How would you handle this situation?
Hi everyone,
Sorry about this long-winded post, but I need some reassurance. Today, I had my first bad experience with a Rover customer, and I wanted to be sure I handled it correctly in case something like this happens again.
I had a client request a meet and greet for me to meet her dog, and she was going to need regular walks in the coming months. So I went to her home and stayed for about 45 minutes to learn everything about the dog and how to get in and out of her apartment building. The first red flag I ignored is that she referred to the meet and greet as an "interview," meaning she was communicating with other people as possible walkers. That's fine, I was just hoping I wasn't wasting my time. Another red flag: As I was leaving, she asked if she could pay me through Venmo instead of going through Rover. I told her I prefer to keep everything in the app, and explained that it was against the terms of service, etc. She told me that she understood.
A few days later, she requested two walks for the next week, and I happily accepted. However, she never confirmed the booking after two days, so it was still pending. When I politely asked her to confirm the booking, she said she normally wants to pay walkers AFTER they walk her dog. I took the time to explain to her that I couldn't do that, and Rover only works after payment.
Keep in mind, I know communication through messaging can be misconstrued. I did my best to explain everything to her in a polite way, even though I was feeling more and more uncomfortable with the situation.
I eventually decided that I did not want to continue communicating with her. My sanity is not worth $13 per walk. I wanted to follow my gut. But she confirmed the booking before I could cancel. I then requested the cancellation and sent a polite message telling her I was no longer comfortable with this arrangement, and that Rover will help her find another walker once the booking was cancelled. She called me through the Rover app and I attempted to speak to her, but she started to say some nasty things. So I hung up on her, because nothing good can come from that, right? I told her she would get a full refund, but she still called me a "scam artist" and said she was going to report me to have me "removed from the site."
Now I want to give a huge shout out to Rover. They quickly canceled the booking and reassured me that tings happen, and it's best to not take bookings you are uncomfortable with. I can't say thank you enough for helping me get out of the situation without a negative impact on my profile that I have worked very hard to build up.
Has anyone had ...