... 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?

They do not hide on a bookshelf. They run upstairs, get inside the wardrobe (I do not expect to go riffling through customers' wardrobes), on top of the wardrobe, behind furniture - should I pull it out and scare them even more?

I think for £9.50 - taking into account the time to travel and the fuel, which is increasing in price - the cats are getting what they need.

I have on other bookings taken work in or books and sat with the cats and read. I have done it with these, too, before. They still did not want to know. On this occasion only I was in a hurry and made sure they had everything they needed. It doesn't mean I zoom in and out every single time with every single client.

Yep. Lack of clarity on both sides. Hopefully OP will be firmer on setting expectations now as it's better business sense to do so.

I don't understand why they need it if they have a webcam! They can see for themselves. Yanbu

I often look after friends cats (for free) and some of them like to be fussed and others have no interest/dislike it. If it were my cats I wouldn't want them to be fussed if they didnt like it.

I’d finish the job as asked and politely decline future offers!

They do not hide on a bookshelf. They run upstairs, get inside the wardrobe (I do not expect to go riffling through customers' wardrobes), on top of the wardrobe, behind furniture - should I pull it out and scare them even more?

Of course not - but you need to communicate with the owner! Tell them the cats run and are scared so you feel it's best to just feed them and leave.

But I still think a charge of £9.50 just to put some food down and sort litter trays for ten minutes is pretty extortionate 🤷🏻‍♀️

But as people have said - it's your business. If you're unhappy with them as clients then just don't rebook them again.

Completely agree with this. 👆🏼

I would be surprised if they book you again.

The clients do sound anxious, but having to trust a stranger to be in your home and to look after your pets is a big deal and plenty of people prove to be unreliable wankers who don’t turn up so I would understand (having done animal sitting and similar in the past)

I think it’s a bit weird not send the pictures when you are actually there and sat waiting for the cats to appear, especially when you know the client is lacking trust.

Not sending until after yoga smacks of not prioritising the job and/or being in a rush which isn’t a good impression.

Talking about ‘being policed’! <Cringe> All jobs have trial periods where both sides need to prove themselves. Its so incredibly simple to earn trust by just being open and reliable and doing what’s expected. When you can take photos to prove it and have everyone feel comfortable, then just do it.

An hour isn't long though is it?

And they are cats - not a young child or an elderly relative so. It sure why they would be worrying all night

OP, one of the advantages of working for yourself is you can turn down work for any reason you want – not paid well enough, too demanding in its requirements, not liking the client – or indeed, for no reason. Equally, of course, a client can decide that your service does not provide what they want.

In this instance, it sounds like the problem is mis-matched expectancies – you think they are being unreasonable in their requests, and they don't feel they are getting the service they require. I should just politely decline to work with them again, it sounds like both parties would be happier that way. No drama or agonising required.

OPs attitude aside.......how is it extortionate? She has to get there and back and very few people will travel any distance at all for 10 quid. I'm amazed it doesn't cost twice as much. If she was feeding pets at 20 houses along the same street and it took 10 minutes per house, then £5 might be a more reasonable price but one client at £10 is barely worth it.

I am not difficult in the workplace. You are making a massive, unfounded assumption. I do not work closely with the owner, he is in the same area but we do not work closely together. He does, however, know what I do in my job so knows I am not some fly by night.

I have never said I am "wonderful". I have explained that this is the only problem client. I do not resent expectations. However ....

I do get annoyed at having goalposts moved and the ante upped - a photo now and then - a photo of each of them eating every time - a video of one of them hiding and another eating treats - gets wearing.

OPs attitude aside.......how is it extortionate? She has to get there and back and very few people will travel any distance at all for 10 quid. I'm amazed it doesn't cost twice as much. If she was feeding pets at 20 houses along the same street and it took 10 minutes per house, then £5 might be a more reasonable price but one client at £10 is barely worth it.

£9.50 for ten minutes work is hugely expensive IMO 🤷🏻‍♀️ I charge £8 for half an hour, or two visits per day for £15.

If I was only going to pop in, feed and leave then it would be much less.

They definitely sound anxious about leaving their pets and like they're not even enjoying their holiday.

They have gone to the trouble of organising pet care whilst on holiday, which is already a huge trust between you and them, then you get pestered to do the job you were already doing.

Filming the pets whilst they're eating is a ridiculous thing to ask.

It is not usually 10 minutes' work. It was ON THIS OCCASION as I have pointed out several times, because I had a booked activity immediately afterwards. Usually I would spend half an hour. On this ONE TIME I didn't. I also have a 6 mile round trip to theirs and back, and the time has to be factored in.

