NO REFUND! NO EXPLANATION!! NO COUPON!!! You apologized and that is sufficient. Odds are - even if you make her 10 more cakes, she WON'T be happy with ANY of them! I've had that customer...they are NEVER happy! And that will be the 1 in 100 that sticks in your craw if you let her. Simply refer her to the grocery store bakery if she calls back. Don't take her orders, don't apologize any more. Don't let someone like her shake you self confidence.
Keep playing in sugar!! 
Sounds like you may need to do some more taste tests to see what the outcome of your recipes are. I'd make up practise cakes for your local firemen, police station, etc and tell them you are looking for real feedback...taste, texture, look, etc. Maybe even make up anonymous comment cards they can return to you in a stack the next day so if someone does want to say something critical then you won't know who it is. Then take the feedback and use it to make your business better.
But this sounds like this woman is bucking for a refund...no cake, no refund. And, btw, wouldn't you call the baker RIGHT AWAY and say the cake was inedible I need another cake? Why wait? I think she fed those 10 people, someone asked what the cake cost and she told them and they said but that's $3 per person...hiway robbery! So she decided to gripe about it. Since she wouldn't admit she's too cheap she went after your cake. Of course there's always the possibility something was wrong with the cake but you ate the cake top and it tasted right and this woman tasted the same recipe in a cupcake and liked it enough to hire you for the cake so I'm smelling a rat here.
Just my 2 cents
Cat
sorry that happened to you! I would say really look into her complaints and see if you can learn anything from them. I would also say NEVER make your prices that low-it's too much work for no money! You can't run a business like that and you can't just raise the prices when everyone expects 30/per nice cake.
I wouldn't give her a refund. I always use box mixes because I haven't found a scratch recipe I like. I find scratch recipes to be dense more bread like. I like light moist cakes so I don't take chances. Don't give up and don't let her rain on your parade. There will be other orders so just keep testing recipes until you find ones that you like and feel comfortable staking your reputation on. You already apologized so more than likely if she was that rude she won't be back to order another cake. There are plenty of other customers out there that will appreciate your talents. I'm sure Duff and Buddy had to experiment when they got started. Everything will fall into place.
I have to say something...there's a lot of "You charged a low price, so you don't need to give her anything back" in this thread. REGARDLESS of what you charge, if a client is genuinely unhappy for a real reason, there should be some kind of a refund. If you underchareged to begin with, that's on you, not them.
Everyone gets complaints sometimes, and a few people have mentioned that the recipe looks like it's on the low side for fat, so maybe the cake was dry. Who knows? I'm not saying that the OP should give her a refund (I would, it's only $30, and I'd also put her on a no-cake-for-you list) but the idea that since she was undercharged to begin with there shouldn't be a refund is just silly.
Did you use the same recipe that she had with the cupcakes that she had already had? If she already had your stuff, then she should know what it tastes like. I agree that you should take some cakes up to the fire department and police department or other people you don't know. Friends and family usually have a hard time telling you if they don't like something.
Could the problem have simply been that she is not use to the texture of a scratch cake? She stated something to like a "box mix" would have been better. Just a thought.
That was my thought. I don't like scratch cakes that are heavy and dense.
Also agree with costumeczar..... the unhappy client doesn't care whether you are a good business person and can figure out a pricing structure that gives you a profit or not. All they know is they paid "good money" for a product that didn't meet their expectations. Whether you made a profit or not is not even on their radar.
Yeah, but just because they don't like the way it tastes I am not sure that I would give a refund. Had the cake collapsed or the cake was not the design that the customer had asked for I could see giving a refund. There have been several times that I go out to dinner and don't like the way that the food tastes and I don't ask for a refund. I just don't go back to those places. A complaint is a gift in this instance. Since you are just starting out now you can tweak your recipe so that you don't have people who never come back to you or who tell people not to use you.
There are people in this world that just want something for nothing...a sense of entitlement. I wouldn't give her anything back and there is no way to duplicate what you gave her (recipe or not). I won't speak for everyone but I have unintentionally forgotten an ingredient. (Like the time I made a pumpkin pie and forgot the sugar! My son still doesn't let me live it down!) I quickly learned...taste everything before it goes out the door!!
and...DITTO on the buttermilk...on the prior posts.
Soooo, what is the difference between white cake and vanilla cake? 'Cause in my world they are the same thing. Really, just curious.
And good advice from everyone. I had a similar thing happen a few weeks ago. Since I torte and level every cake, I can taste a bit and I get to see the inside.
Ok this may have been responded to already but here is my 2 cents
White cake uses only egg whites in the recipe and clear vanilla so the cake is white when baked It is also a bit different texture
Yellow cake (my recipe at least) uses only egg yolks and you dont have to bother with the clear vanilla. Again slightly different texture
Friends and family usually have a hard time telling you if they don't like something.
I agree with this. I subject my coworkers to any new recipes for feedback, it's how they earn their free cake 
. I've found the only way to get honest feedback is to give them an opening.
Me: This is a new recipe, I think it might be a little dry, though. (or lacking flavor, or too sweet, whatever)
Them: Yeah, it is a little dry
or...
