Let’s be real for a second: Babysitting is a sweet gig.
Of course, there are those children who refuse to go to bed.
And there are the ones who cry when you turn off the TV.
But, for the most part, watching other people’s kids is a great way to make money.
The pay is good.
And, it teaches valuable lessons about responsibility.
However, there is one big challenge: Finding clients is hard.
Back in the old days, aspiring babysitters walked around putting flyers in mailboxes or hanging them on street corners.
But we don’t live in the old days.
There’s no need to flyer mailboxes anymore.
These days, there’s an app for that.
California-based startup UrbanSitter has created a social network that connects babysitters with the parents who need them.
In this article, we’ll discuss what this app is and how it works.
We’ll also outline some of the ways that you can contact UrbanSitter customer service if you have any questions.
What is UrbanSitter?
UrbanSitter, Inc is an app-based, gig economy service that connects childcare providers with busy parents.
Much like Care.com and other babysitting websites, the platform is beloved by parents and sitters all over America.
Obviously, sitters love the site because it helps them find steady work.
The abundance of listings enables sitters to work part-time, full-time, or however often they’d like.
There are even last minute jobs on the site, so sitters can pick up work whenever they have a free night.
And parents love it, too.
After all, nearly every parent has gotten stuck without a babysitter on date night.
With UrbanSitter, they can find a good, reliable sitter whenever they need one.
Over the past few years, the company has grown rapidly.
Although it originally operated exclusively in San Francisco, it quickly expanded to Los Angeles and other American cities.
These days, UrbanSitter is available in more than 60 cities around the United States.
And, after a recent $17M funding round, it appears that CEO Lynn Perkins plans to expand the platform even further.
How UrbanSitter Works
Like all gig platforms, the service works through a mobile application.
All parents have to do is sign up, pay a monthly membership fee, and start looking for sitters.
They have the option to search through sitter profiles and reach out directly or post a listing for sitters in their area.
If you’re a babysitter, all you have to do is make an account.
Once you verify your age (at least 16 years old), you can create a profile and start searching for jobs.
Related: How to Get a Job with UrbanSitter
Parents and sitters negotiate rates.
The sitter gets to keep 100% of the agreed-upon price.
UrbanSitter makes its money off parents’ monthly membership fees.
One exciting thing about UrbanSitter is that it uses social media to help parents find more reliable sitters.
For example, it sifts through your Facebook, Google, and email accounts to pair sitters and families who have a social connection.
This aspect adds another layer of trust and comfort to the process.
Overall, UrbanSitter is easy to use for both parents and babysitters.
But, as any babysitter knows, things don’t always go as planned.
S There may be times where you need to contact UrbanSitter customer service.
So, we’ve put together this detailed guide on how to contact UrbanSitter customer care when you have a problem.
We also included a summary of solutions to some of the most common questions people have.
Reasons to Contact Customer Care
Some common issues are:
- Accounts. If you forget your username or password or have trouble logging in, then you may need to get in touch with someone from UrbanSitter customer care.
- Payments. If your credit card doesn’t load, then you should contact help…You may also want to call if a parent refuses to pay.
In this scenario, the only thing you can do is contact customer support to find out if there is a solution. - Applications. You can contact customer service to see the status of your application.
They’ll let you know if your application is complete, whether you passed your background check, etc. - Tips. UrbanSitter is happy to help you use their app.
They offer tips on getting work and finding good sitters.
If you want to get the most out of their service, you can contact them for help.
When You Should Not Contact Customer Care
You should not contact UrbanSitter for the following issues:
- Emergencies. If there is an intruder in the house, a kid is injured, a fire breaks out, or you experience any other crisis, call the parents and the authorities.
UrbanSitter cannot solve these problems.
It seems obvious, but we just had to say it. - Disobedient Children. This is certainly frustrating.
But, UrbanSitter has nothing to do with this, and they can’t change anything.
If this happens, you should work directly with the parents to find a solution.
You always have the option of not working with that family again. - Disputes. It’s not impossible that parents and babysitters get into arguments.
If this happens, the best thing to do is to try and work things out in person.
UrbanSitter has no real recourse for solving personal disputes.
The only time you may be able to get some help is if you feel a parent left a bad review for malicious reasons.
How to Contact UrbanSitter Customer Care
To begin, know that there is no UrbanSitter customer service number.
In other words, you’ll never be able to call them on the phone.
This is frustrating.
We understand.
But, take comfort in the fact that their other customer support resources l make it easy for you to get answers to your questions.
The most useful resource is the FAQ section.
The FAQ section is the is the go-to source of information for any issues you have with UrbanSitter.
The FAQ page features an interactive app.
When you type a question into the app, it returns a series of related search results.
