though I feel like maybe I should just get a couple days in an Airbnb and skip the exchange, (it’s 5 days so I would shorten my trip, which is fine ) especially if she has a professional Sitter That can take care of her cat.
your thoughts and perspectives are appreciated!
In my heart I feel like this would be a wonderful sit. The homeowner has great reviews and she has given other sitters great reviews but we have also had a very stressful few weeks at home and I am tired . I need to ensure that there will be no hard feelings and selfishly that this will be a relaxing and ”easy” exchange .
We have another exchange booked to start the evening that this one ends (both sits within driving distance) and the homeowner is exactly like all the others in which she does not feel like she needs to meet us in advance and has a code to enter her home instead of a more complicated system.
Thank you for helping me sort through the standard protocol and figure out the best way to proceed.
frankly, if the miscommunication is causing some anxiety for the homeowner, I also fear a negative review. I work hard for my good reviews!