Do I hit the green "Book Now" button before responding and booking a meet and greet? I sent a response to the owner and another sitter responded quicker and I lost the client- was I suppose to "Book Now" immediately?
No, you'll find it is better to hold a Meet & Greet before booking just to make sure that there aren't any problems. While it is true that you might lose out to someone else, most horror stories posted here are from sitters who blindly accepted bookings and then found themselves with the hound from hell.
If I were in the owner's shoes, I would definitely want to meet and discuss my dog's needs with any potential sitters. I would expect that those owners who don't take the time to M&G with their potential sitters are also the same ones who come here and complain.
JM2cents. You have to give it time and balance things.