... to not take bookings from this client in future?

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

I posted this yesterday but it wasn't read:

I have a small pet sitting business and normally send photographs of the animals to the owners - not every single visit, but several during the course of the pet sitting assignment, but I do message them every day to let them know everything is fine. This always works well. Most don't expect photos or videos and are grateful to see them when they do get them.

One customer has gone away today, fed the animals before they left, and I have been round this evening. It was around 9.30 as I had an evening meeting and had to travel on public transport which is only every half hour after 7pm, and then pick up my car. I'd already had a message asking if everything was OK and replied that yes it was, but I hadn't taken photographs this evening.

I received a message back asking for photographs tomorrow. I've looked after these animals before, and was asked for photos of each of them, possibly if they were eating. When I sent this I was asked for videos. It's very time-consuming and these are shy animals that hide, and I'm going to scare them hunting them down for photo opportunities like paparazzi.

They also have a webcam targeted on the areas the animals go, so they can see they are safe, happy, eating etc, that the food has gone.

Do you think it is anxiety over the pets, or is it that they can't actually believe I've been to feed them if I don't send pictures every single time? I feel unnerved to have it demanded of me. What do you think?

Update today:

I said that I would see them around 5.45. At 7pm I received a text from one of the owners chasing up, asking if everything was OK, and if I had been. I replied when I saw it, about 20 minutes later, that yes it was, and I hadn't replied immediately because I was at a yoga class. I took photographs and sent them on and told them I had also taken the dustbin out for them, and that the animals were fine, eating well and happy.

They come back, asking me to agree on when they can expect to receive an update for the rest of the week, as they would prefer knowing exactly when to check WhatsApp rather than constantly checking.

I asked them if there is a specific time they want me to call (bearing in mind I have a life!)

I received this:

Could you please visit them at 6? On Saturday, could you please come between 12-1 pm? In both cases, can you please send an update and pics straightaway? Thank you. Have a nice evening.

I've decided that I will no longer accept bookings from them. As I will see at least one of the couple professionally, though, my plan is to be on holiday/fully booked up in future - also bearing in mind the possibility of negative reviews.

I feel policed, not trusted, and very anxious. This is not how it should be! I don't have this with other clients, and I'm not having it with these, either.

Am I unreasonable or are they?

You asked them what time they wanted you to visit the pets. You can’t then be annoyed when they give you a time. You should have just said you can’t do fixed times because you have other client commitments.

I paid a pet sitter to have my dog in her home. Her terms and conditions stated that she sent photos and videos daily, an update of how much they had eaten and how much exercise they'd had, including a little route map. That's why we booked her above anyone else, even though she was very expensive.

She did absolutely none of this, and when we asked her to provide what we had paid for, she also came back and said that was time consuming and that she felt like she couldn't get on with her day if she was having to sort out photos or videos. We had to ask her every day for an update, which she would grudgingly give about three hours after reading the message. She might have been annoyed at being asked to provide a basic service, but considering we paid her and trusted her with our dog, she absolutely was under obligation to do so. It wasn't like we'd asked her to do us a favour and we were being entitled. We employed her to do it. Just like you were employed to do it.

I commented upthread but I've just read all the comments.

I've actually changed my mind from 50:50 to being more on the clients' side here. If you fed the cats at 5.45pm and managed to make a yoga class at 6pm, you must have been there for five minutes - tops.

I suspect their webcam alerts them to your presence and they've realised you're just running in, putting food down and running out again - you genuinely can't be doing much more if you're on such a tight schedule.

Maybe they're after a bit more than that - someone who spends half an hour there to fuss the cats, play with them, give them some treats etc.

I'm a pet sitter myself but if I was paying £9.50 per visit and discovered the sitter was only there for a few minutes, I'd be pretty pissed off. I wouldn't expect them to spend ages but it takes a good 15-20 minutes to do a cat visit properly - litter trays, washing bowls, refilling biscuits and food, checking up on all the cats to make sure they're uninjured and happy, even if they're hiding somewhere, sorting post, closing curtains etc - how can you manage all that when you had to rush off to yoga?

Personally I think the 9:30 Visit was a bit late. If I was paying someone to feed my cat I would expect it done earlier. Especially if the cat was routinely fed earlier.

My pet feeder usually texts after the visit rather than after several visits but I guess each to their own.

the pictures/videos thing is a bit much tbh

I wondered about that too. Not sure if I’m reading the OP wrong but it sounds like you visited at 9:30pm but replied to a message at 7pm saying everything was ok, before you had even been in?

When did this become a thing - people needing photos/videos updates on their pets EVERY day when they're on holiday?

I've had cats for many years and we've done catteries, sitting service, neighbours. The most we get is a couple of texts in the week to let me know all is well. Current Cattery I may see a photo of them at some point during the week on the Facebook page.

For me, a holiday is a chance to try and switch off from normal life and enjoy a change of scene. I wouldn't be able to that if I was waiting by my phone every day for yet another photo of the cats eating (which as a PP pointed out could all have been taken on same day snywa)

can you just confirm what you will be doing op
dont be brow beaten
your job is to manage expectations

I wouldn't forget. I have alerts set for everything and a duplicate schedule available in my car as well as on my phone. And as I said earlier, they have trusted me for two weeks beforehand with a good review given (though I did feel unsettled that time). If something terrible had happened, they would know about it - I wouldn't just not call them.

