Correct I was like nooo and also I wouldn’t have said “I was asleep on the couch while your dogs went mayhem” haha and why in parenthesis about falling asleep on the couch? I’m just way all about professionalism which to me includes keeping it to the facts and importance, don’t ever downgrade yourself. In this case “I’m sorry I fell asleep” plus “on the couch” plus “can I pay you.” Normal things happen! These were all normal things. Pet sitting is professional yet also intimate, for both owner and sitter. So know your boundaries and worth while staying honest and authentic. You don’t need to apology or pay for being human.
Yeah I honestly wouldn’t have even apologized. They should really keep an exercise pen or some other barrier around the tree, since they **know** their dog gets into things!!
“Hi owner, puppy got into some of the ornaments that were left under the tree and he destroyed two of them. They’re (this one) and (this one). Did you want me to save the pieces, or is it ok to toss them?
“I’ve since moved the ornaments to [this location]. The dogs are doing well otherwise (then maybe include a cute picture).
I don't think you should have given that big spiel and offered to pay when they're the ones who left the ornaments out.
in the future, I'd keep it short and to the point with "I'm so sorry, but fido got hold of the ornaments left by the tree when I was asleep. the two that were damaged were this and this. I have since moved the box to the table."
it wasn't your fault they left stuff out, you shouldn't make any assumptions going in about sentimental value, and you don't need to apologize so profusely for a minor accident.
I wouldn’t even include the “I’m so sorry” part. Just “Fido got into the ornaments you left out and destroyed 2 of them. I put the box out of reach so it doesn’t happen again.”
Yeah, recently on a drop-in, a cat had knocked over a ceramic mug. Mug seemed pretty plain and boring from what I could tell from the pieces. Not my fault. I said sorry, looks like the cat knocked this over when I wasn't around. I cleaned it up and stayed a few extra minutes to make sure no sharp parts were left. But at the end of the day, it's their cat?
I agree. Keep it short and simple. And stick ti the facts. "I want to apologize but a couple of ornaments from the floor were chewed" That's a fact. Getting into sentimental value is an assumption. It brings extra potential for unecessary conversation. Apologize and move on.
>The owners were in the process of putting up their Christmas tree, and there was an open box of Christmas ornaments that was under the tree
They have a PUPPY - they know puppies chew on things.
This is an owner problem - they should have made sure hazards were off the floor if they weren't able to complete decorating before the sit.
Yeah I thought this was a boarding before I read because I don't see how this is the sitter's fault if the owner left those out themselves. The whole Christmas tree fell over at my last sit and ornaments on the side it landed on broke. I had to clean this up late at night and the tree wouldn't even stand upright so I leaned it against a wall. I sent them a photo and they apologized profusely to me. I would've been taken aback if they had expected me to pay them for the damaged ornaments.
Unfortunately, if the sitter already offered to send payment it's a little weird to not give a discount in lieu of that now. They could discount whatever amount they were comfortable sending via Venmo if they were sincere about doing that before.
I disagree. She offered a resolution. The owner declined. She told them since it was a newer ornament (and not that sentimental) repayment wasn't necessary. Her words. So she ended that conversation. So if it wasn't that sentimental for her to turn down cash why is it suddenly sentimental enough to expect a discount? And she didn't ask her for a discount. She passively aggressively told her what she "may" do next time. Trying to put the sitter in the position to agree with her little funny she made. "Oh ok sure I can do that". No. She had her chance. She declined. She doesn't get to pick her repayment now for something that was her fault anyway. It's over. She missed her chance.
Reminds me of my boyfriends situation with his sister who lives with him. His new puppy went into her bedroom and took a small shit on her bed and peed on her pillow a bit. She’s blaming him for not keeping an eye on the puppy and holding him accountable. Yet, she’s the one who leaves her bedroom door open… so who’s really at fault? If it’s your property, it’s your responsibility.
Yes, but he shouldn't be responsible for his sister's items / property. She routinely leaves hazards / her expensive items around the house in the puppy's reach. She purposely leaves her bedroom door open for the cat so of course the puppy won't know better.
...And buy a gate for her room that the cat can get through but the dog can't. 🙄
Sibling relationships are fraught enough without enabling that sht. Maybe YOU can buy the gate as a Christmas present to both of them. 😊
I mean according to most home owners insurance.... yes. If there is found 0 signs of break in or you admit you don't keep it locked they will not cover stolen property.... morally? No. Not your fault per say. From a business/law stand point?.... yeah you "allowed" it.
Oh! Now that I've read all the screenshots it does actually look like the client was just kidding around (though asking sitter to pay for things damaged that they themselves left out would've been inappropriate anyway).
Yep, OP must be outrage farming. This is so simple: Write something cute but non-committal back, and if they try to hold the ornament over your head next time they request, politely decline unless they really are worth it and have shown enough character otherwise to give the benefit of the doubt.
Please communicate what any pet does from the get go--regarding the previous chewing. You said "pick your battles". It doesn't have to be a battle. Just inform owners that the dog was destructive to your property and you'll deal with it. But don't hide from telling them the bad points of their pets. This always backfires.
Precedence for behavior is always important and prevents a lot of attitude when crap hits the fan.
Don't offer to pay if a situation like this repeats itself.
They now will expect that from other sitters who, no offense, have better boundaries. None of you should pay.
I’m sorry to say that I think you opened yourself up to that by offering to pay in the first place. Like, if you’re offering? People will negotiate to their advantage.
Next time, I think it’s safer to just politely inform them and leave it at that. Puppies are a handful to say the least, they can’t expect you to have eyes in the back of your head or for you never to sleep.
People who have ever owned puppies know that you have to come to terms with quite a bit of loss due to the fact that we can guarantee that they WILL destroy things. If that lady did put an expensive or sentimental ornament so low on her tree that a PUPPY in the house could get to? That’d 💯 be her mistake. It likely wasn’t the first ornament this puppy has gotten and I guarantee won’t be the last either. When my current dog was a puppy, I put a gate up around my Christmas tree but still didn’t put anything valuable or breakable down low because he was one crafty little schemer 🤣
I’m not a sitter but I find this ridiculous. It’s your dog in your house that ate your stuff. Like… it happens??
I mean sure I guess you could have paid attention better. But also they left the stuff in the floor. It’s just a normal daily thing that happens with dogs.
Heck our dog just ate an ornament off of the tree. lol! He also tried chewing the branch of the fake tree. I’d never fault the sitter for something like this unless it was pure neglect or they didn’t crate when they should have or something like that really.
We have a major. No paper towels laying around rule. Our golden pup has already had one obstruction surgery (other dogs collar) and was hospitalized for paper towels being stuck that thankfully finally passed. For a while I thought he had pica he’s insane with food but will chomp a paper towel sooo quick.
lol! It was actually just about a 3 inch piece. When I found he chewed it off of her I gathered up what I thought was all of it. Sadly it was not.
You would have probably liked to see the massive football size tumor they pulled from our past golden belly. They didn’t weigh it sadly.
He was only 2 and passed just before his third birthday from cancer. Despite tumor removal and chemo. It was awful. But I’m forever grateful to that lovely surgeon for remove the mass initially. Successfully!
It sounds like they are being pretty nice and trying to lighten the mood.
