I am sorry...I don't want this to be a B-fest everytime I make a post, but I just need to vent. I had a customer who ordered a pirate ship cake from us months ago. She ordered it for 50 people, and the total price would be 175.00 @ 3.50/slice. She paid $80.00 back in May for a deposit.

I didn't hear from her again, until I called her yesterday to confirm everything for this weekend (Sunday is pick up day). She informed me that she wasn't going to pay anything over the 80.00 deposit for the cake that she already ordered, and wanted to cut the cake size by half. I asked her, "When were you planning on telling me this?" She said, "I lost your phone number. I already bought a sheet cake." I then answered, "Well, you ordered a cake for 50 people, and that is what I planned and purchased for. By the way, sculptured cakes are 3.50/slice.....and I have a minimum of 25 slices. So if you go that small, you'd still owe 7.50"
What is it with people!??? How do you order custom work, and then get away with getting to change what you've ordered 2 days before pickup????

What do you do in this situation? My husband already started all the gumpaste work on it...he was going to go ALL OUT. You would not even imagine the artwork he has already created.
I told him to stop......that we are no longer going all out on this cake, that she is getting a pirate ship for 25 people, not a pirate ship masterpiece for 25 people. All the work he did is going to be put into a dummy cake or something else for the portfolio.

I guess instead of just ranting here, maybe I can ask what some of YOUR policies are when it comes to custom orders that are not wedding cakes. I usually make people sign a contract for a wedding cake....but not birthday cakes. I 'm starting to think that I need to do this. How do you resolve these things?

Man..I would be really P%$##@& OFF!!! I would have told her that you will return the $80.00 deposit and consider the order cancelled.Let her go buy a slab cake for her $80.00...Sorry this happened!!

MY hub and I are both super P-Oed....he was really putting his heart and soul into it. You have no idea what kind of cake she would have gotten from him....he had diagrams and illustrations and HUGE plans for this cake.
I would like to be able to curve these problems ahead of time by making the agreement more solid. How do you do that?? I'm at a loss right now.

no return from me--but i do think you should have told her she owed you 10 or 15 instead--work has already been done for a bigger cake--time was spent for a bigger cake.

i'm sorry that happened, wonder what she would have done if u didn't call

Ellen~ I've tossed this "size" problem around too. After reading your experience, I'm thinking that cakes of this magnitude should be treated just like wedding cakes. Maybe call the category "tiered" cakes that serve over 25.....or whatever number you think the cut-off should be. And yes.....require a contract. Treat all large cakes the same. It will let the customer know that this is a serious agreement. Sorry about the mess. Chin up. Carry on!!!!

You've had a few rough customers lately, haven't you? Absolute folly (this one and the other).

Have you thought about requiring all of the balance to be paid seven days in advance? I think some people do that - I know we had to for our wedding cake. At this point, I'd imagine word of mouth about you is fabulous and you've got a reputation as delivering great cakes, so if someone balks you could either offer some references or lose that business. Not that you want to lose that business, but your portfolio speaks for itself. You're a professional decorator (even if your 9-5 or 8:30 - 2:50 job isn't cakes) and you shouldn't have to be fronting any money from your own pocket. They pay the balance seven days ahead and *then* you go shopping.

Hope you're well aside from this merde-
Christy

Patricia, I think unfortunately, that is what I will do....anything over 100.00 maybe.

The seven day rule is terrific Christy......J'adore!!

I've wondered about this issue too - if you shouldn't have a contract for ALL cakes........... wedding or whatever. That's ridiculous that she didn't call you at all - was she just going to be out that $80.00? She said she wouldn't pay over that but then she already went and bought another cake and was just going to throw away $80? Are you not in the phone book? Do you have a website? That's just ridiculous. How'd she find you in the first place?

I say go ahead and make the cake you and your husband had planned and make it a masterpiece in your portfolio. I'd hate to see all that work go to waste........... I'm not saying you should make the cake for this woman - make another one. I'd love to see it! How lucky are you to have an artistic husband too!

Good luck and I hope you don't have too many more experiences like this one! Or next time, take the money and run.....no cancellations allowed 2 days before the party!

