Sitter Saftey -- Have you ever felt unsafe visiting a client?

I agree with Deb: Safety is always the top priority. When I visit someone's home for a meet and greet, I always ask the owner to meet me outside with the dog leashed up, as if for a walk. This allows me to interact with the owner OUTSIDE their home first. (It also allows me to meet the dog away from the resources they might be prone to protect/guard.) You could implement a system like this for M&G's as well as for the first visit with clients you haven't met. That way, you can always cut the meet and greet short if your intuition is raising the alarm. If possible, try to arrange to have those meetings during the day. You could also see if there is a friend that is available to go with you and wait in the car while you complete the meeting/visit.

I agree with always trusting your intuition. I recently had an unsure feeling as well before a meet and greet. The male client wanted to meet very early in the morning and I insisted on meeting at the dog park and I would not let up. He even asked me if I babysit children, which I thought was very odd for someone to ask over a pet sitting sight! I ended up meeting him and his dog but I brought my husband along with me because I still felt very uncomfortable. He ended up saying at the meet and greet that he decided not to go on vacation for the days he was looking for ... how convenient. We have to put safety first so please if you ever feel like something is "off" from a request, do not meet the person alone!

Stay safe!

Sarah

This is great to read, because I recently had an experience where the meet and greet felt really off, and my intuition kicked in also. The man was also asking a lot about my husband, and I felt like he was scoping out my home somewhat. I have my security system on at all times now because of it!

It's really important to let your intuition guide you. I believe you can flag messages that are Pending Requests in Inbox. However, you can also contact Rover directly and share your concerns, especially since they can see all activity with others. I've never felt unsafe visiting a client...but all of my clients who started with home visits were for locals (meeting at their home) who contacted me after getting my business card or referral, not through an online platform.

Follow your gut. If you don't want to take it, just kindly send a message the next day that you will have to decline the offer. Don't give a reason, be professional and make sure to send the message in a timely matter. Also, always let a family/friend know where you are going for the meet/greet. I even did one a few months back, around 9pm, had my friend sit outside in the car to wait for me to make sure it was okay.