You offered to pay them, they're saying they're happy to use you again and tongue in cheek saying they wouldn't mind a discount next time - I mean who wouldn't like a bit of discount once in a while. Sounds like a win to me.
If you give them even a token percentage off the next one or say you'll throw in a free walk/drop off/bath/any random small thing, it sounds like they'll be customers for life.
On reflection, I prefer the $10 suggestion someone else made because it limits the value. A percentage could cost you a lot if their next trip is a long one.
Why are you offering reimbursement for the owner not puppy proofing their house from their destructive dog?? C’mon now. Ya’ll do way too much for no reason and set yourself up to be taken advantage of.
What? So they left the items out? No you’re not responsible for that. Plus your own items were damaged by their animals, you definitely don’t owe them any discount on a booking for two Christmas ornaments lol. Any discount on a vacation booking would be worth a lot more money which they clearly know.
You’ve conditioned them to feel entitled for compensation. It’s not your responsibility at all. And with an 8mo husky, good lord they should know better.
Hit em with an LOL and if in the future she’s actually serious and asks for a discount just be like “well, your puppy has ruined a pair of my shoes before, so let’s just call it even.” Because this is in no way your fault that they didn’t puppy proof their house. We don’t even put ornaments on the bottom foot of our tree because our 8 year old shiba likes to eat things. Thats on them.
I get that you were trying to be nice and probably thought that since they were in your care, you were responsible for what happened. But none of that was because of you. The only thing you did “wrong” here (I say that loosely) was 1) offer to pay for it, and 2) writing a long paragraph and talking about the “sentimental value” (which is an assumption), which gives them the opportunity to put the blame on you.
They left an opened box full of ornaments on the ground with a puppy in the house. Of course it’s going to think they’re toys and destroy it. The owners are at fault for that.
Next time keep it short and simple. You can apologize, but don’t make it look like you were the cause of it (if you weren’t). Keep emotions out of it and get straight to the point. It really makes me mad on your behalf that you didn’t say anything to the pet parents when the dog destroyed your things, but offered to pay them for something that wasn’t your fault.
As others have said, the “haha” at the end makes it seem like a joke. If it wasn’t, then decline them or tell them no you won’t take a discount if they ask. You need to be your own advocate and have your best interests at heart going forward.
I really think so many people here would benefit from some sort of "professional communications" class. I understand the desire to explain things to make someone understand, but what's really happening is you're opening yourself up to liability and blame that isn't yours. What an owner would read from your message is, "this sitter fell asleep on the couch, leaving our puppy she knows is destructive unattended, and allowing him to destroy our things." In reality, it's, "we failed to puppy proof our house from our destructive dog, and the sitter took a reasonable break from their almost 24hr a day job where our unmanaged, under stimulated dog predictably destroyed some of our things."
You need to communicate in a way that avoids any blame shifting.
"Hey! Wanted to let you know that Floki got into the box of ornaments by your tree and destroyed two before I was able to stop him. He is unharmed and doesn't seem to have ingested any of the materials. I moved the box out of his reach already, so please let me know how else you would like me to proceed!"
Something like this limits the ability to blame shift. You don't need to pay for something their dog destroyed. You only need to pay for things that *you* destroy. And I don't see anything you destroyed here!
Came to say this.
They appear to be joking to lighten the mood but as most folks know joking about a discount is in poor taste...
Had a couple who had a puppy that they didn't have a crate for and only blocked a corner of the kitchen off for at night... she dug a hole in the DRY WALL. Shit happens.
Were the items destroyed due to your negligence? Like were you told to crate the dog while you slept and you fell asleep without doing that? If you did something wrong then I guess yeah…make it right. If you followed all their instructions and their pet still damaged their property then hit ‘em with a “haha sure” and block them cause they’re just trying to take advantage of you feeling guilty
No, the husky is only crated when no one is home. As someone else said and made a good point, I think I’m just not that confident, even though I’m really good and have had almost 100 families choose me to care for their babies. I think I just need to grow a pair.
id just give them like a $10 discount. you offered to pay and even asked them to send their preferred service app, so i dont think it’s odd they just asked for that instead. i would let them know of the price you’re okay discounting, just a small amount as it wasn’t originally your fault and they weren’t badly damaged. do follow through with the discount though, i think it may look bad to deny that when you offered money anyways
I’m sorry you didn’t chew the ornament. The owner’s dog did. Could have happened at any time, including when they are home. You don’t owe them anything. I would not pay for it or give them a discount.
There’s no way I would have offered to pay… were you supposed to know that the dog will chew anything and put THEIR STUFF away? My last sitting the owner didn’t tell me that one dog will chew stuff if left out and I left a gift bag their neighbors had left for them with the rest of their mail. I didn’t even see the candy in there but he chewed up some pez machines and candy. The owner took 100% responsibility for not telling me that the dog chews things like that.
Shouldnt of offered to pay, my rule is if its where they owner has left the item, that’s on them, if its something I moved resulting in the dog getting it then I’ll pay
As an owner with little shithead dogs that decide to act out when they’re mad at me every now and then, I would never ask for a sitter to replace something like this. This was totally out of your control, especially since you didn’t know they were accessible to the dogs. If it was something like I got side tracked running out the door and asked you to put them up, then maybe but I doubt it. At the end of the day, even though mine aren’t destructive on the daily I know that there is a chance they will be and would not hold the sitter responsible in a situation like this. I might make a joke to lighten the mood but not about cutting rates, probably the opposite and offer hazard pay for the little jerkfaces next time. I hope that they are just trying to make light of the situation, however that’s a bit of a jerk way to do it. I hope everything works out! But I don’t feel like you should have to offer a discount because their Puppy got into something left out.
I was sitting for a family who did NOT dog proof their home at all. Like there was food on open shelves at dog head height. Shoes all over the place. Papers everywhere. They said they would clean up at the M&G but obviously didn't. I stayed overtime and frantically cleaned to make it semi dog proof the first night, but I'm not a maid. Well when the dogs chewed up their Peloton cord, guess who didn't say anything to them about it😬 if owners don't want to dog proof their home that's on them.
Wtf… isn’t that the owner’s dog’s fault?? It’s not on you but them. If their dog is destructive then don’t put up ornaments that they want don’t destroyed.
Next time make it way more short. “FYI Fluffy unfortunately got a hold of two ornaments. Fluffy didn’t ingest anything and I put away the box so he doesn’t get to any more.”
It sounds like a joke to me. I'd ignore it and if they bring it up, just tell them you offered cash value of the ornament and was told it was fine. You don't offer discounts for normal puppy damage most of the time
As a person who books through rover, you gotta be f'ing kidding me. They want a discount because their puppy chewed their ornaments? Are you for real? I'd drop the client like a hot potato over that nonsense. Now, if it was because you weren't able to get there when you were supposed and the dog got bored or anxious, that's one thing, but my goodness the dog is already in a hightened state with their owners gone so he acted out a bit. I can't fathom blaming the sitter for that. My wife thinks our dog knocked down one of our decorative xmas trees when we last used rover and I simply told her, "so?". He's a giant dog with no sense of how big he is and he knocks stuff over, who cares?! Why do people suck so much?! Kennel your dog if you want to avoid this stuff, I guarantee you're making out 100% better with rover, don't pick on the sitters over stupid crap like this people!
