I was wondering what your average turn around time is for cookie bouquets? I had a lady call me last night and asked if I could do a bouquet by tonight!! yikes! I have only just started so I had a real hard time saying no but I had to. I do royal icing on my cookies so I would need like 2 days notice minimum. how do the rest of you handle your orders?
thanks in advance!
tara
hey - we share a birthday 
I need 3 days, but prefer a week. I use buttercream icing and it needs three days to crust enough to put in a bag!
I hate last minute orders- in my opinion, they are so disrespectful! Like I have all the time in the world to do their order!
I ask for a week but have gotten a rush order out in 2 days (not something I would do for just anyone). 1 day is pushing it. Plus if you let them drop orders on you then they will keep doing it. I have had people say to me "how long can it take to make cookies" AHHHHHHHH
.... I have had people say to me "how long can it take to make cookies" AHHHHHHHH
"Only about 30 minutes if all you want is the break-apart-and-throw-'em-on-a-cookie-sheet kind that you buy in the refrigerated section. But I believe you are ordering something a little more involved, am I right?"
My other favorite line:
"If they're not that involved, then you don't need me..... you can get everything you need in one place. Walmart.....Aisle 8. Help yourself."
.... I have had people say to me "how long can it take to make cookies" AHHHHHHHH
"Only about 30 minutes if all you want is the break-apart-and-throw-'em-on-a-cookie-sheet kind that you buy in the refrigerated section. But I believe you are ordering something a little more involved, am I right?"
My other favorite line:
"If they're not that involved, then you don't need me..... you can get everything you need in one place. Walmart.....Aisle 8. Help yourself."
love it,b 
great comeback, Now if I could only say that to my clients.
I know what you mean! I actually say most of this stuff at one time or another...depends on the relationship and the circumstance. (I know ... you find it hard to believe that I can be a blunt and direct person, don't 'cha? 
)
I've put this story on there before, but had one bride who was commenting about a reception she had been to in which the caterer "....used canned or frozen vegetables!" I looked her right in the eye and asked, "So what were you expecting? Because none of us grow our own, ya know!" 
The bride who asked me "Do you make the food in advance?" I said, "is there a kitchen on site that I can use?" She says, "No." I say, "then obviously I will make the food in advance, then." 
Ha! You've gotta love some customers - I had one ring me and ask if I could do a Christening Cake to serve 50 to be picked up the following day - um, no! In general I ask for a 5 days notice for celebration cakes, 3 days minimum for decorated cookies, and 6 weeks for wedding cakes. I will consider rush orders (for cakes), but I charge a 25% rush fee on top of the normal cake price. Most customers will ring me on Monday/Tuesday for a cake needed for the weekend, and that works out fine, but I do limit my workload and people know that, so I have 5 celebration cakes booked for mid-late May already!
I always figure 4 days before they can be picked up. I work full time and have class one or two days a week at night (4 hour round trip to a 4 hour class so that night is shot)
One night to bake (make Icing and color everything, do dishes)
Second night to decorate (I do all royal icing, dishes here too)
Third night to package and fix anything I need to, add details to cookies
Fourth finish packaging and deliver
I tell all my clients, no matter who they are or what the order is that I require minimum 1 week. Period. Some orders take longer (several dozen highly decorated cookies for example). But if I get someone calling for a last minute rush job I turn them down. Their crisis is not my emergency! 
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%