Your cake and cookies are terrific and very cute!

I think she must be basically a misery to everyone all the time..don't give her a second thought and I wouldn't do anymore cakes for that one!!

A cruise ship for a baby's cake...what the heck???? (cheese has slipped off the cracker)

i just knew knew knew this was the cake before even looking at it---i seen it today, while looking for a cake for a 2 yr old & this is one of the ones i picked, but i was afraid i couldn't do the little sea creatures so i was still looking--

just let me tell u that i love this cake & i think is is super cute, please if you have any closer up pic, would u PM me & i'll give u my e-mail address, i just love it

BTW--bump her

Oh my gosh! You did a great job!!! I didn't know what I was going to see after reading your message - but your work was truly cute, creative and original.

Unless she could have given you an exact drawing of what was in her head, I don't think you or me or anyone here could have created what she was envisioning. She's just one of those "nit-picky-down-to-the-last-detail" people. She needs to be more opened minded about others' creativity.

Those people scare me too, because they can come back w/a big roar. Please don't let this discourage you - your work is very creative and you will be making beautiful cakes for years to come. Rather, learn from this experience and the next time you sense one of those "nit-picky-down-to-the-last-detail" customers - try to manage their expectations. Let them know that this can be intrepretive artwork, and although you will do your best to create what they are describing, they will need to allow some room for differences of intepretation and creativity.

You did good!

There's a very insecure person underneath every "control freak" ~ I work for one that would have done this exact same thing (or worse). Forget it ~ they're a waste of time and energy, because no matter what you do they will criticize you as a means of building up themselves.

Your cakes are gorgeous! Just be sure to go mark your calendar as BOOKED for that kid's birthday next year.... (geez I feel sorry for that kid too!)

I love the M n M creatures. Great job.

I'm reading your post and not scrolling down thinking do I really want to see this - then I scrolled down - It's the cat's meow. Your work is excellent and this woman's brain has had a lack of air.

I did have to wonder why she would want this for her one year old. Why not teddy bears, ducks, Elmo, Blues Clues ect... must have been a personal reason. Maybe the cruise.

The m & m's were cute and creative. But I again can't help wondering why she wanted the m & m's, do one year olds eat m & m's?

All that doesn't matter, what matters is you did a great job. Apprently her friend was impressed with your work.

She most have a miserable life to be so hard to please.

what adorable cakes and I love the cookies life preservers to accent the cake. Great idea. There was nothing wrong with that cake.

Every time I read about customers such as these I remember what my newly wed neighbor said to me a few months ago. We were looking at her gorgeous wedding cake photos and she could do nothing but rant about how perfect and beautiful her 1/2 priced wedding cake was. When I asked her what she ment 1/2 priced. She couldn't wait to give details about how she stiffed the "cake lady" when she "theatrically preformed" the displeased bride. "Crockadile tears and all" she said. The lady had a soft heart and fell for it and gave it to her 1/2 off as a wedding gift. (This lady was a family friend as well) I wanted to become ill. This neighbor could have purchased 10 cakes and not blink an eye. She herself said it was perfect, but her pride in stiffing the baker was more then I could stand. After a I left her with an ear full of an unsolicited point of view on what it takes to create such a cake, that neighbor became a unsavory distant neighbor.

Since I have started visiting this site I have grown more envyous of every one of you that make cakes such as these. I am only at a wishing stage and it saddens me to see how much one displeased customer can hurt you so badly when none of you have anything to feel bad about. I just wish I had the time to place in the cakes as much work as you do. You have nothing to feel bad about. You ALL do beautiful work and obviously your happy customers keep returning or refer others to you. For every "1" There is always two more out there that can replace them.

Just dust this off as experience and move forward. You must have please someone since you have a new customer to replace the negative one.

Keep up the great work. Just keep in mind behind the whiner or the snide remarks there may be an deeper pocket motive. They may be baiting you. Don't fall for it. Be proud of what you have done. *hugs

Shyann


P.S. for the "8 minute late" cake? I honestly feel there is a higher power setting on me at this moment before stepping into the cake decorating business. I would have tested how for I could get to the door with the cake after returning the money/deposit. I would have left the opinionated mother behind to explain why there is no cake for her daughters wedding.

