Delivered a cake yesterday and the mom cake in today (bride was "too upset to come in" so she sat in the car) to complain. The cake I delivered had each tier airbrushed black at the bottom fading to blue in the middle fading to white at the top. Apparently the bride wanted the black just at the bottom of the cake fading up those colors for the entire cake, not each tier. The contract language could be interpreted either way and I took the order over 6 months ago - but I think they are right. How much would you refund/gift certificate credit? (cake served 100 for $735)
ps I just wanna say also that this cake was the ONLY disaster cake I have ever had - my assistant hit the brakes too hard and the whole thing toppled (not a structural issue, an entire complete cake laying on it's side issue). We had to remake the entire cake (thank goodness we had sponge on hand for other orders!) in an hour flat and then transport it an hour away.... I got it in place about 5 minutes before the ceremony ended and people filed in. So kinda disappointing to hear this after saving the day in such a big way yesterday - she doesn't know how lucky she was to have a cake at all!!
__Jamie__ Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 16, 2008
Posts: 5019
Location: The less seriously you take me, the better off we'll all be!
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:06 pm
Dang Kory....I don't know. I'm eager to hear what is suggested, or you come up with. Great save though, and bummer to the refund issue!
Kinda laughing at the "too upset so she's in the car" crap though....puhleaze!
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 22129
Location: Indianapolis IN
Birthday: Jan 19
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:58 pm
Yeah, Kory, I was shocked when I saw the subject line and that you had started the thread. "no way Kory has bad cakes!"
Did they indicate what they wanted? When they go on and on, I use the line "I obviously can't go back and make this 100% right for you and I wish I could. So what can I do to help make this right for you?" Some will ask for the whole thing back (at which point we now have a starting point for the negotiation! ) and some will ask for a much lower amount than you were thinking.
Ditto the "pul-leaze" on the too-upset-and-had-to-wait-in-the-car crap.
GottaLuvCake Junior Member
Joined: Aug 26, 2009
Posts: 75
Birthday: Nov 19
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:16 pm
Is that all she had to complain about? I can see where she would be upset but is she demanding a refund (full or partial) if that was the only thing about the cake she had a problem with, I would not issue a full refund, and lesson learned always draw a sketch and notes in detail, 6 mos is a long time to remember. I am sure we will all encounter this as some point and time. You got a double whammy on this one, i am soooo sorry, Good Luck
LaBellaFlor Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jan 16, 2009
Posts: 2033
Location: Enjoying C.C. while still dealing in the real world.
Birthday: Jul 15
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:33 pm
Yeah right she was so upset! To me it's just aother bride trying to recoup her losses, starting with the cakelady.
I wasn't here when the mom came by, just got the message from my assistants. Apparently she is busy today and asked that I call her tomorrow. As far as I know, this is the only component that they complained about. I think I will ask her what I can do to make it better and see where where she goes from there. My gut reaction is either 10% as refund plus 10% as gift certificate ($75 each) or just a $100 gift certificate.
And yeah, GottaLuvCake, I do usually draw a sketch but this one was so simple... or so I thought! Lesson learned.
Shannie13 Regular Member
Joined: Apr 30, 2008
Posts: 115
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:51 pm
Cake delivered yesterday, mom comes in today with bride in car too upset to move....ummmm shouldn't the bride be somewhere with her new husband, not with her mother whining about cake. Anyway I just wanted to say Good Luck and I hope it goes away soon!!!
indydebi Forum Matriarch
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 22129
Location: Indianapolis IN
Birthday: Jan 19
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:08 pm
Shannie13 wrote:
Cake delivered yesterday, mom comes in today with bride in car too upset to move....ummmm shouldn't the bride be somewhere with her new husband, not with her mother whining about cake.
I totally agree, when I got married, the day after the last thing I was thinking about was the cake.......come on now!! I would have to say it sounds like mommy is trying to get some money back from an easy place (prob. in her mind) to start. I hope it turns out well for you and that you don't lose too much on the cake.
Once again though, what bride is thinking about complaining about the cake the day after the wedding?! Also just a afterthought, if "she" is that upset about the cake that they are wanting a refund how are they too busy today? I know if it was me, I'd be there front and center not saying I was too busy......JMO!
CandyCU Junior Member
Joined: Jan 08, 2009
Posts: 26
Location: Western Australia
Birthday: Jan 22
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:03 pm
Unbelievable, the length some people will go to! I'd have thought on the day after her wedding she would go home to her new HUSBAND, finish unwrapping all those generous gifts from her guests, finish packing for her honeymoon & start her new life! There are more important things than the colours on a cake... My suggestion is perhaps give 10% as you said to avoid her mother bad mouthing you & a mental note that no matter how simple, draw a sketch & get the client to sign it off?
Melnick Frequent Member
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 275
Location: Australia
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:22 pm
I wasn't going to say anything but the poor bride seems to be copping a hammering here. About the colours, Kory went back to the contract and can see that they were probably right and that she may have confused herself because it was over 6 mths ago - understandable mistake, but not the bride's fault. She was able to save the day with a second cake after the first one hit the floor but again, that wasn't the bride's fault. Had the assistant not hit the brakes too hard and the cake arrived when she had originally planned for it to, she may have found out then that it wasn't right and might have been able to use that time to remake the correct cake for them.
I think everyone should put themselves in the position of the bride first. If the cake means a lot to you and you walk in and it doesn't look like you wanted and you paid over $700 for it, I think you'd be upset too. The overall finish is quite different to what she had asked for. I know I would have been teary about that and that I quite possibly would have stayed in the car because I was too upset. I find personally I am more interested in the appearance of the cake rather than the taste. My wedding cake was dry but I didn't really care - it looked the way I wanted and we had dessert as part of our meal package so the cake was just something extra for the guests to eat if they wanted.
As for she should be with her husband, how many threads have I read on here where people say that if the bride was that upset about the cake, she would have contacted you the day after, not 2 weeks later? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Kory you seem to very reasonable and have tried very hard to make the bride's wedding with this cake. I think asking her what she wants is a good way of dealing with it like you have already said. Just put yourself in her position and think what would make you feel better and go from there.
Irish245 Regular Member
Joined: Aug 06, 2006
Posts: 149
Location: Butler, PA (just north of Pittsburgh)
Birthday: Aug 02
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:50 pm
I would offer 10% refund. That's all. Did they eat the cake? If it was unacceptable, why did they eat it? If they still had a cake to eat then they have to pay for that much alone!
cakenutz Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 12, 2007
Posts: 717
Location: Bella Vista, Arkansas
Birthday: Dec 06
Posted:
Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Well said Melnick another thing we might learn from this is to touch base a couple weeks b4 cake is due to make sure everything is right. Just a thought
Ok this is what I sent to her. Haven't heard back yet.
I was recently informed that there was a problem with the coloring on your cake. Below you will find the order agreement that we went off of when completing your cake. Unfortunately, the wording was not specific enough and could be determined to go either way (one fade for the whole cake or one fade per tier). Thinking back, I do remember us discussing the single fade and I apologize greatly for the mix up. If I could go back and make the change I would, but of course that is impossible. What can I do to help make this right for you?
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) and some will ask for a much lower amount than you were thinking.
My suggestion is perhaps give 10% as you said to avoid her mother bad mouthing you & a mental note that no matter how simple, draw a sketch & get the client to sign it off?
