Why isn't the last day of sitting considered?

I understand how irritating this can be. I have had clients contact me in the middle of a stay saying they wont be able to pick their dog up the scheduled time. For example one dog was expected to be picked up at 12pm and the owner said they would not be able to make it that day until 6 or 7pm. They did not want to pay me for that extra day. They tried to book with me again and I told them I will not care for their dog again. I think Rover should implement some kind of system where the client has to check out. It would make this easier.

I have many customers who will drop off their dog at 12 noon on drop off day and not pick them up until 7pm on pick up day. I will charge them a day care fee for the remainder of the extra time their dog stayed in my care. You can explain that to the customer at the meet and greet and if you already know they are staying over the 24 hour period, tell them there is an extra fee for going over, then you can adjust your rate in Rover. I don't think anyone should be working for free especially if you consider how much we get paid an hour if you break it down.

Rover calculates the stay price based on a nightly rate, like a hotel. But hotels have check in and check out times, so that you aren't able to stay through your last day. As a sitter, you have a few options. You can implement a check-in/check-out system and allow dogs to be dropped off and picked up within certain windows. You can also change the amount charged for the stay before booking, adding a prorated charge for the extra time spent on the last day.

So say a client wanted to book you for Saturday night, but they wanted to drop off their dog at 8 am Saturday, and not pick them up until 8 pm Sunday. That's two full days of care, even though it's only one night. It's perfectly reasonable to charge for the extra 12 hours beyond the 24 hours a nightly rate covers. How much you charge for that is up to you. Just discuss any extra charges with your client so they are clear on what they are paying for.

Like the sitters above, I also charge a day care rate if the stay extends much beyond a 24 hour period. I ask the approximate arrival and departure times during the meet & greet. I inform the pet-parents that I need this to plan my schedule, including their last walk before pick-up (most people appreciate knowing that their dog will be ready to go for a while), and also to ensure that Rover's insurance covers them. When I'm creating or approving a quote, I confirm the times again in the message box.

I had similar feelings so I implemented a Day of Pick Up charge. Explaining this charge to new clients proved to be rather confusing, so I'm moving to flat-rate Day Care charge for pick-ups after noon. I rarely have clients pick up before then, so most of them will receive the charge.
It also helps with my revenue. Since I rarely have overlapping dogs, having the Day Care charge allows me to earn at least a little something on the in between days.

Like the others, I charge for a 24-hour period. If the pickup time is more than a couple of hours after the drop off time, I charge a 1/2 day fee for daycare. I explain Rover's policy and my extra charge at the meet and greet so the customer is aware of the fees. When I receive the booking request, I edit the total amount to include the daycare fee. So far I haven't had any problems, and all my clients have understood and paid the extra amount.

I agree that you should be compensated for the extra hours. I have a Sitter Information Form that they fill out during the Meet & Greet . Under the time slot area, it says states that Pick up time should be within 2 hours of drop off time, if not ½ day charge will be applicable.

When a client submits a request or inquires about a booking, I always ask right up front what time would they need to drop-off and pick-up. I explain that the "nightly charge" covers a 24-hour period of time and if it's over that 24 hours there will be an added "daycare charge".

It just depends on your preference. Yes, Rover requests payment for only overnights (without respect to drop off and pick up times). But, you have the option of charging for daycare or overstays as others have mentioned above. You should ask about drop off and pick up times pretty early. If not during initial messages, then during the meet-up. If you want to be paid for someone dropping their dog off early or picking them up late, that's the time to relate that information.

That said, I don't charge extra for a dog to be dropped off early or picked up late. I get a lot of repeat business for being flexible. My go-to sitters also don't charge for "extra time," and I am a repeat client of theirs (and they sometimes "make out" a little when I don't drop my dog off until 9 PM on his first night). This may be a consequence of our circumstances. Sitting with Rover is not my primary job, I only sit on weekends, and I only sit one dog at a time. It doesn't really matter to me if the owner comes to pick their dog up at 10 PM on Sunday, I'm not sitting that night, so it's not like I missed out on anything. On the VERY rare occasion that there is some reason I have overlapping bookings (not that long ago, I took a "staycation" and made myself available for an entire week...a regular client booked for the weekend and a new client for the week), I just tell the clients that if they drop their dog off early or pick them up late, there will be another dog around for a few hours, and give them the chance to either accept or reject that arrangement. In that case, both the clients said "that's fine...thank you for being flexible." It was no skin off my back to have 3 dogs (including mine) for 4 hours.