I can't see where my requesting clients are located until after I accept a booking. I'm finding that some are farther than it's worth me traveling for a drop in ($5, 40 minute round trip on the bus for a $16 drop in). How do I see the general area a client is in before I make the commitment (neighborhoods in Chicago can be large)?
Before a booking, I just ask for the nearest cross streets to their home. The town I live in is huge, and I'm in the northwest corner, so everything is a bit of a drive for me. Most of my clients want midday walks too, so I get an idea of their location before I commit to walking.
The initial booking request shows you the distance from your address in a straight line so it can be confusing and typically a longer drive than indicated. Since Rover doesn't provide the address until the booking is complete your only alternative is to ask the client for their home address, I do it all the time for new client requests to see if they are really in my service area and before I commit to a meet and greet. Best of luck.
There is a map on the request that shows general area. It is useful if you are familiar with the layout of the town. But there is one 70 mile road for me that looks all the same on the map so I have to ask the customer in that case.
This has been an issue for me as well. I live in a valley area and the potential clients may be within my service area as the crow flies but end up being up the mountain and too far and difficult of a drive for me to go to daily for the price charged. One client offered to pay a bit extra for an "up the mountain" fee but it still didn't make the one hour round trip drive worth it.