Well I would think this is one foolish lady. I just looked at your cakes and man you two do wonderful work! Does she have any idea how lucky she was to get you to make a cake for her?

Now that being said, I would tell her it was to late to change the details. She could either pay you for the cake ordered or she could cancel it and you keep the $80 deposit.

You have already started to work on this cake. She does not have the right to change it now. Gee what was she going to do if you didn't call her?

You don't need customers like her.

Joanne

I would return her money, use all the bells and whistles to do a dummy cake.

and walk away from this one.


What was she going to do? show up on Sunday and wrench the cake out of your hands and run? Not pay you the extra money?

Screw her! She was planning on screwing you!

Sorry for the strong terms, but I just got home...10:30 from the store!!

I close at 6, but because this client's dad works in the spa I decided to wait for her...9pm..yeah right...more like 9:30 something....she needed the cake to take to a club at 10 pm.

I was ready to leave! So sad too bad if she didn't have her cake..lol...she made it by the skin of her teeth.

I'm WITH YOU Ellen...WHAT IS WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr ( making pirate noises..lol)

Well, I think I'm crossing her off of my customer list.

What gets me is that my only income now comes from cakes.......so that lost 95.00 was a big deal to me right now. Oh well....I'm going to enjoy my weekend now that we are not going to be thoroughly engrossed in cakes.

LOL...risque business!! I need some "Pirate-tude!!" (did anyone watch Wife Swap this week by chance?) ARGGHHH!!!!

Here's what I think I'd have to do in that situation:

Have your DH continue with the decorations, and make up the super spectacular dummy cake that you want to take pics of for your portfolio. Make a ho-hum little pirate ship for 25 people.

Have them both sitting on the counter together, and make sure she sees what she could have had when she comes to pick up her little cake.

Then take your portfolio pictures, add her to your "too busy to do a cake for you ever again" list, and have a fabulous weekend, knowing that you were right and some people just don't get it!

Chin up, you and your DH do fabulous work, and it's too bad this particular customer doesn't realize how lucky she could have been!

Laura.

I'll tell you what she was going to do.... she was going to take the beautiful masterpiece and stiff you for the rest! What a piece of......work.

I'm with Laura - go ahead and make the pirate ship she COULD HAVE HAD and let her see what she's missing out on.

that really really sucks! I have no words of advice....just keep your chin up...you know you do fabulous work....and next time try not to plan on going over and above on a cake unless it's for a very special client, that way you won't be so disappointed when a less deserving person doesn't appreciate the beauty and hard work.
Either keep her money and cancel her order, or make her crummy cake and charge a change of plans fee! Some people even say if changes made within a specific time frame NO REFUND will be issued since materials and labour already used.
People suck!

what is it with all the crazy peaople coming out of the woodwork lately?

I think the 7-10 day full payment idea is GREAT!!!

Make the dummy cake and mail her a photo!!! Tell her where to put it too!!!

I agree the crazies have been out this week! Someone called me today for a fondant bow on a Noah's Ark cake with at least 10 animals (2-by-2) and she wanted it tomorrow. HELLO!?!?! My magic wand is getting rapaired this week - please call again! NOT!!!

Keep your head up! You live and learn!!!

I know I just got a call this week for a wedding cake for next Saturday...the guy FINALLY gave me FULL payment (all I would accept) and a signed contract this afternoon.....either they had a baker that went bad or they just decided to get a cake...why I took the order I have no idea!

I'm so sorry that you've been having some customer-zillas lately!!! You seem so sweet, too! If that crazy woman only knew how much work you and your DH had already put into the ideas for the cake!!!

I'm not sure whether or not you already made your decision, but I would have returned maybe 3/4 of the money (and told her that some of the work had already been done) and told her it was a no go.

For all of my large orders (over $100), I require payment in full TEN days before the event. That gives some leeway time for those who will drag their feet, and it also gives time for the check to clear (yep, I have had some checks bounce on me before ... don't get me started!!! ). If I don't have the payment by the afternoon of D-Day, then I call the customer and find out what's going on. Before I started this 10-day policy, I got burned a few times (just like you ), and I got fed up. Doing it this way has really made life easier for me. I also have a contract that I use for all large orders (again, over $100), and it specifically states that no changes can be made after the balance is paid in full (10 days before the event). You may want to consider doing something like that, too.