I have an excuse.....it's call hot flashes.

It couldn't have been any cuter. And if she is refering you to friends there must have been something about it that she really, really liked.

Amanda
As i was reading your post I thought; M&M animals? Hm, strange, i was expecting a pile of M&M's or some other such thing, then i read the complaints the customer had which were nothing really serious and saw the picture. I would LOVE to have received a cake like this. The M&M animals are such a fantastic idea, and the cookies are just adorable!!! I think you did a wonderful job, any normal person would have been thrilled to bits to receive such a cake, I know i would have.
Forget about the customer, she's obviously NUTS!!
The thing that matters is that you still got a referral, although she didnt like it, or had complaints, there were other people at the party who thought the cake was great, so much so that they want you to make theirs.
Keep your chin up and keep up your wonderfull work
cheers
Nati

Again everybody, thanks! You have made me laugh and I am starting to feel better about it.

Christeena - I agree 100%. She wanted a $1000 cake for $100. Oh and when I emailed her to thankher for the referral, she let me know she was travelling again. This time in Canada. It must be tough being such a b***h

Franjmc - I love your PITA charge. I'm definitely using that next time I sense a PITA brewing.

Daltonam - If you want to PM me about the sea creatures, I'd be happy to give you some tips, I'm sure you can do them, they were very easy.

Thanks again!

That cake is so adorable and looks like what she asked for to me!

Some people are just picky about everything and are never satisfied. (Some will go a step further and use it to get things for free or cheaper after the fact).

Don't worry about her - her friend must have LOVED it to come to you with an order for herself. Think about their conversation though, Friend asks where the cake is from b/c she loves it. Picky Lady must have said something - I'm guessing she doesn't just hand over your phone number without any comments. So Picky Lady either said she really liked it and recommended you. OR Picky Lady may have went on about the colors, blah blah. Friend knows that Picky Lady is picky but still loves your cake and gives you a call!

Your cake is great, don't be nervous about doing the friend's cake!

oh thanks, i will

I must be hormonal 'cause I read the post & cried Then I laughed with the various replies Cried with some of the others sigh

Your cake is perfect for a 1 year old! Your cake is adoreable!!!!

Now.....I am a home school mom and have always taught that art is subjective. What you do is art. It is a 1 of 1. If she wants a 1 of 2 or more she needs to go to Walmart. Sounds like she needed some extra cash (refund $$$) to offset her travel expenses (Europe, Canada & who knows).

How blessed for a 1 year old to receive such a magnificent cake for his birthday. How challenging to be associated with his mother. She must embarass her family frequently. I feel bad for a child to grow up learning behavior from such a person. Hopefully he won't follow in her footsteps.

Your cakes are so cute !!!! now i know before i open my shop that it's shure that you have costumer that they never satisfed! they want money back after or have something cheaper!! but they don't don't understand that is a lot of work !
One time a have a company costumer who whant a cake for the company anniversary, they want a blue cake with their logo so i make what they want and they tell me that it to expensive so the price is the price "i m not going to sale my cake" when my husband delivery them, they tell that the cake is from a horor movie!! when i know that i call the secretary and she tell me that she wan't a decoration like a child cake "funny" !!! i tell her that she don't tell me that and she tell me i want a refound !!!!!
I think it's not the last experience for you and for all of us!!
Forget about this bad experience and bad customer!
Move on! You are going a good damm work!!!

your cakes you made are outstanding. I love the cookies you did to go with it. Just try to set her out of your mind. You did all you could and it was right. Do you think she's just trying to get some money back? Or maybe she's just too much of a perfectionist.
Stop thinking about her and keep on decorating!!

I think your customer has a "stupid" reaction to sugar! Your cake is fantastic! She sounds like one of those people that just aren't happy with anything, no matter what. Also sounds like her friend isn't the same type of person, and thought highly of your work, or she wouldn't have called you.
I know how you feel though. I get that pit in my stomach too, when someone isn't as thrilled with my work as I hope they would be.
I think you're doing great, and the cookies were a very cute and creative idea. I never would have thought of that, myself.
Keep creating, and don't let this get you down.

20 emails? Sounds like she was high maintenance; in which case do you really want her coming back for more? LOL Very cute cakes/cookies.