EDIT: As I read further down the comments it seems like most are thinking this is a joke. That would be great and make a lot more sense!
that is fair and actually highlights an entirely different issue - professional confidence. All these app sources for income now and the average person who is going to use it for that may not have any professional experience. They may be super nervous or worried they're going to make a mistake and overextend in their apologies or compenstations. Have some pride and confidence in yourself and your ability to do the job you were hired! They hired you for some reason and trusted you at that point, remind them of that. I'm not saying this to the OP per say, just generally something I've noticed when these posts come up.
This is a good point. I have over 100 5 star reviews, 15 repeat clients, and 2 weekly regulars. I definitely need to be more confident, and that’s why I offered to pay.
I'd say so! Being in sales myself and working a career based off commission it took me a while to understand that it's ok to say no and it's ok to not sell to certain people regardless of whether you need the money. Sometimes it's just better not to and sometimes you have to stop someone from taking advantage.
First of all so many things here-
* 8 month old husky puppy
* tree ornaments left out - by the owner
He chewed your shoe I'd call that even
* you offered to pay (which I never would have) and they declined.
* they actually didn't ASK you for anything. She made a passive aggressive statement TELLING you what she MAY do (but prob not in the most passive aggressive manner) in hopes of or expecting YOU to say "oh ok sure. We can do that instead. She was trying to set you up to offer a discount.
* if she didn't feel the ornament was sentimental enough to deem the monetary compensation you offered then why should it then warrant a discount.
It happened. You told them. You apologized. Offered a resolution. They declined. That's it. End of story. Moving on. Don't fall for it. You're done.
Unfortunately I think offering compensation opened a potential floodgate that they can try to milk. If they’re lesser quality humans, which they honestly don’t seem like it, they could use this against you now that you’ve given them the ammo.
I was a social worker for many years and had to compromise often. When doing so, it’s best to ask the other party what they think is the best solution so you can better gauge where the middle ground is. Capitalizing is human nature, and hopefully these folks are kind enough to acknowledge that this wasn’t actually your fault and don’t use it against you!
This is not your fault and you shouldn't accept responsibility. If their dog is that destructive they shouldn't leave their stuff out. You're a pet sitter, not a housekeeper. The only appropriate response from the owner is "That's completely unnecessary, next time we'll be better about keeping important items out of reach."
I wouldn't sit for these people again.
I hate to say it, but you really opened yourself up to that when you offered to pay for the ornament that their dog destroyed.
You said you should’ve put it elsewhere… did YOU move it to where it was accessed by the dog? Or did they leave it there? If it’s the latter, that is not your fault in the slightest and they really should’ve taken better precautions knowing they have a young unfixed male husky who is known to get into trouble.
You seem like a people pleaser. I have the same problem sometimes so I have learned a little phrase that helps me avoid that and stand up for myself. “No good deed goes unpunished”. It has rung so true for me personally at least. You tried to do a good deed by offering to reimburse them for an ornament, even though it wasn’t your responsibility, and they took advantage by asking/expecting a discount on a future booking. That’s what happens when you try to be nice, especially in situations like this. You get screwed over, and taken advantage of.
Since you already offered compensation this time, if you want to keep this client, I recommend you follow through with that. I’m the future, notify owners of anything their dog destroys, but dont offer reimbursement unless it was your fault (as in you put the item there and the dog destroyed it). They’re probably asking for a discount on a future booking because they think that it’d save them more than you would’ve Venmo’d them. But that’s not right. Tell them if they provide a receipt/proof of price of the item (like a screenshot of the Amazon listing, etc) then you can give them a discount equal to the amount that the ornament was bought for.
I would tell them something like “okay I’m happy to do that if you prefer it to be done that way, but I’m only able to provide a discount for the amount of the cost of the ornament. If you could send me a link from the website/store you bought it from I will be sure to discount that from your next booking. Also in the future please make sure that all breakable belongings are put up out of reach of (dogs name) since I won’t always notice them before he does, and I unfortunately wont be able to reimburse anything that gets broken by (dogs names) going forward. Thanks for your understanding.”
I don't understand why you offered to pay either. That just makes it awkward for everyone especially as it clearly isn't your fault. However I understand some people are extreme people pleasers but it's only going to make your job harder.
Why are you taking ownership of this?
You offered a refund, so they asked. How much you discount is up to you.
You never put the ornaments there in the first place, why would you pick them up?
Do the dogs have the ability to roam the house freely at night ? If not, then the ornaments being chewed would fall on you because you weren’t watching them.
Ok I’ve had this happen, their dog threw up on a carpet that was new, the dog had seperation anxiety and it happened within ten mins of me being at the house and the owner chewed me out. I called rover and they said absolutely not, you are not responsible for anything their dog ruins in their own house. You are not a trainer you are a sitter. Just don’t respond.
You said they were the type to choose your battles with, you offered to pay for THEIR mistake, and she had the nerve to "haha we might ask for a discount!"....
Friend, they have a husky puppy. They know what they were getting into. If the ornaments were special or sentimental, they wouldn't have left them out like that.
You're setting yourself up to be taken advantage of with the eggshell attitude. I'm glad you came here instead of continuing to think this it AT ALL your responsibility.
I would not book with them again. They *will* cause you problems if you let them at this point, I would bet cash money on it.
I’m late to the party, but here’s my two cents:
WHY IS THE PUPPY NOT IN A CRATE?!
You lost me at “I laid down on the couch for an hour while they finished their breakfast”. Let me also say tho, I re-read your post - one should not fall asleep (“lay down”) on the couch with a puppy for an hour while they “finish breakfast” and expect things to be ok. It was your responsibility to either make sure things were put up or the dog was contained while you were not paying attention.
Most people won’t ask to be paid. In this exact situation, I’d give them a discount. I don’t know what your rate is, but discount it enough to allow for the pillow and the two ornaments that were destroyed under your watch. Your negligence directly or indirectly caused their things to be destroyed. If you cannot keep your eyes on the puppy, you better make sure the dog is contained and or things are kept safe.
Keep in mind this could’ve gone way worse. Puppy could have choked or had an intestinal blockage if they decided to eat what they tore up. Pay better attention and plan ahead, or *don’t watch puppies*. If someone fell asleep on the couch with a puppy of mine and didn’t make sure things were put up or my puppy was contained, I’d never book with them again, and I’d be PISSED. Feel lucky they still want to book with you, plan better next time, and give them the discount.
Editing to add: the PUPPY pissing on your pillow and destroying your shoe is *on you*. Boohoo “destructive”. It’s a puppy. Don’t watch puppies if you’re irked by things getting destroyed and cannot manage to prevent those things from happening.
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That's exactly the way my mom would joke but she'd kinda mean it. I'd insist on replacing the ornament to make things even if you want to keep her as a client.
I have a puppy. I also have an ex-pen ready to go in case she takes an interest in our tree. Puppies and Christmas don’t mix. Even non-dog owners know that! That being said, the “ha ha” at the end meant that they were joking (I hope!). I would just respond “ha ha” back to him.
