Ever feel like this? Well it seems to me that this has been going on more often than not on my last couple of cakes. Last year I worked my tail off doing cakes for other people and 98% of the people would LOVE them and there were the few who were like Oh well....WELL my cake season has started out that way again. It ended that way and It has began that way. I'm really quite P. O. 'ed at people right now anyway so I don't need to be dealing with them. Here is the problem. This lady 2 or 3 wks ago emails me shows me the cake she wants...it's very pretty...fondant covered and air brushed. WELL, I tell her about it cause I figures she is unaware. She said that is ok do your best I've seen your cakes (I had explained I don't have an airbrush system). So Turtleshell and I work out a way to get the look needed. I do it. The cake doesn't really look like what she wants and she is a perfectionist. So I'm not happy so I emailed her a picture of the cake and tell her, I'm sorry I don't know what else to do. I did my best, I don't like it...you may but I think you just decide on the price you want to pay for it. This was at 2am after I finished doing it all. So at 10am my time she calls me to tell me "I don't know what to tell you". So I told her to just be honest and we will go from there. So she says Well the cake looks DIRTY, I like the swirlies and ribbon but can you take it all off and just do a smooth buttercream white and the swirls. The hearts need to be smaller, crown off to the side, writing needs to be light pink, you can do the little ribbon at the bottom but well what do you think...you have 4 hours you can do it. So here it is, I'm exhausted ...now pissed beyond belief ...thinking this is not worth the Freaking $35 I had told her it would cost. This is a double layer 10" round strawberry cake. I'm so sick and tired of people...CAKES and CAKES that Behave BADLY. I've said it before but this time I'm really serious. I QUIT. I think I would rather be a hooker on a street corner than to decorate for customers again. So I have a few cake orders to fill and that is it. I'm not doing it anymore. I'll decorate for Friends (which 2 of my 3 cakes I have orders for are for) and I'll decorate for family...but I'm done. It's not that I need a break, I've had a break. I haven't really done any cakes since the first of November. Who knows...maybe when we move I'll change my mind...but I doubt it. For now I'm going to just enjoy the 9 months left here in England...and Thank GOD I'm going to Biloxi. Oh Well thanks for letting me vent.
Tammy
ps...did I mention I HATE CAKES....Here I've included a pic of the cake that has pushed me over the edge

Common, cheer up, you dont shut down business because one of your customer happens to be stupid. Put her behind and take a good look at all the cakes you have made and how each and ever one was appreciated.
This should not be the reason to quit. Tomorrow is another day.

Hey Tammy, don't be so hard on yourself, the cake looks fine, and definitely should be more than $35!
You told the woman you didn't have the air brush system, and she said do your best...which you did!

As was stated in the forums just yesterday, you just can't please everybody! I'll bet by the time you finish the cakes you have on order you will feel better about the whole thing!

You decorate very pretty cakes, don't let this one person get you down. (I am glad you will be coming back to the States soon!) Janice

Hey you guys thanks! I'm putting in the picture of the cake...I just REFINISHED it. I think what gets me the most is how she was like WEll just take it all off and start over again...you can make it smooth right? and just kept nitpicking about EVERYTHING. Oh well. I'm going to go and deliver her the cake. That is the other thing...I should have charged her for delivery too! But oh well live and learn right. I can't wait to be back in the States. Janice...I hope to meet you in person one day too!

Tammy, Tammy, Tammy,

You know that there will never be a time in anyone's life where they can please everyone all of the time, but if we're lucky we can please the important people, most of the time.

If you enjoy what you do then you shouldn't let someone with unrealistic expectations, and no doubt, not an ounce of imagination or creativity to take that away from you.

You keep your chin up and look at this as a learning experience, next time someone wants something you feel you can't provide for them, say no.

You have a skill few possess and many are willing to pay for, remember that.

Last night I was busily baking a cake for an extremely demanding friend (who nevers pays for anything) getting myself all wound up that her cake wouldn't be good enough, when I managed to drop the newly cooked 12" square, 4" high cake onto my kitchen floor, demolishing it in seconds. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did both

The fact is we all have crappy days, and we all have good days. Don't let one bad day spoil your good ones. We're all here for you and we all think you're great.

Hi Tammy, the cake looks pretty, not necessarily better than before. I hope you tell this woman what a deal she is getting...delivery too? Something tells me this woman is one of those who is never pleased! Takes a lot of nerve be so off-hand about expecting someone to completely redo a cake! You might also suggest to her that she try decorating one herself sometime, see how easy she thinks it is!!!!

