Do you agree with Rover Cards?

I do think they are a valuble tool for those with smart phones etc BUT i think That they should only be Mandatory if the client requests them to be sent for each visit and that should be an option for the client to choose when booking if they want them or not.

I agree with you. Rover Cards should not be mandatory.

My biggest problem with the report cards is that it puts me face down and on my phone rather than paying attention to the dogs, where we are going, who may be approaching us, etc. This is already a problem with people buried into their smart phones, but it also makes me less aware of my surroundings. Dangerous people and triggers aside, there are some really treacherous sidewalks and construction where I live. A twisted ankle or getting hit by a car are going to lose us both money.

I also dislike report cards for daycare because if you play by Rover's rules, the pup parent doesn't get any updates until you conclude the daycare stay, which is when they walk out the door with their dog. If I send the pics directly to the parent, then I am prompted to add a picture before the stay can conclude.

I didn't receive any notification that they were mandatory now. I will have to check my payouts because I missed at least one report card last week because my phone died while stuck in a hellacious day of traffic in New Orleans. And of course it was the day I forgot the car charger!

I absolutely HATE the Rover card being mandatory! I do this for my full time job and have at LEAST 3-6 different walks or drop in visits scheduled everyday. I love what I do and take serious pride in making sure every owner and pet is happy and satisfied with my service. I have always provided the owners with cute fun messages and edited pictures after every visit and updated them on our activities. I personally feel that the Rover cards take so much time away from actually interacting with the pups and a lot of the personal touches I like to add to the updates I send. I would say starting and stopping the walk as well as waiting through all the loading screens ect. takes and additional 6-10 mins away from the actual walks or drop in visit. What I have always loved about my job is connecting with the dogs and the owners and feeling the trust between the owner and myself growing over time. I feel the rover card takes the "trust building" out of the equation all together because my every move is being tracked and proven. I also struggle with service, data, and battery issues. I have had many cards come up with the wrong distance or tracked me in a completely different area than I actually walked. I understand that this feature could be amazing for some but NOT for ALL. this feature should be a option for the owner to request if they feel that it is right for them. I really hope Rover adjusts this before it starts effecting my business. I allow Rover to take their 15% cut to market me and provide a website I can communicate safely with my clients but I don't think it is right for them to start demanding FEATURES that I MUST provide through MY business.

I also live in "The Dark Ages" and have a mobile phone only for emergencies. We use the landline. I Don't like the "Report Cards"! Rover includes doggy day care in the "Report Cards" and I have lost doggy day care customers because of it. I feel like I am back in High School- Report Cards!! I always spend a couple minutes during the pick up, with all my customers, on how the pup ate, drank, and "elimination" prior to pick up or if there was a concern on the frequency. I always gave my doggy day care pups the same TLC as my stay pups. My customers were upset and didn't like it also.

Since we are "contractors" and individual pet sitters, they should not be requiring specifics and just make is voluntary. From my understanding or misunderstanding, there were some problems with drop in sitters and they are "punishing" everyone.

I have mixed feelings about Rover cards. I think they're great because they provide transparency, but not all clients need the number of poops/pees, etc. I find them impersonal.....I used to leave a hand written note after each visit (walks/drop-ins) and my clients seemed to like that. My older clients who don't have their cell phones as the contact phone on their Rover account don't really like the Rover cards at all. These are the same people that have problems navigating the Rover site to request a stay.....so getting into their inbox to click on the Rover card is quite a process for them. Younger people seem to like the Rover cards, and probably ignore them once they see my service was completed. I personally don't like the GPS tracking of my life, as I keep my Rover app active so I can respond quickly to any requests. I have an old android and the app/GPS tracking seems to work OK, without taking up too much data or draining my battery....but I also keep a charger in my car. So bottom line, I don't think it should be mandatory to use Rover cards, but only an option for the sitters and clients that want it.

I like the cards tho as with others I used to print out the itinerary and log activities, then leave it at my clients' home when I left after drop in visits and walks. They knew I was there and did what they hired me for. My 2 issues with the cards are: I also have problems with reception when trying to close out my appointments. I get the message that the card failed and Rover will attempt auto sending to client. Several times this auto sending went to them at 3 a.m. Ugh! The other issue is that the message to client can't be added until the 30 minute appt is closed. This takes valuable time away from getting to my next appt. all actions should be able to be completed within the allotted appt. time.

Another one here that is going to be seriously upset if they become mandatory! That said, I have used them for my last couple of walks and drop-ins, and I like having the option. I can still send a text while I'm there with questions, updates, and pictures. It doesn't all have to be done through the Rover Card. I discovered that you don't need to put the pees and poops in when they happen. You can just add them at the end. For what I'm currently doing, I like that they can see how long I was actually there. Particularly since I often spend a little longer than 30 minutes. For walks, I start when I arrive and end when I leave. I let the clients know that so that they don't think it actually took me 40 minutes to walk a mile and a half. I just turn my GPS on on my phone just before or at the time of arrival and back off after I send the card. However, there are some clients that would prefer not to get them. I certainly don't want to force that on them. There are some clients in areas of poor cell reception and that could cause serious issues. There are all sorts of different kinds of situations, owners, and dogs that we deal with. It 100% should be an option. If they want to make clients aware it's an option, that's fine. If it's something vital to that client, they can make sure you are willing and able to send cards before booking. Just don't require me to do it at times when it's not going to work correctly or if the owner doesn't want it done!!

My biggest question on this is sitters are considered independent, 1099 class service providers. By making something mandatory, they're wading into w2 employment practices. You can't make a 1099 contractor do anything except comply with local and federal laws/regulations and to do the service they're hired to do. Anyone else looked into this?