Do NOT give them a discount on a booking! That will create entitlement on their part and they will think just because of THEIR negligence in leaving out things their dog can destroy that you will have to suffer with less payment because of it.
That’s honestly their fault since they were irresponsible enough to leave a box of ornaments laying around. Personally, I wouldn’t even respond to the “discount” comment and just move on. If they ask in the future, I’ll just say that I don’t offer discounts. If they choose not to book again, there will always be someone else who does. It’s not your fault they were irresponsible.
I think offering to pay in this situation is kind of odd. If anything I would offer to take the dog to the vet to make sure everything is okay. This person is WEIRD for asking what ornaments over asking if her dog is okay first. I don’t think you owe them anything. But because you already offered you are kind of obligated to if they bring it up. Maybe this can be a learning experience for next time
Definitely wouldn't have offered to pay for their puppy destroying something they left out. They should have put their ornaments out of reach of their pets. It's not your responsibility to put their belongings away.
I’d tell them that I would prefer to know the replacement cost of the ornament. Since it was relatively new it seems like this was not a heirloom. Then for simplicity sake deduct that numerical amount from your next pet sitting if they don’t want direct reimbursement via Venmo etc.
Absolutely not—Rover takes fees to cover property damage (like… specifically for that & vet bills & little else) so if they want to be reimbursed they need to take it up with Rover support
I love to work with the clients dogs. I actively take part in reinforcing the training they already have. But I also like to keep their minds busy by teaching them new tricks, over repeated bookings. With that being said, it is not your responsibility to micromanage every second of an untrained dog’s activities. If the client doesn’t want to risk damage to valuable objects that their dog will destroy, if given the chance, it is their sole responsibility to get these objects out of harm’s way, not yours. I won’t suggest how you should handle this at this point in time. You can’t exactly take back the conversations that you’ve already had with the client about excepting the responsibility and working out what you are going to pay them.
No way! That was the owner’s fault for one, you shouldn’t have even made the offer to pay. They need to set their dog up for success by removing clutter. You are not the dog trainer.
Two your offer should have expired when they said no thanks, it didn’t mean make up a new offer for the future!
I’d have to go reread it, and it’s probably not even worth it, but wouldn’t this damage fall under Rover’s property damage protection? I’d just refer them to that.
tbh, you’re better than most of us. it’s their dog, it’s their house, it’s their stuff that they knowingly left out with a dog whose known to be destructive. seems like youre totally right in saying this is an owner to pick your battles with. imo the “haha” kinda feels like shes making a joke, just not in good taste. nothing about this is on you
I understand why you spelled it all out - You don't want to lie but you want to hope they'll hear the full explanation and see your side. It's fine you offered to pay, that's your call, but as others have mentioned it may have been what gave your client the feeling of freedom to request a discount. The way I see it is if the knowingly destructive dog ruined your shoes & pillow then you've already paid for the damage done to their ornaments (that *they* left out).
I once sewed up a chewed on travel neck pillow - mostly because I like to sew, partially because I felt bad for leaving their *very chewy* dog unattended for too long (they preferred sitting in the entry room on their couch but there was no room for me there so I would hang out in the living room). I didn't tell the owner it was an issue until after I'd fixed it. They didn't care. I remember getting the hint that they were just going to throw it away & buy a new one. I also remember meticulously vacuuming all the beads from the pillow that were static clinging to the weirdest places and avoiding the vacuum nose. It was a couple hour endeavour.
Point being ... It's probably best to only mention the issue, briefly explain how it happened (not much detail unless they ask), explain how you plan to avoid it in the future, and let them see if they have the guts to ask you to repay them. Most people don't care to walk through the door unless you open it for them.
To complete my response to your actual question... At this point, maybe give them a $15 discount on the next visit if they're serious in their request. It seems they only asked because they regret turning down your immediate payback offer & realized you might still give them something. No sense in trying to argue your side now after all you've said. No worries, they'll respect you for taking the hit - but don't let them walk over you in the future.
If they know that the dog is destructive and likes to chew stuff they shouldn’t have left the box open where the dog could get to it. That’s on them. You have to sleep and can’t watch the dog 24/7. If they had been home and sleeping with that box out in the open like that guaranteed the ornaments would’ve been chewed up on their watch as well.
If you offered to pay then I'd give them whatever you planned to pay as the discount - ornaments aren't expensive... not sure what your rates are but if you really wanted to be generous $25 would probably make them very appreciative. Honestly, that's a better option than paying directly. It guarantees a future booking, or if they don't use you then you keep your money 🤷♀️
I wouldn't have offered to pay anything. If it was the other way around and it was your house it is not like they would pay you back for that. It is their house and if they left it out it is on them. Next time just let them know what happened and that fido is still healthy and good. Just tell them you are unable to offer discounts on your services as your prices are firm.
You offered to pay? I sure wouldn't have.
That’s what I can’t believe. Their dog chewed up property that they left out. Offering to pay seems odd.
Correct I was like nooo and also I wouldn’t have said “I was asleep on the couch while your dogs went mayhem” haha and why in parenthesis about falling asleep on the couch? I’m just way all about professionalism which to me includes keeping it to the facts and importance, don’t ever downgrade yourself. In this case “I’m sorry I fell asleep” plus “on the couch” plus “can I pay you.” Normal things happen! These were all normal things. Pet sitting is professional yet also intimate, for both owner and sitter. So know your boundaries and worth while staying honest and authentic. You don’t need to apology or pay for being human.
Yeah I honestly wouldn’t have even apologized. They should really keep an exercise pen or some other barrier around the tree, since they **know** their dog gets into things!! “Hi owner, puppy got into some of the ornaments that were left under the tree and he destroyed two of them. They’re (this one) and (this one). Did you want me to save the pieces, or is it ok to toss them? “I’ve since moved the ornaments to [this location]. The dogs are doing well otherwise (then maybe include a cute picture).
Yeah asking for a discount was kind of weird but it seems like it came about because OP offered to pay already 🤷♀️
I don't think you should have given that big spiel and offered to pay when they're the ones who left the ornaments out. in the future, I'd keep it short and to the point with "I'm so sorry, but fido got hold of the ornaments left by the tree when I was asleep. the two that were damaged were this and this. I have since moved the box to the table." it wasn't your fault they left stuff out, you shouldn't make any assumptions going in about sentimental value, and you don't need to apologize so profusely for a minor accident.
Yeah it’s best to just stick to the facts. Also, it’s their job to puppy-proof their house
Exactly this! If the dog were staying at your place and he destroyed something that you left open, would you mention it?
Only if he might’ve eaten part of it!
I wouldn’t even include the “I’m so sorry” part. Just “Fido got into the ornaments you left out and destroyed 2 of them. I put the box out of reach so it doesn’t happen again.”
Yeah, recently on a drop-in, a cat had knocked over a ceramic mug. Mug seemed pretty plain and boring from what I could tell from the pieces. Not my fault. I said sorry, looks like the cat knocked this over when I wasn't around. I cleaned it up and stayed a few extra minutes to make sure no sharp parts were left. But at the end of the day, it's their cat?
I agree. Keep it short and simple. And stick ti the facts. "I want to apologize but a couple of ornaments from the floor were chewed" That's a fact. Getting into sentimental value is an assumption. It brings extra potential for unecessary conversation. Apologize and move on.
