For those of you that sell your cakes, what do you do if a cake due on Saturday is not picked up??

Do you keep it until they can come for it, or do you just do what you want to with it, and if so, when??

I have a cake due today (Sat.) for a very difficult customer. It's past the time she's supposed to pick it up, and I'm beginning to weigh my options.
I'm going to a family dinner tomorrow afternoon, so it won't be a problem to take it there, it'll go in a flash! But what if I do that and the lady calls and says she still wants it???
What should be the cut-off time that she can't get it anymore??
Keeping in mind, I don't want to wait until the cake is stale and then get stuck with it!

Thanks for all opinions on this!

First of all I would be phoning the woman and asking why she hasn't picked up the cake. I wouldn't do anything until I had talked to her. If she makes a time and breaks it again I would tell her that if it isn't picked up by X time/day that you will have to dispose of it because of lack of freshness/food safety. Past sunday the cake wouldn't be as fresh anyways(depending on when you actually baked it) and you probably wouldn't want to give it a customer.

I would call and say something to the effect that I had to leave the house at a certain time and could she pick the cake up by then. (Although I know she is late already) I'd try catching the "fly" with honey before I tried the vinegar.

You said she was a difficult customer so by that, I don't know if she has been difficult about picking cakes up before or she has been difficult about this particular cake. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to take it to my family dinner tomorrow. If she was suppose to pick it up today, she surely wouldn't expect you to keep it a couple of days.

I'd surely make her pay up front before agreeing to do another one for her.

Diane

I had a no show a few mos ago so from now on I take deposits or prepayments at least from new customers. Most people don't mind and actually expect it.

I would call just to remind her that you've got it ready. Hopefully she'll come through. I can't imagine not picking up something I'd ordered, but then I know there are those who would. As for freshness, I'll say this - I had a cake due for a Friday, and the lady came to pick it up. Her daughter is in class with my boys, so on Monday I asked if she had said anything about her cake and they told me she'd not cut it yet - I about croaked! Tuesday, same thing. Then later that Tuesday night, FIVE days after she picked it up, she called and said - I just wanted you to know that your cake was DELICIOUS, even though we just cut it tonight, five days after we picked it up. I told her I had been panicking because I was scared they'd cut into it and there would be mold or something.
Not that I would want to serve a cake to someone that was that old, but I guess iced, uncut cakes last longer than I ever thought they would.

Call and ask / remind her that the cake is due to be picked up.. the cake can only be picked up that day (as per her agreement) you really don't want it going out after that as then its not that fresh and people will remember that no so fresh cake.

In future always ask for a deposit .. maybe enough to cover your ingredients at least, that way you are not out of pocket.. you will be for time but you can put that down to experience. I hope she picks up the cake....

That's really rude to not pick up something that you specifically ordered to be made fresh. It's not like she just walked into a store and pointed at one sitting in a case, she called and placed this order and you took your time to make it for her!

I'd donate the cake to a church or even a nearby shelter...then I'd mail her the bill! Truly, I would!

From now on, I'd ask clients for a 2 hour window in which they would like to have their cake ready for picking up. Why should you be sitting at home waiting for them? You have a life too...

Thanks for all the great advice everyone!!

Well, she finally did come to get her cake, a bit late, but she got it.
She's always been difficult when it comes to her orders, and then she cancels (before the cake is made), griping about my prices.
This is the first order she's actually gone through with, so when she was late, I began to think she was cancelling again.
I was kind of hoping she wouldn't get it, then I wouldn't have to bake another cake to take to my family dinner!!
She was very pleased with it, and even commented on it today saying how everyone loved it.

Hopefully, now that she is so pleased, she won't be so difficult next time.

Thanks again for everyone's replies. I'll definitely take it all into consideration!

If she has cancelled more then once, (and for other customers too) I would start requiring a deposit at time of ordering. Depending on how much notice she is giving you when she cancels, what if you had to turn down an order because you thought you would be working on her cake, or you had already gone and bought the ingredients/supplies? You don't need the hassle and its very rude and inconsiderate since its not like its happening because of unforseen circumstances. Why cancel, griping about the prices, when she knows what the price is to begin with?

Hopefully after this time she will start showing up on time and actually come through with her orders regularly, if not it really is your right to say, "I'm sorry but I'm fully booked that day"

I'm glad it all worked out.

I'm glad it worked out for you. So far I have asked for my customers to prepay for several reasons:
1. I'm not out any money on ingredients.
2. It is a custom item
3. If it paid for in advance there is less of a chance of the item not being picked up, etc.
Just a thought
ncdessertdiva

Always make a rule and get a deposit or like me, I take full payment up front. Give them a time frame and let them know that you have other appointments. As far as keeping the cake you also need to make a rule that due to space you cannot keep the cake for long.

It's really sad when someone commits to something and you work on it to make them something personal and they blow you off when the work is done. What are people thinking?

I hate that. You set up a time with someone and you run around like crazy trying to get everything done by the pickup time and then, no show. If I'd paid a lot of money for something you can bet I'd be there at the appointed time to get it, especially if it were food.

A customer did that to me with a Christmas cake. She was supposed to pick it up by 11am and when 1pm came around she still hadnt picked it up. I called and she was just lounging around the house and gave me some excuse that she wasnt a morning person. I had things to do that day and since shed failed to keep up her end of the deal I gave her a choice between me dropping it off and her paying a delivery fee ($5) or she could wait on me. She chose delivery.