It’s very straightforward to use.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s look at the most common customer service issues for parents and for sitters.
Customer Care For Parents
The two most prominent topics in the Parents section deal with finding sitters and paying sitters.
Finding Sitters
The most common issue for parents is finding a sitter.
There are plenty of sitters on the platform, but it’s sometimes difficult to find the perfect person.
Here are some tips from UrbanSitter customer care:
- Search for sitters in your area.
You can browse through available sitters in your city or town.
By clicking their profile, you can read their reviews and qualifications.
If you find someone you like, you should reach out to them directly to offer them the gig. - Post a job. When you don’t feel like searching, you can create a job listing and let sitters find you.
If this doesn’t bear fruit, consider raising your rates or offering other perks, such as pickup and dropoff service.
Perks make your listing more attractive to potential sitters. - Connect with social. You can connect your social media accounts to UrbanSitter by logging into your profile and changing your preferences.
Then, you’ll be able to see which sitters your friends use.
Ultimately, the social media integration feature makes it easier to find a good sitter. - Improve your profile. Sitters gravitate toward parents with complete profiles.
Make sure you have an updated profile photo.
Put some time into sharing information about your family so that sitters feel a connection to you and respond to your ad.
Paying Sitters
You can pay sitters with cash or credit card. Credit is the preferred method of payment for most customers.
When you use credit, everything is taken care of through the secure payment feature in the app.
The sitter enters their hours and all you have to do is accept the charge. It’s so easy.
Cash is acceptable.
However, it introduces problems in some situations.
For example, a sitter might claim that they showed up early when they actually showed up late. In that case, you wouldn’t want to pay the full amount.
However, because they didn’t track their hours, you won’t be able to prove that they were late.
The main credit card issues that pop are:
- Expired cards – It’s possible your card is old, you have to update your account with a new one.
- Inaccurate information – If your card number, expiration date, billing address, or CVV code is wrong, it will affect payment.
When this happens, log into your profile preferences and fix any inaccurate information.
Urban Sitter Customer Service For Sitters
The most common issues for Sitters are getting a job and getting paid.
Here’s a synopsis of the key issues.
Getting a Job
As a sitter, you can get jobs in one of two ways.
You can either search for work or wait for invites.
When you get an invitation for a job, you are notified through the app (make sure you have notifications turned on).
You will also receive an email.
From there, the process is simple: Just accept and contact the family.
The other way to get a job is to search and apply.
It works much like any other job board.
You browse through the available options, choose the interesting ones, and apply.
The company notifies you when you’re chosen.
UrbanSitter offers some tips in their “Getting a Job” section.s. In general, they recommend you:
- Get a background check: Parents want babysitters with clean criminal records.
A background check will make you more desirable, leading to more jobs and more money.
Here’s a link to an article that describes how you can do this. - Update your profile: Make sure you have a recent photo, reviews from past clients, and a good description of yourself.
Your description should include why you like babysitting, what makes you different, and a summary of your work history.
Families want to know about the people who will be watching their children.
This is your chance to tell them. - Make a profile video: Videos allow you to show yourself off to potential families.
They’re much more impactful than photos.
UrbanSitter has some guidelines for profile videos.
You can find the guidelines here.
Getting Paid
Obviously, this is a big reason why you’re babysitting.
If there’s an issue, you’ll want quick answers.
Clients who pay by credit card will do so directly in the app.
Once you confirm your hours, the parent accepts or denies the charges.
The app notifies you when the parent processes their payment.
Even if you’re paid in cash, you should log your hours.
Logged hours appear on your profile.
They show potential clients that you have experience.
Funds are available three (3) business days after hours are confirmed.
If funds become available, but you can’t access them, then there’s a chance of an issue with your direct deposit information.
Log in to your payment settings and check to make sure:
- You’ve uploaded bank information
- Your name is spelled correctly
- Your bank is located inside the US
- The routing number is accurate
Failing to do any one of these things will prevent you from accessing your money.
Make sure you’ve got everything set up so that you can get paid.
UrbanSitter Email
If and you can’t find a solution in the FAQ tool, then you should reach out to UrbanSitter customer care.
As we mentioned, they have no phone number (not a public one, anyway).
So, you’ll need to contact them by email.
The address is [email protected].
You’ll find their email address in the app, too.
If you click on “Browse FAQs,” a form pops up.
It asks for your contact info and a description of your problem.
When you submit an inquiry here, they respond to you directly through email. Response time varies, but they usually respond within a matter of hours.
Ideally, you’ll never need to contact UrbanSitter customer service.
However, it is a new app, and there are bound to be hiccups.
Hopefully, you found all the answers you need here But if you didn’t, then you know exactly where to look.
Looking for more opportunities in the care industry?
Learn how to apply for a job on Care.com on our blog!
