…to think it’s a bit tight & embarrassing to haggle on some things?

[NellesVilla]

Hello all,

I was due to cat and dog sit over Xmas for about 3 x weeks. It had been booked since last Xmas. I’ve worked for the for years and already offer them a mates’ rate discount- relevant.I was also their nanny several years’ ago whilst at uni.

Last night the family called me to ask for another discount just over 2 weeks’ before the start date, plus asking if I’d contribute to bills for my ‘stay’. Not that it matters but they are loaded, are flying to the states to a v expensive Christmassy city, and will be spending shitloads- they do every year.

So they want a discount on the already crazily reduced bargain rate I give them; money that I need and forms part of my meagre current income. Additionally, they’d like something towards bills- when they have asked me to care for their home and cherished pets.

Wtaf? Is this normal? Do I tell them to take a long walk off a short pier or what?! Please vipers; I need to grow a pair as I find this type of thing- money-orientated issue- challenging at the best of times!!

I had this with a neighbour who thought £5 a day I'd stated was taking the piss. I saw she asked on here & was handed her arse on a plate.

Op have not read through all the thread but I hope that you have cancelled I agree with most other posters they are taking the piss.

Hope you have rejected their revised offer and asked then to confirm if they wish to go ahead with employing your services of pet sitting at their house at your rates of £x for dates between y and z, or whether they wish to cancel.

Then it's very clear

And you can either Kew the booking or offer that time to another pet family who will be away (or have an easy Xmas)

Dear Mrs cheap skate
Thank you for your email regarding the rates for the pet sitting/house sitting. Due to the increased cost of living it is not longer viable for me to offer the discounted rate I have been giving you. I was intending continue with agreement for December but as it seems our arrangement is no longer working for either of us I think it would be best to cancel. I will forward you my new rate should you wish to use my service in the future.
king regards

*We’ve had to reduce our cleaner’s hours given the current cost of living and I know a neighbour has asked their gardener to take a pay cut.

On a different scale, DH’s wealthy cousin rents a yacht every year for the winter and this year, they are having to run with just 2 crew members instead of 4 due to try and keep costs down.*

It's tragic, yes?

I know we're struggling to accept that what with the energy and cost of living crisis, we may have to stop asking the butler to iron the newspapers before breakfast and reduce his wages by ten and sixpence. Times are hard, forsooth.

Ok, just seen your follow-up @ZeldaWillTellYourFortune - you set the rates yourself for the exceptional service you get, doubling up her asking rate. Fair enough as it's your choice.

I would do this.

You will make sure it's a good cremant though won't you @FriedDuck?
You may as well be in the poor house otherwise. Cut back on non-essentials, like paying the butler, if necessary.

I wouldn't agree their offer but before you invite them to cancel, given how late in the day it is, will you easily have an alternative booking to provide the income? If not, the suggestions from PPs might be unhelpful.

On the utility bills. Surely one of the points of housesitting is to ensure the house stays sufficiently heated to prevent everything getting damp and mouldy and ensure water pipes don't freeze. So they should pay the bills!

I'm with @FriedDuck . We can't have a goose this year, and we are going to Val D rather than Gstaad. I haven't broken it to the children yet. Come on, OP, we're all in this together. Right? Right?!

This

You should be contributing to the bills?! They were joking, surely?

@WickedStepmomNOT

No, two different sitters. I pay the woman who stays in my home 80 a night.

The Rover couple who takes him into their home, it's 650 for 8 nights olus 30 for them to come fetch him (i don't have time to drive him to theirs due to work commitments)

Very pricey but he's safe & happy

Hope it went well!

ps - you need to start getting deposits!

Also, 15 a day is too cheap, in London, ten years ago, I paid £30 a day for this.She was a professional, meaning she had logbooks, long term clients, references, sent photos everyday, had set contracts, forms, insurance etc. If you intend to do this professionally, you should create a systematic set up like this to impress your clients.

Haha good luck to them getting a dog sitter over Xmas at this late notice, they're like gold dust. Cancel them and come and look after my dog instead, he's lovely and I'll pay more than them.

OP, I spoke to a business mentor years ago and she said never defend your prices.If you are happy with them, that’s all that matters and customers will either like you and your business and pay what you ask, or they won’t as they are not ‘your’ customer!
clients who ask for a discount are ALWAYS a pain, always. Every single time.

I'd mention to them that you have a waiting list for Xmas clients so if they're no longer able to pay your rates you'd be grateful if they could let you know straight away so you can offer to other customers.

'Hi Cheapskate

Due to the cost of living crisis I can no longer offer a discounted service over Christmas. My fee is <insert normal fee + 50% Christmas premium> payable in advance. Please let me know by x date if you wish to continue with our arrangement and I'll book it in and reserve my time as soon as I receive the payment.

Yours sincerely
Nelles Villa'

Yes this is perfect

You should absolutely call their bluff. They'll struggle to find someone for those dates, at this notice.

However, it does work both ways. We had someone we really trusted with our home and our pets. A cleaner that we paid well over the going rate because we trusted her. And the last couple of years she stayed in our house to look after our pets when we were away (obviously we paid her a fee for this, per night). She met someone in her church in the spring and they were getting married in September - we were very happy for them and were planning a large cash gift. They both lived near our house, and we were clear that it was fine for him to stay here with her - just like we'd always said she could have friends over, garden parties etc - treat it as if it was her home.

This summer, towards the end of our holiday I got a text demanding to pay her instantly - previously we'd always paid her after our return, but fair enough, we did. As soon as we had, I got another one saying that from now on she wanted twice the previously agreed sum per day to look after our pets. She knew we were leaving again 5 days after returning to visit my mother in another country, so she (or more likely her fiancé) clearly thought she had us over a barrel. When we got home, it was obvious that she hadn't actually stayed here as there were stains all over our (new) wooden floor from the dog having peed. He must have been incredibly distressed to do this. I saw red, and sacked her immediately - there went a lucrative weekly cleaning job (she used to say we were her best clients - I guess "mugs" would have been more accurate).

Luckily we found someone on a local page, who was couch-surfing while getting his newly bought flat refurbished, and loves animals, so it all worked out brilliantly. And we've found an excellent cleaner too, who runs her own business.

Agreements should be kept by both sides, and in your case your employers are clearly trying it on, so call their bluff and walk away.

Hi all,

So I did the deed- told her straight that I was extremely disappointed with her position and that I’d not be working for her again. I was blunt and without emotion, but extremely polite and clearly explained (listed the issues). I then- slightly cowardly- blocked her.

But..the fucking husband (who I don’t know well as he’s always working) then texted me and banged on about how much I’ve ‘upset’ his wife and that I needed to speak properly with her. I said that wouldn’t be possible and blocked him too.

Not much else to say. Slight anti-climax but pleased I said no and stuck up for myself for once. What pisses me off now tbh, is that they still can’t see the issue of their demands and are implying that I’ve upset them. That I am in the wrong somehow. Complete narcs, and I hope not to run into them again.

Well done! It's hard to stick to your guns sometimes but you did the right thing.
Don't ever let anyone take advantage of you.

Happy for ya! Watch the fuckers leave a mean review though 🙄