So what did you decide to do??? Hang in there. You do beautiful work, and I can tell that you put your heart and soul into every cake you make. That's why it makes me so angry that customers are taking advantage of you!!!!! .

Thanks, guys! You sure know how to make a girl feel better!
I decided that we are going to do the cake for 25 people instead of 50, as she requested. I think there may have been a misunderstanding on her part, and I need to be more clear with my clients when they place an order. So although it was a jerky thing for her to do, it was kinda my fault for not being more clear.
So for future reference, when they place an order, I am going to have either an email or fax with a mini agreement, where the bill has to be paid 1 week in advance. If they order the cake for less than one week away, they have to get the money to me before I make it. And it is going to be legally binding. They can postpone the cake, but they cannot cancel it or change it once they hit the one week before point. I'd like to be able to trust my clients, but I guess people like this one make it impossible.

Your photo gallery is absolutely fabulous! I hope you go ahead and make the pirate ship for us to see! Enjoy your week-end now!

I think you need to put all of your orders in writing, just like the big boy bakeries. If you sold ready made cakes, that would be one thing, but you don't. All of your cakes are custom, therefore deserving of a contract of sorts. Deposit of one half upon order (non refundable), balance due no later than one week to three days before scheduled pick up, depending on the size and cost of the cake, and no changes made after the balance is paid. That way they know what you are expecting and what they are getting.

Ellen, you are such a sweetheart, and you and your hubby are so talented, I just love all the work the two of you do!

Don't let someone like this ruin your enthusiasm and make you feel spiteful.

It's her loss.

My suggestion is that you make her what she's paid for and be pleasant about it. Who knows who she may talk to and if she speaks positively about you then you may re-coup some of your lost money through future business from her referrals.

What goes around, comes around

Now, can I suggest how to stop this from happening in the future?

My policy is this. Upon ordering a cake from me, a client has to sign an order form which gives a fairly detailed description of the cake and also has them sign that they agree with the charges and conditions, which include paying a 20% deposit and the final payment in full, two weeks before the due date of the cake.

I send them an email or give them a phone call a few days before the final payment is due to make sure everything is still fine and then I don't start baking until I'm paid. I may have made some models or flowers by this time, but they can always be re-used on another cake if needed and I would have used the deposit money to pay for any materials needed for this.

I'm not sure if this would work for you or not, but I thought I'd share anyway.

Have a lovely weekend with your hubby and try not to let one bad egg ruin it for you.

I'm sending you happy thoughts

This is something I have been pondering for a while...ever since someone ordered a 6-serving cake from me. I came to the conclusion that cakes like this ship and other sculpted cakes (which are pretty much what I make) are the same amount of work whether they serve 10 or 100.....I am implementing a "starting price" no matter how many servings.

I would like to say that I would have given her an ultimatum....take the cake as originally ordered or lose your deposit. 2 days is not a reasonable amount of time to change things. But, whatever happens this time, just chalk it up to a nice lesson for the future....

sounds like you have a great hubby!

my rules are u can't change a cake more than 1-2 weeks...depending on the cake...and if u do...you lose your deposit...sorry...

i would say, don't make the cake at all and the deposit it yours...because, quite frankly, it seems to me as if she was just going to show up to pick it up and not pay u the balance...then what would u do with all the cake??

Aww, Ellen...HUGS, big HUGS from Miami!!!

Take care, no matter what you decide to do, there are a LOT of great ideas here!!

I think that even though I'm not in the same situation, that I will be making up a contract also...JUST in case..lol

all the suggestions are "food for thought" ..huh?

lol

I'm sorry to hear this, especially since I have had some real Doozies for customers here lately. But the instant I read this, I realized that she was going to do you in. She totally expected the larger cake for the lower price. OMG.

How awful for you...all of that planning and how did this customer think you could scale-down a cake with 2 days notice? I guess a refund would be all I could offer. Even though she was rude and inconsiderate of your time, its not worth getting bad public attention from this one... hard to handle huh? I feel so bad for you