You are right, every cake has a lesson for us of some kind! Sorry you had to deal with this one.
Janice

Wow, Tammy I hope you don't quit. I need a fellow cake maker here at least until you PSC. My husband is stationed at Mildenhall but we live in Red Lodge. Don't let that lady take your joy for cakes away. That cake was beautiful and it still is. I agree with the other posts it's much more than the $35 you asked for it and I would have charged her for delivery too. Take some time and cool off a bit cause your cakes are awesome.

Tamara

Well I just got back from delivering the cake...The lady STILL was not happy so I told her to pay me what she thought. So she was like how bout I pay you for the supplies and she gave me a $20 but was still complaining about the cake so I told her you know what you are not happy, so I'm not happy. I told her I would $10 or less whatever she had. She goes well I don't want to rip you off. I said no because you aren't happy I wanted you to be satisfied and you aren't so that will be fine. She was like Ok. Then Her daughter runs up sees the cake and was like MOMMY MY CAKE. I asked her do you like it. She smiled really big and said she loved it! So I told her mom well at least the Birthday girl likes it and she said yeah but she is just a kid what does she know! GRRRRR!!! Funny thing is that she kept saying that nothing matched...well the pink on the cake was identical to the color of her plates and napkins...God Forbid the match somethinG!

I think both of your cakes were very pretty so I dont no what she would have to complain about. It takes alot of time and effort to do cakes and some people dont appreciate what a person puts into them. She sounds like a person who is a hag that no matter what you do it is never right or enough. I wouldnt let it get me down. Im sure that will be one costumer you can do without. I wouldnt have let her got by with so little of payment. You should have been paid the $35 even more. Some people are just rude. I believe I would have taken my cake and left and when I got home enjoyed me a strawberry cake.

Sounds to me that this "lady"( i use the term lightly) is one that complains
about everything. She probably was looking for a discount anyway. I checked out your photos, you do great. Don't let someone like this get you down. Think of all the good things people have said about your work,
and all the pleased customers you have had. Not everyone is so aggravating. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

OMG Tammy, that lady is a well, you know. I can't believe she said that her daughter didn't know better since she was a kid. Didn't her mom teach her to keep those kind of comments to herself? Geez! The nerve of some people... if I were you I wouldn't punish everyone becuz of her and stop doing cakes... just don't ever do them for her again! I think your cakes are awesome... she just doesn't know. Like someone else said, she should try doing it, hers wouldn't have came out even a quarter as good as yours.
BTW, are you stationed in England? If so, what branch? Air force?

Tammy, I wouldn't quit doing cakes. I'd just quit doing them for that "lady". That cake should have been at least 45.00, and that's here in south Texas! And for her to only pay you 20.00 after having you decorate it TWICE was just insulting. Then you DELIVERED the cake? Did you charge extra for delivery? I certainly would have. I would have been a bit angry after the whole situation as well, but don't stop doing what you love. Just don't do it for people like HER!

tcrema--
That "lady" was definitely no lady. I think both cakes were awesome. Don't let her get you down.

She obviously is one of those that want something for nothing.

As my DH would say "She would b**** if she were hung with a new rope!" and I agree.

Just wanted to say sorry about your ordeal! Your cakes were pretty and I think the second one was really cute! I think she just wanted something for nothing!At least you can feel good knowing you made the little girl's day and she loved her cake. Forget the stupid mom!

You know--I just did a princess cake for a lady that is like that--no pleasing her. But the little girl was so excited and in awe of the cake as were the other mothers at this party. So that is what I strive for--To make the Birthday person happy and excited about their cakes.

I think as adults we strive for perfection and forget about the what is seen through the children's eyes.

BTW--the mother of the princess girl was over-joyed at the cake and still talks about it. Even the Abominal Snowman's heart was melted in Rudolph, so there is hope for your "Hard-hearted Hannah".

Looking through your photo album, DONT QUIT! Remember no matter where you go or what you do there will always be two problems.
1) Human factor, cant please them all NO MATTER WHAT!
2) You are your own worst critic.

Your cakes are great. If you like to decorate but don't want to deal with people, just decorate for the love of it. Friends, Baby showers, donations ect...

Mac said it right! You have to strive to keep the Birthday person happy. It is their day and that is what should matter, their happiness. Forget about the Mom. She probably spent the whole party griping about your cake, and every child probably went home and said "Mommy, I want a cake like THAT!" As I said last nite...I guess you really CAN'T please everyone all the time!

some random thoughts:

1) only reason to close business at this time: egad!!!! i've got to pack all this stuff for the move to Biloxi and get it there so it'll be there when I get there!!! packing (at least for me) could take forever...and figuring in transit time (i'm betting it will go surface on the proverbial slow boat to....) could take an eternity.

