We've had a number of times recently where the settings on our profile aren't being respected. This includes the "only neutered males" option, but we have also issues with requests that would drastically over book us.
Why aren't we being shown as unavailable to these clients?
Often times, many clients search for a sitter before filling out their dog’s profile or adding stay dates. As a result, they may find your profile during a general search and then submit the request. Repeat clients, similarly, already have your profile link. Clients are able to still send requests if you are unavailable, though they do see a notification that you may be unavailable during their selected dates. Your calendar availability only limits your visibility in search results.
Many new Rover customers do not complete their dog’s profile prior to searching for a sitter. Regrettably, a completed puppy profile is not necessary to submit a request. So their search results will likely not filter out sitters based on things like spay/neuter, age, etc. It is rare for clients to read through the entire profile of a sitter, as price and number of reviews tend to be the stand-out Information on the search functionality.
Most of us sitters have simply become accustomed to the fact that we will have to weed out many requests during the initial conversation and/or M&G. It IS inconvenient, but I like to think its the price to pay for having a very convenient platform from which to do business.
Thanks Hannah. This is pretty much what I figured but it's good to have someone verify.