Am I the only one who is tired of getting boring cake orders? I got an order for a Retirement Cake in March and all they want on it is an Anchor, a message on top of the anchor and one at the bottom. THATS IT! The only thing I can think to do is to add gold pearls, and maybe 2 small US flags in the bottom right and left corners. But I'm just tired of getting these SPECIFIC orders where you can't really be creative. AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE THIS?

also ken, have you noticed, the smaller the cake the more they want on it!!! Sheesh on the small ones they want "war and peace" written on em and on the large ones it's usually something like, "Happy Birthday Bob" and nothing else. what is up with that? And also, where I work, the customers are always picken those but*ugly cabbage (i think it's a rose) cake over the original kewl ones. What is up with that too, sheesh???
p.s. those bu** ugly cakes we don't decorate those are shipped in frozen. and they pic those over the ones that are original almost everytime. (you've seen the pics of some of my cakes i do at work in my photos. so what gives) I DON'T UNDERSTAND EITHER ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

I turned down a cake order a couple months ago because I didn't like how the potential customer wanted the cake to be designed.

Also, I generally consider the clients input to be a guideline more than the rule. I bet you could jazz up the anchor cake. The nautical theme is a fun one! Maybe some fish on the sides.....

I can so relate! Customers can be so difficult. I know without them we would have no business but GAH! I have had so many lame birthday cakes in the past month or so (just some roses please) that I didnt even post any and I am not doing them anymore (except special ones) as they arent very creative or lucrative.
The wedding cakes are simply more fun , impressive and to be plain for a moment thats where the $ is. Even when I dont get to create what I want if the money is good enough it makes me feel a little better!

Today my problem is the opposite! I am working on a bridal fair for this Sunday and have had orders come in for two BIG castle cakes for birthdays ( now thats the kind I will still do) and a western wedding...
But I also have a wedding cake coming up where the bride has went from a basic stacked square 4 tier white fondant with simple black ribbon trim to a separated tiered round BC cake with fresh roses between every tier to a mad hatter cake! Within a couple of days time! I will be getting her $ up front as her mind changes easily...she might decide she doesnt like the fiance..lol

I agree with lotoftots. My customers all know me well enough to know that I'll take their idea and run with it. I would maybe put small ship's wheels all the way around the sides of the cake, maybe some fish on the cake around the anchor, etc. Their ideas and suggestions are treated as guidelines. That way, I don't get bored, they are surprised by how beautiful the cake is, everyone at the party oohs and ahhs, and I get more customers from the party!

I can totally identify. I hope to get to a place soon where I have enough orders that I can just tell people that I don't do sheet cakes or character cakes. I just can't stand them and sometimes I spend as much time doing twenty thousand stars on some character cake as I would on a wedding cake and can only get people to pay $25 for it. It is not worth the time it takes. I always wish people would just tell me what it is for, possibly a color scheme, and how many servings and then just let me do it. That sounds really rude and conceited but that is how I feel.

I think alot of people are just used to getting a certain kind of cake. Most of my customers first came to me ordering "something simple" or "just roses". But once I start feeding them ideas then it gets them going too. I start asking what the person is in to, or offering suggestions, how about this? kind of stuff.
They are the same way with flavors. I can't even count how many times I would get requests for white cake with "the fluffy cool whip icing like walmarts". I tried to accomodate that 1 time, and that was 1 time too many. Now I stand my ground and say that I don't do that. They only like it b/c that's what they are used to getting! It's not that they've had my BC or IMBC and then say, OH, I LIKE WALMART'S BETTER!
I've found the same with sheet cakes. They get a 1/2 sheet cake, b/c that's what Walmart sells!
Maybe just try to be a little more forward and direct with people. I've been getting into fondant accents on my cakes. People have no idea what I'm talking about but once I simply explain it, they are all for it.
Just be confident in what you do and it will work out

mamafrogs hun,
You go for it, I personally don't mind at all bein outdone by someone like yourself. lol!
I agree with ya though peeps just sometimes have no imagination whatsoever when it comes to ordering their cake and then again you have those customers who want a 1:10 scale model of the taj mahal. (lmao) but then again., we all love a challenge. And that's what keeps us in the game. O btw mamafrogs, that whipped icing at wallymarts lately has been just gross. It's been just way to dry and crumbly. Makes it next to impossible to get a cake lookin right. O well, I have a sneaking suspicion that wallymart is gonna phase out decorators in the long run and have assembly line cakes made instead (yuck). And hopefully by that time I will have my own bakery. LOL

I haven't had a Walmart cake in a LONG time!!! Thank goodness! I tried to accomodate a woman one time that wanted a similar icing and kicked myself ever step of the process. I went through recipe after recipe. Finally the one that I made was HORRIBLE. It tasted fine but just didn't "go on" like I was used to, didn't smooth good and NEVER crusted, which was pretty important to me on this stacked cake I was making. It was after that that I learned that I'm not that accommodating!!!!
Like my 5 year old says "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit". Plant those ideas into people's heads about what YOU see for a cake. The worst thing they could say is no, I want it like this.
Remember---you are a cake decorator, not just a baker

I got an order for a cake for 70 people. When she sent me a picture of something she liked, it was just a plain white cake with confetti sprinkles becaue it looks festive. I'm talking her into something more creative and more challenging. I hope I'm not sorry later.

My goodness! You can still be creative and give them what they want. Flowers can be done in so many ways. A plain cake is easy money! I never complain if they want something simple. I do make other suggestions so they know that they have other options. I take pride in making it beautiful no matter what. I love a challenge like everyone else, but not everyone wants or needs something elaborate.