2) I agree w/ all those who have noted that she is the alphabetic first cousin to a witch. (hmmm and she seems to be that too!)

3) both cakes are pretty, tho' I am more partial to the second (despite the fact that it has ::grits teeth and grunts it out:: pink on it. (see my other posts elsewhere -- "death to pink! the only things I want dead sooner are a certain purple dinosaur (gives purple a bad name) and cats!)

4) NEVER oh NEVER apologize....it's one of the very first things I tell my students in Speech class. the minute anyone begins to apologize it just opens the door for the audience to think less of them and dismiss them and their viewpoint or product.

You warned her...you didn't have the equipment to do an exact duplicate aand she agreed it would be acceptable. You did your best. Here's the product, end of story. Pay up. If she fusses, just remind her... you were warned, you agreed (sp?), pay up -- no discount.

I sometimes wonder if cake decorators don't belong in that group of people I call the "Marthas" of the world -- the ones bustleing about at any social event making sure everyone is happy, well-fed, with a fresh beverage, etc. All the while forgetting about their own happiness. So desirous of seeing others happy, we let them walk all over us, dimiss us, take advantage of us and when they do we blame ourselves.
Reality check -- yes, our happiness does come from serving others, but the fault lies not w/ ourselves if they act like total ______(fill in blank w/ favorite nasty word)________. The fault is theirs. We need to develop the ability to say "SOME, People, humph!!!!!!" toss the head and walk away knowing we've done our best and are proud of it.

so, buck up, (maybe have a cake dance.....aka put cake on floor and stomp on it till all frustrration is gone ...then let dog eat it!!!!!), continue to make more of your lovely cakes, and start stressing (!) over the move to Biloxi (that should take your mind of the witches of the world).

edited: spelling/grammar fell apart again! and again.

Doug--
You always say the right thing. So eloquent (sp?).

This made me think of a photo I saw in the gallery. It was a gorgeous castle, all hand moulded in fondant and gumpaste. It was absolutely adorable and pretty much perfect. Well the person who made it thanked everyone for their replies, which there were many, and said the couple didn't like it and it was hard getting her money for it!!

It begs the question, "What the heck did you freaking want then?!!". So I told her that they obviously had their heads up their butts and no good taste to boot. They do not have the right to be that bloody nit-picky, when they cannot do it themselves.(throws spatula at them, Here: you try it! ). Especially when the birthday girl loved it, and WASN'T THAT WHO IT WAS FOR? Why is she upset, when the person IT WAS FOR loved it?

Don't forget these are people who have no idea how long it takes to make or decorate a cake. You should see people's eyes bug out when I tell them the hours and hours it takes me to finish a cake (like this----> ) And to complain insessantly like that, AFTER you had gone through so much to "fix" it for her, without compensation, is very rude. There was no point in complaining at that point, the cake was obviously not going to be altered, so yes, she was fishing for a discount. I would most defintely be "Booked" if she should ever ask for your services again.

I hope you don't stop baking cakes just because of one person who is wearing her behind as a hat, I think your cake was gorgeous both ways...and I know we have all had days where we felt like quitting. Like a simple cupcake cake taking 9 hours because of some "frosting" issues, or a big mound of melted green goo (chocolate) that refuses to mold!

Ya know-some people aren't happy unless they are making somone else unhappy-sounds like she is that type. You hold your head up high and be proud of all the beautiful cakes you make-sometimes you run across a few donkeys in the horseplay of life-don't let them bog you down...believe me they are like that in the states too-in our families and in our jobs-you hang in there and stand tall-you deserve to!!!

Hi Tammy,

I´m really sorry to hear about your situation. But please don´t stop decorating (maybe you should stop as long as you are in the UK, but then start all over again in Biloxi). Your doing such lovely cakes. Take a minute, today, tomorrow or in a week , and have a look at all those lovely cakes you did and how much pleasure you gave to the people by doing such special gifts. Think of those bright-eyes of the children looking at their cake...

I´m sending you a big hug all the way over the North Sea.

Bettina

Well, Tammy (what a coinkidink, my name is Tami also),
Sounds like this lady has issues with life in general (and I don't mean the magazine).

1. Remember, YOU are the cake expert, not the customer. so never, ever apologize for doing YOUR best. Be proud to be a PROFESSIONAL decorator.