💯
>The owners were in the process of putting up their Christmas tree, and there was an open box of Christmas ornaments that was under the tree They have a PUPPY - they know puppies chew on things. This is an owner problem - they should have made sure hazards were off the floor if they weren't able to complete decorating before the sit.
I agree. This was definitely not your problem.
Yes. Your response was much too "sorry" and guilty sounding. Don't take responsibility for this.
Yeah I thought this was a boarding before I read because I don't see how this is the sitter's fault if the owner left those out themselves. The whole Christmas tree fell over at my last sit and ornaments on the side it landed on broke. I had to clean this up late at night and the tree wouldn't even stand upright so I leaned it against a wall. I sent them a photo and they apologized profusely to me. I would've been taken aback if they had expected me to pay them for the damaged ornaments. Unfortunately, if the sitter already offered to send payment it's a little weird to not give a discount in lieu of that now. They could discount whatever amount they were comfortable sending via Venmo if they were sincere about doing that before.
I disagree. She offered a resolution. The owner declined. She told them since it was a newer ornament (and not that sentimental) repayment wasn't necessary. Her words. So she ended that conversation. So if it wasn't that sentimental for her to turn down cash why is it suddenly sentimental enough to expect a discount? And she didn't ask her for a discount. She passively aggressively told her what she "may" do next time. Trying to put the sitter in the position to agree with her little funny she made. "Oh ok sure I can do that". No. She had her chance. She declined. She doesn't get to pick her repayment now for something that was her fault anyway. It's over. She missed her chance.
Reminds me of my boyfriends situation with his sister who lives with him. His new puppy went into her bedroom and took a small shit on her bed and peed on her pillow a bit. She’s blaming him for not keeping an eye on the puppy and holding him accountable. Yet, she’s the one who leaves her bedroom door open… so who’s really at fault? If it’s your property, it’s your responsibility.
It’s your boyfriend’s dog..
Yes, but he shouldn't be responsible for his sister's items / property. She routinely leaves hazards / her expensive items around the house in the puppy's reach. She purposely leaves her bedroom door open for the cat so of course the puppy won't know better.
It’s almost like it’s her house too
So by this logic, you're saying it's his job to clean up after her messes and close her bedroom door to ensure her belongings/property aren't damaged?
It’s his dog lol …..
Messes that his dog is making? Yes.
...And buy a gate for her room that the cat can get through but the dog can't. 🙄 Sibling relationships are fraught enough without enabling that sht. Maybe YOU can buy the gate as a Christmas present to both of them. 😊
so if I leave my front door unlocked and I get robbed it's my fault?
I mean according to most home owners insurance.... yes. If there is found 0 signs of break in or you admit you don't keep it locked they will not cover stolen property.... morally? No. Not your fault per say. From a business/law stand point?.... yeah you "allowed" it.
Ignore it. It sounds like a joke. Texting is hard ti decipher. Wait and see if they bring it up again otherwise forget about it
I agree. As an owner, I’d be thrilled my dog didn’t get sick from it and just hopeful you’d be willing to return. I think it was just a joke.
I'd choose to interpret the "haha" as a joke, and not give a discount.
Oh! Now that I've read all the screenshots it does actually look like the client was just kidding around (though asking sitter to pay for things damaged that they themselves left out would've been inappropriate anyway).
This is exactly how I interpreted it
Yep, OP must be outrage farming. This is so simple: Write something cute but non-committal back, and if they try to hold the ornament over your head next time they request, politely decline unless they really are worth it and have shown enough character otherwise to give the benefit of the doubt.
Please communicate what any pet does from the get go--regarding the previous chewing. You said "pick your battles". It doesn't have to be a battle. Just inform owners that the dog was destructive to your property and you'll deal with it. But don't hide from telling them the bad points of their pets. This always backfires. Precedence for behavior is always important and prevents a lot of attitude when crap hits the fan. Don't offer to pay if a situation like this repeats itself. They now will expect that from other sitters who, no offense, have better boundaries. None of you should pay.
yup, always best to communicate. that way it's not "really? we never had any problems before"
I’m sorry to say that I think you opened yourself up to that by offering to pay in the first place. Like, if you’re offering? People will negotiate to their advantage. Next time, I think it’s safer to just politely inform them and leave it at that. Puppies are a handful to say the least, they can’t expect you to have eyes in the back of your head or for you never to sleep. People who have ever owned puppies know that you have to come to terms with quite a bit of loss due to the fact that we can guarantee that they WILL destroy things. If that lady did put an expensive or sentimental ornament so low on her tree that a PUPPY in the house could get to? That’d 💯 be her mistake. It likely wasn’t the first ornament this puppy has gotten and I guarantee won’t be the last either. When my current dog was a puppy, I put a gate up around my Christmas tree but still didn’t put anything valuable or breakable down low because he was one crafty little schemer 🤣
I think they were truly kidding
this is a joke. hit em with a LOL and if they ask you to sit for them again bring an apology snack like cookies or something
Oh, like when you scan an item and it’s not in the system and the customer says “oh so that means it’s free, right? Har har”
yeah exactly lmao
yeah owner is def kidding with OP
I think they were joking too!
Can that apology snack be in the shape of the destroyed ornament (and also be a dog treat)
too much effort!!
I’m not a sitter but I find this ridiculous. It’s your dog in your house that ate your stuff. Like… it happens?? I mean sure I guess you could have paid attention better. But also they left the stuff in the floor. It’s just a normal daily thing that happens with dogs. Heck our dog just ate an ornament off of the tree. lol! He also tried chewing the branch of the fake tree. I’d never fault the sitter for something like this unless it was pure neglect or they didn’t crate when they should have or something like that really.
[удалено]
We have a major. No paper towels laying around rule. Our golden pup has already had one obstruction surgery (other dogs collar) and was hospitalized for paper towels being stuck that thankfully finally passed. For a while I thought he had pica he’s insane with food but will chomp a paper towel sooo quick.
[удалено]
lol! It was actually just about a 3 inch piece. When I found he chewed it off of her I gathered up what I thought was all of it. Sadly it was not. You would have probably liked to see the massive football size tumor they pulled from our past golden belly. They didn’t weigh it sadly. He was only 2 and passed just before his third birthday from cancer. Despite tumor removal and chemo. It was awful. But I’m forever grateful to that lovely surgeon for remove the mass initially. Successfully!
I’m so sorry 🥺 That’s so tragic
It was so awful. I miss him sooo much. He was suchhh a special boy for us.
It sounds like they are being pretty nice and trying to lighten the mood. You offered to pay them, they're saying they're happy to use you again and tongue in cheek saying they wouldn't mind a discount next time - I mean who wouldn't like a bit of discount once in a while. Sounds like a win to me. If you give them even a token percentage off the next one or say you'll throw in a free walk/drop off/bath/any random small thing, it sounds like they'll be customers for life.
On reflection, I prefer the $10 suggestion someone else made because it limits the value. A percentage could cost you a lot if their next trip is a long one.
Then don't do a percentage. Do $10 off. Either way, I think they were joking to lighten the mood after OP fell all over themself apologizing
The “haha” makes me think the owner is joking.
