Hi Ladies
My name is Riana and Im from sunny South Africa - well its mostly sunny
I've been lurking on your site for a while and must say its such a nice site. My 1st stop everymorning when I turn my comp on

My problem is as follows
I've been baking cakes as a business for a few months now and always wait until the deposit is paid before I start a cake. This paticular customer - referal from another customer- contacted me 2 weeks ago regarding a cake she wants for this sunday (27th). Send her an invoice with all the details on regarding deposit & bank details. She then emailed me & told me she would give me the amount in full when I deliver the cake. I mailed her back & explained my policy re deposits. She said she understood and would pay the deposit in that day.(10 days ago) On Friday there was still no deposit! I mailed her and she said she forgot, will do it immediately. Well its now Tues morning over here and I still dont have the money! My problem is that I have to make several gumpaste figures and as it is winter in South Africa it will take a few days to dry. Do I start making the stuff, or do I leave it until I have the money. What if she suddenly pays the money in on Thurs/ Friday? Do I tell her its too late? Her baby will then be without a cake on her 1st birthday! I dont want to upset a customer - bad comments travel fast - as my business is still new but Im now fedup with running after HER. She doesnt have the decency to email/phone and just explain if theres a problem or even if she still wants the cake.
One moment I decide to leave the cake - I just have a bad feeling over this one, the next I think maybe I should start it and see if she pays me!
Im soooo confused

Well, I can certainly understand how you feel! Start making the figures but do not make the cake until you receive her deposit. You have your policy and she knows it. E-mail her one last time. Tell her if you do not receive her deposit by Wendesday afternoon you will have to forego her order and take the "customer who had been asking you" to make her cake instead (if you know what I mean). She came to you, remember that.

Welcome!

What a tough spot you're in! I would give myself reasonable time to complete the cake and if she passes that deadline, I would say, "I'm sorry but you did not put the deposit down in enough time for me to start the cake." I would not call or try to contact her.

There are so many times in life we all have to make deposits and fulfill our ends of a commitment. If we don't follow through, then we have to accept the consequences.

There is nothing she can say against you that would hurt your business, she did not pay. Nothing is free in life even though many try to get away with it as you may hear from time to time here at CC.

Good luck and keep baking & decorating!

Hi

Firstly, welcome to CC.

I have learn't (the very hard way) that no deposit/full payment means no cake.
Send her an email telling her that you need to start working on this cake if she wants it for Saturday but if you do not receive payment then she will have to think of another design which can be completed on time.

Don't feel bad about the childs first birthday as that is not your issue. Sorry if that sounds harsh but if she does not care enough to get things done then that is not your problem.

Good Luck

I agree with the others, but i would contact her and tell her because of the late date if you don't have the deposit upfront in cash, then you are sorry but you will not be able to do the cake.

It is a shame that people think that we need their business so desperately that they can side-step around our policies.
Personally, I would not do the cake, nor would I give her any more notice. You have contacted her repeatedly, with no result. Your efforts have reached the point of "exercise in futility," and since she obviously is insisting that she not pay for the cake until it is delivered, then from me, she would not get the cake. I would not even start the figures.

The others have all agreed that you try to contact her, give her until Wednesday, etc. I disagree. I feel you have wasted enough time on this job, and that you should move on.

Theresa

My personal feelings is that you should call her directly today and tell her that if you do not have your deposit in your hands by 8PM tonight, then no cake. If you talk to her directly and don't just leave a message, she can't say she didn't get it ect. GL.

Thanks for the advise everyone.
I phone her and told her that no money no cake. I was very nice about it , and explained ulness "I have the deposit by tonight I wont be able to do it.". She then said she will drop off a check tonight . Well over here it takes 7 days to clear so I said, sorry, its either a bank transfer or cash. So she promised to bring the cash tonight. If she doesnt arrive she wont get a cake!

