Thursday, February 18, 2010

Pet Sitter Conundrum

I have a bit of a conundrum

The pet sitter that I hired to care for my pets went MIA, and I haven't been able to track her down since I got back from my trip.

I started emailing her two days before I left San Diego, concerned that the fallout from the dude with a bomb would interfere with my ability to fly home in a timely manner. I asked her to respond to my email, and confirm whether or not she could care for the pets an extra night if I couldn't get home.

I emailed her the next day, and multiple times on the day I flew home. I will admit that should have had her phone number with me; but I really thought that an established pet sitting business (12 years in the field) would know the importance of reading and responding to emails on a daily basis.

Didn't hear from the pet sitter.

More emails were sent to the pet sitter, saying that if I don't get her confirmation that she'd be available, I'd assume that she was not and would have to struggle to make alternate arrangements but please email me either way so that I'd know. She didn't respond, so I frantically emailed local friends to ask if they could let the animals out and feed them.

Still didn't hear from the pet sitter.

My flight was delayed significantly, as expected. I missed the bus that would have taken me from the airport home, but could rebook on the next day's bus for no extra cost. (I've got a couple of friends in Calgary that I could have bunked with overnight.) When I didn't hear back from local friends right away - not surprisingly, considering the time of year - I felt that I had no choice but to book a non-refundable seat on the only other bus that would take me home that night.

Still didn't hear from the pet sitter.

I lost $45 on the previously booked ticket that I didn't use, and bought a $45 seat from another company. I also had to take a $50 taxi across Calgary to the bus depot.

I got home just after midnight. The pets appeared as though they'd been well taken care of. There was a note from the pet sitter, saying she'd had a great time taking care of them, that she'd been around late afternoon, and for me to please call her to let her know when I've gotten in safely.

I called, said that We Needed To Talk and asked her to please call back the next day. She didn't call back. Ever.

In late January, I called her and asked to inquire about an invoice. She emailed me back the next day to say that she was working on it, and I'd get the invoice soon.

I still don't have the invoice.

This is a pet sitter that came very highly recommended. As far as I can tell, she did a good job with taking care of the pets, but her communication is horrid. At this point, I have no plans to use her services again; but I'm wondering about the invoice.

Am ever going to get it?

At this point, I don't know if I should send her the cheque for what I think I owe her; send her a partial payment and tell her I'd deducted part of the expense for the bus fiasco; or stick my head in the sand and hope the invoice never arrives.

6 comments:

  1. Oy vay! I feel your pain - the only downside in my mind of having pets is the issues when you travel. (Ok, so the whole poop/vomit/cat/dog hair everywhere isn't all that great) It's very stressful! Finding a good, reliable dog sitter is KEY and hard to find!

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  2. Janice I am with you about never using her again. Communication is EVERYTHING. I think, being the gal that nuns shaped my formative years=guilt and worry, I would send her a check for what you think you owe her minus the expense for the bus deal and consider it done. Of course only if you really feel that the kids were well taken care of and that she did her job with regard to Tula, Cotton Dude and Winter Man :)

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  3. Call me irresponsible, but I would not pay her one red cent unless and until she 1) communicates with you directly and effectively and 2) presents you with an invoice for what she thinks you owe her. (And I'd look that over very, very carefully.)

    But beyond that, I think she owes *you* for the worry she caused you, let alone the travel mishaps and extra costs.

    Just my 2 cents. For what they're worth.

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  4. Right now, I'm leaning in your direction Judi. The longer this goes on, the less I'm inclined to pay her. I don't know how long she can reasonably wait, but I'm thinking that that time is almost come and gone. I'm torn, though, because I do think she kept good care of the pets. Ultimately, that's what I hired her to do.

    (But, yes, RR. The guilt's there for me too.)

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  5. Janice I think what I am thinking that it is a small world and people have lots to say and if you are certain that she did well by the furkids if it were me I would pay her. I agree with Judy H that the worry she caused you is inexcusable. But MY concern would be that she would blab you had not paid her and that finding someone to sit the kids would be difficult for a future getaway for you or call me paranoid but the kids would not be taken care of well by someone else you hired who may know the story. Whether the story is accurate or not.

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  6. Good point. Actually, it was enough for me to decide that I'd write her a cheque, less half the bus SNAFU, and send it to her with a letter. (We Canadians are good at writing letters.) Then I realized I have a problem... don't know her address. She gave me a phone number and an email address, but not an address. I guess now I have to wait for her.

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