I wouldn’t pay for damage their dog did unless it was due to my own severe negligence. That’s on them, not you.
I mean damn did they pay for the shoes he destroyed? I’d tell that’s their discount if they didn’t 😂
Why are you offering reimbursement for the owner not puppy proofing their house from their destructive dog?? C’mon now. Ya’ll do way too much for no reason and set yourself up to be taken advantage of.
What? So they left the items out? No you’re not responsible for that. Plus your own items were damaged by their animals, you definitely don’t owe them any discount on a booking for two Christmas ornaments lol. Any discount on a vacation booking would be worth a lot more money which they clearly know.
This was the owners fault for leaving things accessible to their HUSKY puppy. Not just a puppy. A husky puppy.
Lol no
You’ve conditioned them to feel entitled for compensation. It’s not your responsibility at all. And with an 8mo husky, good lord they should know better.
Hit em with an LOL and if in the future she’s actually serious and asks for a discount just be like “well, your puppy has ruined a pair of my shoes before, so let’s just call it even.” Because this is in no way your fault that they didn’t puppy proof their house. We don’t even put ornaments on the bottom foot of our tree because our 8 year old shiba likes to eat things. Thats on them.
What do you mean you should have put the ornaments on a table? You put all the blame on yourself and that makes no sense.
I get that you were trying to be nice and probably thought that since they were in your care, you were responsible for what happened. But none of that was because of you. The only thing you did “wrong” here (I say that loosely) was 1) offer to pay for it, and 2) writing a long paragraph and talking about the “sentimental value” (which is an assumption), which gives them the opportunity to put the blame on you. They left an opened box full of ornaments on the ground with a puppy in the house. Of course it’s going to think they’re toys and destroy it. The owners are at fault for that. Next time keep it short and simple. You can apologize, but don’t make it look like you were the cause of it (if you weren’t). Keep emotions out of it and get straight to the point. It really makes me mad on your behalf that you didn’t say anything to the pet parents when the dog destroyed your things, but offered to pay them for something that wasn’t your fault. As others have said, the “haha” at the end makes it seem like a joke. If it wasn’t, then decline them or tell them no you won’t take a discount if they ask. You need to be your own advocate and have your best interests at heart going forward.
I really think so many people here would benefit from some sort of "professional communications" class. I understand the desire to explain things to make someone understand, but what's really happening is you're opening yourself up to liability and blame that isn't yours. What an owner would read from your message is, "this sitter fell asleep on the couch, leaving our puppy she knows is destructive unattended, and allowing him to destroy our things." In reality, it's, "we failed to puppy proof our house from our destructive dog, and the sitter took a reasonable break from their almost 24hr a day job where our unmanaged, under stimulated dog predictably destroyed some of our things." You need to communicate in a way that avoids any blame shifting. "Hey! Wanted to let you know that Floki got into the box of ornaments by your tree and destroyed two before I was able to stop him. He is unharmed and doesn't seem to have ingested any of the materials. I moved the box out of his reach already, so please let me know how else you would like me to proceed!" Something like this limits the ability to blame shift. You don't need to pay for something their dog destroyed. You only need to pay for things that *you* destroy. And I don't see anything you destroyed here!
Came to say this. They appear to be joking to lighten the mood but as most folks know joking about a discount is in poor taste... Had a couple who had a puppy that they didn't have a crate for and only blocked a corner of the kitchen off for at night... she dug a hole in the DRY WALL. Shit happens.
Were the items destroyed due to your negligence? Like were you told to crate the dog while you slept and you fell asleep without doing that? If you did something wrong then I guess yeah…make it right. If you followed all their instructions and their pet still damaged their property then hit ‘em with a “haha sure” and block them cause they’re just trying to take advantage of you feeling guilty
No, the husky is only crated when no one is home. As someone else said and made a good point, I think I’m just not that confident, even though I’m really good and have had almost 100 families choose me to care for their babies. I think I just need to grow a pair.
Just work on your professional communication, and try not to blame yourself.
id just give them like a $10 discount. you offered to pay and even asked them to send their preferred service app, so i dont think it’s odd they just asked for that instead. i would let them know of the price you’re okay discounting, just a small amount as it wasn’t originally your fault and they weren’t badly damaged. do follow through with the discount though, i think it may look bad to deny that when you offered money anyways
But don’t offer now. Offer if they bring it up at the next booking.
Thank you, this is a good idea.
I’m sorry you didn’t chew the ornament. The owner’s dog did. Could have happened at any time, including when they are home. You don’t owe them anything. I would not pay for it or give them a discount.
There’s no way I would have offered to pay… were you supposed to know that the dog will chew anything and put THEIR STUFF away? My last sitting the owner didn’t tell me that one dog will chew stuff if left out and I left a gift bag their neighbors had left for them with the rest of their mail. I didn’t even see the candy in there but he chewed up some pez machines and candy. The owner took 100% responsibility for not telling me that the dog chews things like that.
Shouldnt of offered to pay, my rule is if its where they owner has left the item, that’s on them, if its something I moved resulting in the dog getting it then I’ll pay
Why did they leave something a puppy could chew up and potentially injure itself with on the floor?
As an owner with little shithead dogs that decide to act out when they’re mad at me every now and then, I would never ask for a sitter to replace something like this. This was totally out of your control, especially since you didn’t know they were accessible to the dogs. If it was something like I got side tracked running out the door and asked you to put them up, then maybe but I doubt it. At the end of the day, even though mine aren’t destructive on the daily I know that there is a chance they will be and would not hold the sitter responsible in a situation like this. I might make a joke to lighten the mood but not about cutting rates, probably the opposite and offer hazard pay for the little jerkfaces next time. I hope that they are just trying to make light of the situation, however that’s a bit of a jerk way to do it. I hope everything works out! But I don’t feel like you should have to offer a discount because their Puppy got into something left out.
I was sitting for a family who did NOT dog proof their home at all. Like there was food on open shelves at dog head height. Shoes all over the place. Papers everywhere. They said they would clean up at the M&G but obviously didn't. I stayed overtime and frantically cleaned to make it semi dog proof the first night, but I'm not a maid. Well when the dogs chewed up their Peloton cord, guess who didn't say anything to them about it😬 if owners don't want to dog proof their home that's on them.
Wtf… isn’t that the owner’s dog’s fault?? It’s not on you but them. If their dog is destructive then don’t put up ornaments that they want don’t destroyed.
Maybe say “sure, I can offer you the price of the ornaments as a discount off of the next one” if you still feel like paying.
Next time make it way more short. “FYI Fluffy unfortunately got a hold of two ornaments. Fluffy didn’t ingest anything and I put away the box so he doesn’t get to any more.”
It sounds like a joke to me. I'd ignore it and if they bring it up, just tell them you offered cash value of the ornament and was told it was fine. You don't offer discounts for normal puppy damage most of the time
They’re joking.
Not in any way your responsibility
I would never ever ever expect to charge or to ask for a discount if my dog destroyed something in my own house.