Good decision, just make sure you stick to it! I had a lady who wanted a big party cake (70 servings - a doll cake on top of stacked rounds, all in fondant no less), just 2 days before we were due to leave on vacation. Now I would have had to work around the clock as it was on that one, and I told her she had to contact me that night for a quote and make a decision on the spot if she wanted it (I would have had to start baking first thing the next morning!). Needless to say, she didn't. She called at lunchtime the next day, and I told her it was too late. I loss a potential E175 cake, but I didn't need the stress of even less notice than she agreed on! Some people think that cakes just fall out of the air and are cheap to make

Good for you for standing firm!
Do not start anything though, until you actually have the money in hand!

good luck! Hope this all works out for you!

I've been lucky (and I know it) that I've received payment before the cake was even made and I didn't even have to ask for it - somehow the people I've baked for must be more intelligent than some out there and understand that I will need money to buy the ingredients, etc! I know that I am very blessed by that and I've only done cakes for some family friends - so I know they're good for the money too (not that I want to track then down!)

I too feel that if she doens't make it tonight, you should stand firm. Unless there is some major emergency (someone ends up in the hospital) - she needs to understand there are deadlines and consequences to missing them - isn't that what we all learn in school and then again on our jobs? WHy is it so hard to comprehend when we've been told this over and over and over again?? Good luck I wish you all the best! And welcome to CC!

You've asked three times now for the deposit. If she doesn't come through it's not a sale.

As for the kid? At one, s/he won't know the difference.

I should learn to trust my feelings, she NEVER turned up

But I had a call from someone else who forgot to order a cake for this weekend She transfered the FULL amount 5 min after we spoke. So now I really am too busy to worry about the other customer!
Thanks for listening and giving some excellent advise

Welcome, Riana!

Just stand strong when she tries to get you to do the cake anyway!

She may even deposit the money tomorrow, or come by with the cash--refund her or turn her away at the door!

Don't over-tax yourself for such a thoughtless person.

She'll have to make this 1st birthday cake herself

Rae

Good for you! If the lady ever shows up or calls tell her that you firmly stated you needed the money TODAY and that you have taken another order that will be taking up all of your time and simply don't have time to do her cake. You could also say that you would be happy to do a cake for her in the future, but you will have to have the money x amount of days before teh cake is due so that you can purchase supplies, start on hand-made decorations, etc.

Good luck!

Sorry to hear about this. You know what, thing happen for a reason and maybe it was just better this way that you don't do this cake.

Well, at least you did fill the space with another order.

Let us know if she contacts you today.

Well what do u know, she contacted me an hour ago! Said since she decided to move the party to next weekend, she thought I wouldnt need the deposit right away and she'll pay it in on Saturday, after she got paid, as money is tight right now now I know why she never pitched up . Moved the party my , she couldnt afford it!
Told her Im very sorry but Im awfully busy for the next couple of weeks and cannot do it. She flew off the handle saying that I promised to do the cake ... blah, blah. Told her our agreement was for the 27th, no other day and that she was the one that broke the agreement by not paying me on time! Well i have one very upset ex-customer
BTW she said she's reporting me! I dont know whom to? We only have a health department and the IRS to complain to, and my certificate is up to date and my taxes paid

I'm proud of you for standing your ground!! She sounds like a customerzilla!!!!!!!!!!! Believe me, you're better off without her as a customer!! I am LMAO over her comment about reporting you!! What the heck is she going to report you for?!??! Too funny!!!!!!!

I hate that "I'm reporting you" or calling the better business bureau or whatever crap. You know half the people are too lazy to do anything like that anyway - they just like to scare you or make you feel bad. And who WOULD they report you to? And for what? For not doing a cake you weren't paid for for a different date than the one originally agreed upon? What a bunch of crap...... she's just mad and frustrated at her own life and taking out on you - don't feel bad and I'm glad you have other orders!

Ooooooo--how did I know

You will be so happy in the long run that you cut this nut loose! I guarantee you that she wouldn't have been happy with anything you produced and she'd have run you around in circles over it.

Good going standing strong on this one!

Happy decorating--for reasonable customers!

Rae