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Bride's Request, not sure how to answer! - Page 3

post #31 of 126
6/15/09 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jadak

I think I might say something like, "I can't provide receipts for every cost that goes into making a wedding cake. I am sorry, but if you need that to ensure fairness, you'll have to find someone else to make your cake. I would encourage you to call some other bakers and get pricing for the type of cake you're looking for. If you do that, I am sure you will discover that $2 a serving for a fondant covered cake with all of your details is WAY MORE than fair."

I have to be honest though. The statement from her leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'm not sure I'd be as diplomatic as I've encouraged you to be. icon_lol.gif

Good luck and please keep us posted!



Thank you! That really helps a lot! Yes the $2 per serving is VERY CHEAP for what she is asking! When I talked to her last night, I had to keep my temperment in check because I just about flew off the handle. Glad I waited and found everyone here to get a better idea of what to say. Thanks to everyone!
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post #32 of 126
6/15/09 at 10:41am
please let us know what you say to her and her response
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post #33 of 126
6/15/09 at 10:43am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auryn

please let us know what you say to her and her response



Will do! Hopefully it goes halfway well!
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post #34 of 126
6/15/09 at 11:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by all4cake

Quote:
Originally Posted by __Jamie__

Lol.... Twit.



LOL


Why shouldn't she divulge her costs??? The mechanic does and does it so proudly too! (I was being sarcastic with this comment if anyone couldn't tell)

Light bulb- .95
Labor- 35.95
tax on part .10
tax on labor 5.00
_____________
total....costs more than the price of the whole car!




The only difference is the mechanics aren't showing your THEIR cost for that light bulb. icon_lol.gif Standard markups on car parts are up to double what the shop pays their suppliers, it depends on the part exactly how much.
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post #35 of 126
6/15/09 at 11:21am
Not that she needs to know what you spent by any means, but this cake is going to cost way more than $30 to make. I spend $70 for a 20lb bucket of Satin Ice, and I used about 1/2 a bucket on the last cake I made for 75 people. Not to mention cake board, butter, vanilla, cutters, wire, shortening, babysitter, gumpaste....oh my....it gets up there quickly.
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post #36 of 126
6/15/09 at 11:22am
Oh, my God, you are so undercharging for that cake...If she has any complaints cut her loose, then DON'T let her rehire you without raising your price! If she shops around she'll be horrified if she thinks that $400 for what you're describing is "fair." I'd charge a heck of a lot more than $2 a serving! At a MINIMUM, 200 servings for fondant would be $900, and that's without the flowers and branches!
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post #37 of 126
6/15/09 at 11:50am
I'd have to agree with the other posters. I'm not sure how I would price the wedding cake since I have yet to do one, but $400 for a wedding cake for 200people seems a bit on the low side to me.

Now I know you want to be calm when talking to her since she is a coworker but what you have o remember is this is not a "work" transaction. She went to you for a cake not to make a report for her.

The advise to cut her loose is well indeed, but that is realy up to you. Do you really want her as a customer? Some ppl, think that because you are their friend/family that they have the right to ask for things they normally wouldnt ask for from other vendors.

If you do decide to do the cake make sure you let her know the transaction with the cake needs to stay out side of the wk place.

Good luck to you and please let us know if you decide to do the cake what she says.
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post #38 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimandmollie

How about:

I was trying to come up with receipts for you but I have a problem. I buy most of my ingredients in bulk because lots of my specialty ingredients have to be bought online. Most of the ingredients that are going into your cake are things that I have already purchased and have no way to break down the pricing because I don't save receipts. I did however check with XYZ Bakery and found out that they would charge you $X for this same cake so you could see that I was charging you fairly and even giving you a discount. *I understand if you want to go with another bakery and I will have no hard feelings if you do.

*You can edit this out if you want to.

Hope that helps! icon_smile.gif



This is the best option in my opinion. Another thing you could consider is be up front with her and tell her the ingredients cost $30 but the supplies would have cost a lot more and she's getting a discount as it is. If it's still not "fair" then tell her you'll go ahead and provide her with the ingredients for $30 so she has exactly what she needs, and she can make it herself. This doesn't exactly convey my opinions on it but it's a pretty good reflection of them. I'm trying to be "fair" in how I speak about it. icon_biggrin.gif
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post #39 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:06pm
She is so fulla sh*t her eyes are brown!