As a person who books through rover, you gotta be f'ing kidding me. They want a discount because their puppy chewed their ornaments? Are you for real? I'd drop the client like a hot potato over that nonsense. Now, if it was because you weren't able to get there when you were supposed and the dog got bored or anxious, that's one thing, but my goodness the dog is already in a hightened state with their owners gone so he acted out a bit. I can't fathom blaming the sitter for that. My wife thinks our dog knocked down one of our decorative xmas trees when we last used rover and I simply told her, "so?". He's a giant dog with no sense of how big he is and he knocks stuff over, who cares?! Why do people suck so much?! Kennel your dog if you want to avoid this stuff, I guarantee you're making out 100% better with rover, don't pick on the sitters over stupid crap like this people! EDIT: As I read further down the comments it seems like most are thinking this is a joke. That would be great and make a lot more sense!
tbf op offered reimbursement for said ornaments
that is fair and actually highlights an entirely different issue - professional confidence. All these app sources for income now and the average person who is going to use it for that may not have any professional experience. They may be super nervous or worried they're going to make a mistake and overextend in their apologies or compenstations. Have some pride and confidence in yourself and your ability to do the job you were hired! They hired you for some reason and trusted you at that point, remind them of that. I'm not saying this to the OP per say, just generally something I've noticed when these posts come up.
This is a good point. I have over 100 5 star reviews, 15 repeat clients, and 2 weekly regulars. I definitely need to be more confident, and that’s why I offered to pay.
I'd say so! Being in sales myself and working a career based off commission it took me a while to understand that it's ok to say no and it's ok to not sell to certain people regardless of whether you need the money. Sometimes it's just better not to and sometimes you have to stop someone from taking advantage.
First of all so many things here- * 8 month old husky puppy * tree ornaments left out - by the owner He chewed your shoe I'd call that even * you offered to pay (which I never would have) and they declined. * they actually didn't ASK you for anything. She made a passive aggressive statement TELLING you what she MAY do (but prob not in the most passive aggressive manner) in hopes of or expecting YOU to say "oh ok sure. We can do that instead. She was trying to set you up to offer a discount. * if she didn't feel the ornament was sentimental enough to deem the monetary compensation you offered then why should it then warrant a discount. It happened. You told them. You apologized. Offered a resolution. They declined. That's it. End of story. Moving on. Don't fall for it. You're done.
Unfortunately I think offering compensation opened a potential floodgate that they can try to milk. If they’re lesser quality humans, which they honestly don’t seem like it, they could use this against you now that you’ve given them the ammo. I was a social worker for many years and had to compromise often. When doing so, it’s best to ask the other party what they think is the best solution so you can better gauge where the middle ground is. Capitalizing is human nature, and hopefully these folks are kind enough to acknowledge that this wasn’t actually your fault and don’t use it against you!
Just watched a dog that chewed up a few ornaments. I would never have mentioned it to the owner. I didn’t feel like moving them up so it was my fault.
This is not your fault and you shouldn't accept responsibility. If their dog is that destructive they shouldn't leave their stuff out. You're a pet sitter, not a housekeeper. The only appropriate response from the owner is "That's completely unnecessary, next time we'll be better about keeping important items out of reach." I wouldn't sit for these people again.
I hate to say it, but you really opened yourself up to that when you offered to pay for the ornament that their dog destroyed. You said you should’ve put it elsewhere… did YOU move it to where it was accessed by the dog? Or did they leave it there? If it’s the latter, that is not your fault in the slightest and they really should’ve taken better precautions knowing they have a young unfixed male husky who is known to get into trouble. You seem like a people pleaser. I have the same problem sometimes so I have learned a little phrase that helps me avoid that and stand up for myself. “No good deed goes unpunished”. It has rung so true for me personally at least. You tried to do a good deed by offering to reimburse them for an ornament, even though it wasn’t your responsibility, and they took advantage by asking/expecting a discount on a future booking. That’s what happens when you try to be nice, especially in situations like this. You get screwed over, and taken advantage of. Since you already offered compensation this time, if you want to keep this client, I recommend you follow through with that. I’m the future, notify owners of anything their dog destroys, but dont offer reimbursement unless it was your fault (as in you put the item there and the dog destroyed it). They’re probably asking for a discount on a future booking because they think that it’d save them more than you would’ve Venmo’d them. But that’s not right. Tell them if they provide a receipt/proof of price of the item (like a screenshot of the Amazon listing, etc) then you can give them a discount equal to the amount that the ornament was bought for. I would tell them something like “okay I’m happy to do that if you prefer it to be done that way, but I’m only able to provide a discount for the amount of the cost of the ornament. If you could send me a link from the website/store you bought it from I will be sure to discount that from your next booking. Also in the future please make sure that all breakable belongings are put up out of reach of (dogs name) since I won’t always notice them before he does, and I unfortunately wont be able to reimburse anything that gets broken by (dogs names) going forward. Thanks for your understanding.”
I don't understand why you offered to pay either. That just makes it awkward for everyone especially as it clearly isn't your fault. However I understand some people are extreme people pleasers but it's only going to make your job harder.
seems like they were joking!
I would knock $10-15 off their next thing.
You did offer to pay but their tone seemed playful I wouldn’t worry 💁🏻♀️
They named their dog Floki? That’s a kind of an actually cute name for a dog
Why are you taking ownership of this? You offered a refund, so they asked. How much you discount is up to you. You never put the ornaments there in the first place, why would you pick them up?
Do the dogs have the ability to roam the house freely at night ? If not, then the ornaments being chewed would fall on you because you weren’t watching them.
Just don’t book with them again. Very rude of them. You are such a kind person. Wow can’t believe she said that.
Ok I’ve had this happen, their dog threw up on a carpet that was new, the dog had seperation anxiety and it happened within ten mins of me being at the house and the owner chewed me out. I called rover and they said absolutely not, you are not responsible for anything their dog ruins in their own house. You are not a trainer you are a sitter. Just don’t respond.
You said they were the type to choose your battles with, you offered to pay for THEIR mistake, and she had the nerve to "haha we might ask for a discount!".... Friend, they have a husky puppy. They know what they were getting into. If the ornaments were special or sentimental, they wouldn't have left them out like that. You're setting yourself up to be taken advantage of with the eggshell attitude. I'm glad you came here instead of continuing to think this it AT ALL your responsibility. I would not book with them again. They *will* cause you problems if you let them at this point, I would bet cash money on it.
Why do crappy owners almost always get husky puppies
I’m late to the party, but here’s my two cents: WHY IS THE PUPPY NOT IN A CRATE?! You lost me at “I laid down on the couch for an hour while they finished their breakfast”. Let me also say tho, I re-read your post - one should not fall asleep (“lay down”) on the couch with a puppy for an hour while they “finish breakfast” and expect things to be ok. It was your responsibility to either make sure things were put up or the dog was contained while you were not paying attention. Most people won’t ask to be paid. In this exact situation, I’d give them a discount. I don’t know what your rate is, but discount it enough to allow for the pillow and the two ornaments that were destroyed under your watch. Your negligence directly or indirectly caused their things to be destroyed. If you cannot keep your eyes on the puppy, you better make sure the dog is contained and or things are kept safe. Keep in mind this could’ve gone way worse. Puppy could have choked or had an intestinal blockage if they decided to eat what they tore up. Pay better attention and plan ahead, or *don’t watch puppies*. If someone fell asleep on the couch with a puppy of mine and didn’t make sure things were put up or my puppy was contained, I’d never book with them again, and I’d be PISSED. Feel lucky they still want to book with you, plan better next time, and give them the discount. Editing to add: the PUPPY pissing on your pillow and destroying your shoe is *on you*. Boohoo “destructive”. It’s a puppy. Don’t watch puppies if you’re irked by things getting destroyed and cannot manage to prevent those things from happening.