I also have house cats and I expect petsitter to send updates daily. I'm quite anxious when it's 12PM and I don't get any pictures, because I think that no one visited them and they're at home hungry with litter box full of excrement. Especially after one petsitter didn't bother scooping the boxes for 2 days while I was away for Christmas. It's up to you to refuse future bookings, but I understand where they are coming from.

How many more times - it is not 10 minutes' work! Most of these assignments are at least half an hour. On this particular occasion, for the umpteenth time, I was there for 10 minutes as I had a prior engagement immediately afterwards. This did not detract from the care the animals received in any way at all. They even had their bloody huge, heavy dustbin dragged out onto the road for collection this morning.

Tonight, I shall take my laptop. I will go in, sort the litter tray, wash the bowls, put out food and water, try and bribe them with treats to come out for a photo opportunity (which one will not do, ever)

Perhaps I should just charge them four quid for that one evening, do you think?

I have no aversion to taking photos of pets and sending them on. I have no aversion to keeping in touch with owners. I do it all the time. What I do not like is the tone of the messages, which you have not read, as I have not shared them. They were officious sounding and very very different from every other client, and hassling in the extreme.

They have booked me before and they know I would not do anything like that. I also work at the same place as the husband - though not very closely - which is not a place full of dodgy individuals.

I always send daily updates. I do this with everyone. I would not leave it until midnight, either.

With your situation it is up to you to agree with the cat sitter that you expect photos every day - but why? Why is a text not enough? Do you not trust them, and if so, why are you booking them?

Other clients do get photos, but occasionally throughout the booking and on a more relaxed basis. Here's Fluffy running up the curtains. Look at Fred and Flo, having a cat fight. Not proof of being there. That implies a lack of trust, and if that lack of trust is there, I do not want to be booked by someone who sees me in that light.

I think it's clear that different cat owners have different expectations, and it seems that you and these particular clients aren't well-matched.

It seems to me that this is largely a problem of communication. You know you've been to see the cats and will update the clients after yoga - but they don't know that. A quick text - "with cats now, will update properly later" - would have made a big difference, I think.

I've used cat sitters a number of times, and on one occasion I'm pretty sure the cat sitter didn't do the first visit. My cat's obsessed with food, and the thought of her sitting hungrily waiting for a meal that never arrived really upset me. A friend had a similar experience.

I like to get a message from my cat sitter each visit just to let me know she's there and everything's OK (and ideally a picture too though that's not essential). If I hadn't heard anything by 9.30pm on the first evening, I'd be really worried. (Again, it's the communication - you knew you had an evening meeting and would have to go late, but they presumably didn't). I'd also prefer you to go earlier so that my cat's mealtimes were more similar to her usual routine, though this wouldn't be essential for every visit.

It seems to me that the messages from the clients are polite, and I'm wondering if they're a bit like me - waiting for reassurance that the cat sitter's been and their cats are OK, then if they don't hear anything, starting to worry and wondering how long to wait before contacting the cat sitter. I hate bothering people and hate having to ask the cat sitter for an update - I just want to hear from her without prompting her, at around the time she's feeding the cats (unless I've been told beforehand that she'll be updating me at a different time).

It seems to me that the messages from the clients are polite

You only read one, and that was redacted!

Communication seems to be the issue I agree.

Hmmm I can't speak for them whether they have trust issues with you or in general, but in my case, I am kind of overprotective with my cats. I think I know them best, I can tell when my cat isn't feeling well etc., so I like to see them every day. Plus it's nice to have some updates, because no matter how much fun I have on holiday, I always miss my cats. I must admit it is weird that they require kind of live footage at 1PM/6PM sharp (you said you send updates at reasonable time), but maybe they had some bad experience with catsitters before? As I said, if they cause too much trouble, I think it's reasonable to refuse bookings.

“I’ve got a life”

Yes but you have accepted payment for a job?

"I've used cat sitters a number of times, and on one occasion I'm pretty sure the cat sitter didn't do the first visit. My cat's obsessed with food, and the thought of her sitting hungrily waiting for a meal that never arrived really upset me. A friend had a similar experience."

@Goldfish50 I also had awful experience with catsitter. The one that I said didn't scoop litter box for two days. On the day when we were suppose to leave, we said we will do the morning feeding. She got house key, said OK I will feed them in the evening. We were still at home packing and getting ready and someone opened the door with the key at 1PM. She thought she was supposed to do Morning feeding too. AT 1PM!!! When my cats normally eat around 6-7AM. It was too late to cancel them, we went away and then I came back to absolutely gross litter boxes. Still makes me upset to think my cats had to sit in this smell and use full boxes. Cats are such a clean and sensitive animals.

Let’s face it, cats don’t give a shit about people and are usually very happy being left to their own devices unless people shut them up as house cats and leave them with little stimulation locked in a house all week. Poor things.