I'll show her receipts alright ... receipts for the loan payment that enabled me to buy my stove and oven to make her cake; receipt for my rent to have a kitchen to make her cake; receipts for my commercial veh insurance so I can deliver her cake. icon_mad.gif

How DARE she. icon_mad.gificon_mad.gif

Her: I need to see your receipts.
Me: What makes you think it's any of your business?

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post #40 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:17pm
Post her e-mail address so we can all quote her the REAL price she should be paying you for that cake.


My response to her when she asked for all the receipts would have been "sorry, I'm not required to share my business expenses with anyone but my accountant."

I mean, who the hell does this woman think she is? icon_mad.gif
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post #41 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:26pm
Thread Starter 
In response to my ingredients costing approx $30, I just want to state that my grandmother was a cake decorator and she passed a month ago. She literally had 2 big pantries full of her ingredients, which were obviously all given to me. The only things I am buying is the ingredients for the filling, dowel rods and cake board. Everything else I either had, or obtained from my grandmother's death. So really my only cost is those said ingredients, as well as a LOT of my time into this cake. I am meeting with this bride on Wed and will let you all know how it goes! Thanks so much for all of your responses, they have all been making me think and some making me laugh!
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post #42 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:37pm
I got to thinking that maybe what she meant by "fair" could mean she wants to be "fair" to the OP and make sure she is paying her a proper amount? Maybe she knows that what she is asking for is a lot more expensive if she were to ask someone else to do it? So in knowing she is getting a great deal, still wants to make sure that she isn't taking too much advantage of this nice offer?

Just a thought...most likely a wrong thought but I like to give the benefit of the doubt sometimes.
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post #43 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kamikaze_fish

Quote:
Originally Posted by jimandmollie

How about:

I was trying to come up with receipts for you but I have a problem. I buy most of my ingredients in bulk because lots of my specialty ingredients have to be bought online. Most of the ingredients that are going into your cake are things that I have already purchased and have no way to break down the pricing because I don't save receipts. I did however check with XYZ Bakery and found out that they would charge you $X for this same cake so you could see that I was charging you fairly and even giving you a discount. *I understand if you want to go with another bakery and I will have no hard feelings if you do.

*You can edit this out if you want to.

Hope that helps! icon_smile.gif



This is the best option in my opinion. Another thing you could consider is be up front with her and tell her the ingredients cost $30 but the supplies would have cost a lot more and she's getting a discount as it is. If it's still not "fair" then tell her you'll go ahead and provide her with the ingredients for $30 so she has exactly what she needs, and she can make it herself. This doesn't exactly convey my opinions on it but it's a pretty good reflection of them. I'm trying to be "fair" in how I speak about it. icon_biggrin.gif



I think giving 'reasons' for why it's too difficult to break it down for her only validates her false impression that this is even a reasonable request to begin with. She then leaves with the assumption that if you hadn't bought bulk, she'd be able to get receipts from you. What if she turns around and says, "oh, could you not use those bulk ingredients and buy my ingredients separately so I can get receipts?"
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post #44 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:38pm
Just because you aren't buying everything doesn't mean they should be free to her. Someone had to pay for them and I'll be damned if I'd give them away to this little twit...............
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post #45 of 126
6/15/09 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by soobsessedwithcake

I got to thinking that maybe what she meant by "fair" could mean she wants to be "fair" to the OP and make sure she is paying her a proper amount? Maybe she knows that what she is asking for is a lot more expensive if she were to ask someone else to do it? So in knowing she is getting a great deal, still wants to make sure that she isn't taking too much advantage of this nice offer?

Just a thought...most likely a wrong thought but I like to give the benefit of the doubt sometimes.



I pondered that notion briefly...then I thought well the OP quoted her the price which would be understood by most shopping any other place to be fair otherwise why would she have given her that price...and if the customer thought that the price was too little could very well "tip" or pay extra or send her extra with an explanation like..."I know how much time and effort went into making my wedding cake. Please, accept this as appreciation for everything you did to make my cake perfect"
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