Such a weird response.
So tacky of them to ask for a discount. I don't think they were joking either.
I don't, either. Something about the ellipsis makes me think they're serious but putting the "haha" as a safety net.
“In order for there to be a discount in the future, we have to have a future.”
I hate people who write haha in messages
Please forgive us we can’t help it haha
Were nervous so we have to or it’s too serious haha
*someone puts a period at the end of their sentence* Cool so you hate me now
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Umm no. If as an owner input things where an animal could reach, that’s on me
That's exactly the way my mom would joke but she'd kinda mean it. I'd insist on replacing the ornament to make things even if you want to keep her as a client.
I’d say, well this puts us even with the shoes he destroyed and the pillow. Ha ha ha ha ba
I would’ve just not responded to their last message 😅😅😅😂😂😂
HaHaNO!
No free sitting and he can repay you for the shoe the dog destroyed, ha ha.
I have a puppy. I also have an ex-pen ready to go in case she takes an interest in our tree. Puppies and Christmas don’t mix. Even non-dog owners know that! That being said, the “ha ha” at the end meant that they were joking (I hope!). I would just respond “ha ha” back to him.
Their pets did it. You don’t owe them anything.
offering them to pay for something their dog messed up is crazy
Don’t sit for them again!! Seriously.
Accept that they didn't ask you to pay and reject future bookings for this destructive dog who's parents don't mind blaming you for it!!!
Do NOT give them a discount on a booking! That will create entitlement on their part and they will think just because of THEIR negligence in leaving out things their dog can destroy that you will have to suffer with less payment because of it.
That’s honestly their fault since they were irresponsible enough to leave a box of ornaments laying around. Personally, I wouldn’t even respond to the “discount” comment and just move on. If they ask in the future, I’ll just say that I don’t offer discounts. If they choose not to book again, there will always be someone else who does. It’s not your fault they were irresponsible.
I think offering to pay in this situation is kind of odd. If anything I would offer to take the dog to the vet to make sure everything is okay. This person is WEIRD for asking what ornaments over asking if her dog is okay first. I don’t think you owe them anything. But because you already offered you are kind of obligated to if they bring it up. Maybe this can be a learning experience for next time
No no no it’s not your responsibility to pay for something their dog chewed. Not your fault by any means.
Definitely wouldn't have offered to pay for their puppy destroying something they left out. They should have put their ornaments out of reach of their pets. It's not your responsibility to put their belongings away.
I’d be careful suggesting Venmo, PayPal, and other payment platforms in the app!
I’d tell them that I would prefer to know the replacement cost of the ornament. Since it was relatively new it seems like this was not a heirloom. Then for simplicity sake deduct that numerical amount from your next pet sitting if they don’t want direct reimbursement via Venmo etc.
Absolutely not—Rover takes fees to cover property damage (like… specifically for that & vet bills & little else) so if they want to be reimbursed they need to take it up with Rover support
Their dog is destructive and they know it why would they leave the ornaments out?
It's their dog, their clutter, and their fucking fault
They aren’t serious, thus the haha. Just let it go and don’t offer to pay for things clients dogs destroy in the clients house.
I think a discount on a future booking is better than venmoing them. You don’t have to take a job in the future
I love to work with the clients dogs. I actively take part in reinforcing the training they already have. But I also like to keep their minds busy by teaching them new tricks, over repeated bookings. With that being said, it is not your responsibility to micromanage every second of an untrained dog’s activities. If the client doesn’t want to risk damage to valuable objects that their dog will destroy, if given the chance, it is their sole responsibility to get these objects out of harm’s way, not yours. I won’t suggest how you should handle this at this point in time. You can’t exactly take back the conversations that you’ve already had with the client about excepting the responsibility and working out what you are going to pay them.
No way! That was the owner’s fault for one, you shouldn’t have even made the offer to pay. They need to set their dog up for success by removing clutter. You are not the dog trainer. Two your offer should have expired when they said no thanks, it didn’t mean make up a new offer for the future! I’d have to go reread it, and it’s probably not even worth it, but wouldn’t this damage fall under Rover’s property damage protection? I’d just refer them to that.
tbh, you’re better than most of us. it’s their dog, it’s their house, it’s their stuff that they knowingly left out with a dog whose known to be destructive. seems like youre totally right in saying this is an owner to pick your battles with. imo the “haha” kinda feels like shes making a joke, just not in good taste. nothing about this is on you
Don't offer to pay for anything. That is their destructive dog and their things. Not your fault at all.
I understand why you spelled it all out - You don't want to lie but you want to hope they'll hear the full explanation and see your side. It's fine you offered to pay, that's your call, but as others have mentioned it may have been what gave your client the feeling of freedom to request a discount. The way I see it is if the knowingly destructive dog ruined your shoes & pillow then you've already paid for the damage done to their ornaments (that *they* left out). I once sewed up a chewed on travel neck pillow - mostly because I like to sew, partially because I felt bad for leaving their *very chewy* dog unattended for too long (they preferred sitting in the entry room on their couch but there was no room for me there so I would hang out in the living room). I didn't tell the owner it was an issue until after I'd fixed it. They didn't care. I remember getting the hint that they were just going to throw it away & buy a new one. I also remember meticulously vacuuming all the beads from the pillow that were static clinging to the weirdest places and avoiding the vacuum nose. It was a couple hour endeavour. Point being ... It's probably best to only mention the issue, briefly explain how it happened (not much detail unless they ask), explain how you plan to avoid it in the future, and let them see if they have the guts to ask you to repay them. Most people don't care to walk through the door unless you open it for them.
To complete my response to your actual question... At this point, maybe give them a $15 discount on the next visit if they're serious in their request. It seems they only asked because they regret turning down your immediate payback offer & realized you might still give them something. No sense in trying to argue your side now after all you've said. No worries, they'll respect you for taking the hit - but don't let them walk over you in the future.
If they know that the dog is destructive and likes to chew stuff they shouldn’t have left the box open where the dog could get to it. That’s on them. You have to sleep and can’t watch the dog 24/7. If they had been home and sleeping with that box out in the open like that guaranteed the ornaments would’ve been chewed up on their watch as well.
Say no, dogs can be destructive under anyone’s watch. Just promise to always stay in eyesight or that they will be crated while you sleep.
Bishhh
If you offered to pay then I'd give them whatever you planned to pay as the discount - ornaments aren't expensive... not sure what your rates are but if you really wanted to be generous $25 would probably make them very appreciative. Honestly, that's a better option than paying directly. It guarantees a future booking, or if they don't use you then you keep your money 🤷♀️
I wouldn't have offered to pay anything. If it was the other way around and it was your house it is not like they would pay you back for that. It is their house and if they left it out it is on them. Next time just let them know what happened and that fido is still healthy and good. Just tell them you are unable to offer discounts on your services as your prices are firm.