2. Don't quit just becuase the bottom 2% of the poplulation finally decided to get off their dusty rusty's fo finally order a cake from a PROFESSIONAL. (YOU!!) This 2% have the audacity to believe that the world owes them "whatever" and will take it out on the nearest innocent they can find. Just chalk this up to experience (yes, there will always be these "wonderful" people out there) and those of us (YOU my dear) with maturity will just have to deal with these people graciously and with the poise of a saint. (Try cutting off a bunch of drunks at a bar at 1 in the morning, sheesh, talk about the patience of a saint. Sometimes you just want to smack em (just a little) but you know you can't because you are in charge and you have to be the mature one.)

3. As the DH would say: "Don't let the B_______d's get cha down. And as I would say: Too bad so sad, Bites to be them!!!!

4. And just one more thing hun: Don't sweat the small stuff or the small minded!!

Tammy,

I really feel for you, I think that we all know the frustrations that we go through for the some of the customers that we get. I just looked through your photos and I think that your cakes are exquisite!

I truly believe that misery loves company. So don't let this "taste-challenged" mother get to ya! She obviously already had her mind set when you told her that you did not have the air-brush equipment that it was not going to be up to her standards. And I believe that a lot of "adults" don't give kids the credit that they deserve. "she is only a kid, what does she know"...obviously she knows what she likes and what she thinks it beautiful!

I hope that you don't give up entirely on cakes. I know about cakes behaving badly also, but recently realized when my oven literally blew up that it was not the fault of the cakes but the oven. (I should have known something was up when it took over an hour to bake a 8" round in the oven all by itself!)

Any way, I wish you the best of luck after a well deserved break and hope that you will soon find the joy and happiness of cake decorating once again.
You are in my prayers!!

I saw you have a ton of nice cakes in your portfolio. It'd be a shame to quit over one cranky woman! Anyway did you see how your cake lit up the face of her daughter? You want to give that up? Nahhh sleep on it a few nights.

What appalled me the most is for that woman to say that right in front of her daughter! A little innocent child is actually THANKFUL for something and her mother was teaching her to be unthankful! We have so many unthankful children in the world, it is a pity that a mother would squash the thankfulness of an innocent little girl. Makes me mad!

Keep your chin up! The only thing I am going to say differently than everyone else is going to make my opinion the unpopular one. If the pressures get you down and stress you out..maybe you should quit. Once we put a price tag on our cakes they become work and an obligation. I don't mean stop decorating. Just don't sell cakes.Do it as a hobby and for friends and family, take a class or teach one, join a decorators group for decorating enjoyment. Unless you have tons of money invested in it and were counting on making a living at it. I LOVE decorating and I still get irritated at times. And if it ever seems to become more of a chore than fun, I think I will quit doing it commercially. If you have only had a couple out of 100 that were hard to please, I don't think I would let it make me feel too badly though. However I know exactly how the pressure can feel. Two or three can feel like 1000 when it is people who have made us feel unworthywhen we did our best! You had guts going in trying to do an airbrushed cake without an airbrush!

Even if I quit selling cakes I would come here, enter contests and make lots of cakes for the folks I love. One other difference in you and myself. I would have asked if she was happy with the cake and if not she wouldn't have had to pay me either, but the cake would have went home with me. You worked hard, you shouldnt have lost money on this! I saw the cake once it was redone, it was WORTH the money. Keep smiling! Oh yeah...and as for impossible to please people...screw em!

Tammy I am so sorry you had to deal with such a twinkie head. If I had been you when she said that about her daughter, I would have turned around and walked off, cake in hand! That ticks me off to no belief. Don't stop decorating, you do excellent work! Just don't EVER make a cake for that hoochie again!

Now about Biloxi. It's a good thing you have 9 more months in England, that may give them time to clean up some more. I grew up there, and went back in December for Christmas. At that time, it had been about 3 1/2 months since Katrina ravaged the area. It STILL looked like a war zone, and they JUST reopened Hwy 90 about 4 days after we arrived. It was a very sobering experience going back there and seeing everything I grew up with gone. What they show on the news doesn't even begin to touch the surface of the destruction. Keesler didn't have a single on base home that wasn't damaged. The off-base housing faired pretty well, but still had some damage. All being said, I hope you have a pleasant PCS and that everything goes well for you in Biloxi.

Tina

tammy , sorry that you got hold of such a bad customer. i can't believe that the mother said she's just a kid, what does she know. i thought the whole point of the birthday cake was to make the birthday girl happy.?! parents these days forget that everything doesn't have to be perfect to make a child happy. your cakes are great, don't let her get you down.