I didn’t suggest for a moment that you would actually forget, or not call them if something happened. I just said that’s what might have been going through their minds when they didn’t hear from you.

I think you’re right to try to manage expectations better going forwards, that will save you headaches in the long run. Saying from the outset ‘I do all my visits between 5 and 10pm and I send out all the updates when I get home’ would do it. Then you’d be covered when they ask ‘can you visit at 6 every day and send updates right away?’ and could simply refer them back to that initial conversation.

But of course YANBU to drop them as a client if you prefer, you don’t have to work for anyone you don’t want to.

I don't think they're unreasonable. They have specific requests. If you feel you can't fulfil these, then say no next time.

Maybe push back and say that you won't be videoing the animals eating because it's not helpful to the nervous ones to chase them down for that purpose, and you think it would be better to give a wider window of time for sending pictures to accommodate your other commitments. They are saying it's inconvenient to keep checking WhatsApp, so just tell them you will have posted by, say, 9pm each day and that's when they should look.

I don’t think they are being unreasonable they are paying for a service and this is what they expect out of this service , I’d want pics too and wouldn’t be shy in asking for them and wouldn’t feel bad for saying could you go at x time when you’ve asked when do you want me to go.

Perhaps the answer is to charge them more, then, since their requirements demand more of OP's time.

1. Our cat, may pester you for food, but not eat it once put down and wanders off. It gets eaten later.
2. It’s unreasonable to ask for specific times for visits/whatapps. A window is fine. If they want to know the exact time of your visit perhaps they could get a ring doorbell? Perhaps one inside to monitor the feeding area and send them notifications.
3. Perfectly reasonable to be full/decline them next time.

I’m on their side here.

Our cat sitter gives us photos and videos on both visits daily. We pay her a lot for twice daily visits because we trust her and she’s happy to adhere to our terms.

We have a security system that logs who entered and how long they stayed. The cat sitter before her swore she was spending time with them, not just an in and out job but the security system didn’t log a visit longer than 6 minutes. We fired her.

Our cats are precious to us. We want to know they’re not only fed and watered but also given some cuddles and some play if they’re up for it. But we also pay over the odds for the service.

You've made a lot of assumptions. I'm not dependant on public transport. I had other things on this one time. I do not think it's too much hassle. I do think changing the goalposts and being stroppy for a mere £9.50 is a bit much. They aren't dogs. They don't want to play or be stimulated as you put it as they hide and are scared.

How much do you pay? I'm thinking I don't charge enough.

I have six cats of my own and lots of other happy grateful clients and cats.

I wouldn't be comfortable with your set up. Not because I'm skiving but because it's like Big Brother.

If you want to pick the time, then you pick the time. Don't ask people for a time and then be annoyed when they give it.

Presumably you are being paid for this, it isn't a favour? I would expect animals to be fed at a fairly regular time so that they don't get distressed; their tone is a bit much but you be fair you've left them really confused about when the cats are actually being looked after. It sounds like you have a lot going on each evening, so maybe you don't have time for regular feeding and should instead offer automated feeding trays plus a daily visit to clean up, replenish food, comfort pets, a daily text, no video etc. Your clients can then accept this or not based on what you can actually do, rather than based on their own idea of what looking after their pet consists of.

It sounds like you were only there for 15 minutes as you say you arrived around 5.45 and left for yoga at 6.
Maybe they were happy but then reviewed how long you were there or were told by neighbours.
Does your contract say how long you've there for or is it literally just to replace the food and water ?

No they were two separate days. They don't have a door cam and I was not lying.

YANBU to not work for these people again. However. If you'd only fed my cat at 9:30 pm when you'd usually feed him at 6ish that would be a big problem for me and for sure i would want to know from you that you had fed him at a (presumably agreed) time. I wouldn't book someone who i thought would traipse around doing Yoga over feeding my pet which I'm paying for.

And I'd be grumpy over a message 2 hours later saying "of course i went at 5:45" - because how would i know? for all i know it would be 9.30pm again which is too late.

TBH i think you need to agree in advance what level of service/feedback you are going to provide and price accordingly.

I am not grudging. I've been doing this for years with regular clients and no issues. Equally I'm not a servant.

I asked them AFTER the messages,. I didn't agree times and fail to stick to it. On ONE occasion it was 9.30 when the cats had been left a big bowl of dry food by the owner each at 11am.

I think you need to pre empt them and other clients and tell them how you work, that stops them giving you their demands which may or may not be unreasonable. Not the same job but ive got a client like this and she is very happy with what i do but you wouldnt know it from the way she checks up on me!

Equally I'm not a servant.
Hmm. Well you quite literally ARE a servant actually, you are doing duties in the home for money. If you don't want to do that, then don't, but it isn't fair to take on feeding cats and then not actually feed them until 9.30pm unless there's some kind of massive emergency.

These cats don't want attention or interaction. There's no point spending half an hour there. I have others who are diabetic, have asthma, heart problems, hyperthyroidism etc, need injections, inhalers, medication at set times. These need no more than a clean litter tray, clean bowls, food and water. They play with toys but not when I'm there.

I'm talking about this one particular booking. Not all the others, all of which are different.