Them: No, it's not dry but I wish I could taste the cinnamon more (or whatever)
or...
Them: OMG, it's the best cake you've ever made! 
I have to say something...there's a lot of "You charged a low price, so you don't need to give her anything back" in this thread. REGARDLESS of what you charge, if a client is genuinely unhappy for a real reason, there should be some kind of a refund. If you underchareged to begin with, that's on you, not them.
I totally agree with this.
The price was agreed upon, so at this point it really doesn't matter if it was too cheap or not enough. The customer and you made a deal that they would get xyz product for abc price. If they didn't feel they got the xyz product they ordered, why shouldn't they feel like they deserve the abc price back?
I'm not saying every complaint deserves a refund, partial or full, but there are some cases where they do. I know the customer isn't always right, we do all have our own tastes and there are miscommunications, but it seems more and more when these posts come up, we automatically assume the customer is wrong, that the cake was wonderful and that they are just fishing for a return. Maybe the customer is really unhappy for a reason?
In this case, maybe the cake was dry to the customer. If they are use to a certain kind of cake and get another, then to them it could taste dry or the texture was off from what they normally are use to.
I think when we get a complaint we should take it as face value, examine our product and then decide if there is validity and how much. If you have baked hundreds of cakes using a recipe and you get one complaint then I am likely to believe that the cake was just not to their tastes or there was a fluke when baking. But when you are just starting out (and even later one), I think you cant just toss aside all complaints with out examining them to see if there is really something there.
If this was a family party then I can totally see people discussing the cake and whether they liked it. I know a lot of people that would sit there and discuss how dinner at a restaurant was horrible, even if someone else was paying for it.
IMHO, I would offer her some type of compensation. Like others stated, it doesn't matter what you charged her. She spent money on a product she expected to be good and it wasn't, so put yourself in her shoes and what would you expect?
I would also seriously look at your pricing. If you start out really low, that is what people will expect and it will be harder to raise your price. Take a look at bakeries and home-bakers in your area to get an idea of what prices are and charge accordingly. Your time is worth too much to give it away for practically nothing.
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awatterson wrote:
Friends and family usually have a hard time telling you if they don't like something.
Not in our house!
Keep your head high and keep going. I know it's hard, but go back to your recipe and make it better (which I am sure it tasted good to begin with).
I usually sample my cake topper once it been leveled...just to make sure I am happy with the results. We can't make everyone happy.
It's the nature of the beast with the cake baking...PS..raise your prices, even if you are just getting started. You should be paid for your time plus material. For every 1 bad response you will have 100 great ones...keep going and best of luck!!!
It's good business sense to offer some type of refund etc. However, in this case, you listened to her complaint and apologized. You did not make this offer at the time of complaint, so I would drop it now. Don't write her a letter or offer coupons now - put it down to a learning experience.
Go out and practice your recipes. My co-workers love it when I am testing new recipes because they get free cakes. However, they are brutally honest about it. Try the WASP recipe that is on this site - my customers love it over some of my scratch recipes. If after you bake your cakes they seem a little dry perhaps you may want to brush it with a sugar syrup. Keep at it - don't quit.
I'm always suspicious when unhappy brides/customers say things like "everyone there said it was the worst cake they had ever had", because that is not the way people act in social situations. Imagine you've been invited to a party, you are served a piece of cake, and you don't like it. Do you walk up to the hostess and tell her she's just served you the worst cake you've ever had? Nah. You may not eat it all, but unless you were raised in a barn, you don't say anything about it.
Just wanted to add to this...it's soooo true!!!
I was at a baby shower once, and the friend of the grandmother-to-be provided all the desserts (cupcakes and cookies). They were adorable, but the cupcakes were so DRY, and had to have been over-baked. I took a bite, swallowed it, set the cupcake down, and pretended to be very engaged in the conversations around me. The rest got thrown away, but I didn't say a peep! (Until I went home and told DH, because I HAD to tell someone!!!!)
The cookies were yummy though...I took one with me. 
I have to say something...there's a lot of "You charged a low price, so you don't need to give her anything back" in this thread. REGARDLESS of what you charge, if a client is genuinely unhappy for a real reason, there should be some kind of a refund. If you underchareged to begin with, that's on you, not them.
I totally agree with this.
The price was agreed upon, so at this point it really doesn't matter if it was too cheap or not enough. The customer and you made a deal that they would get xyz product for abc price. If they didn't feel they got the xyz product they ordered, why shouldn't they feel like they deserve the abc price back?
I'm not saying every complaint deserves a refund, partial or full, but there are some cases where they do. I know the customer isn't always right, we do all have our own tastes and there are miscommunications, but it seems more and more when these posts come up, we automatically assume the customer is wrong, that the cake was wonderful and that they are just fishing for a return. Maybe the customer is really unhappy for a reason?
In this case, maybe the cake was dry to the customer. If they are use to a certain kind of cake and get another, then to them it could taste dry or the texture was off from what they normally are use to.
I think when we get a complaint we should take it as face value, examine our product and then decide if there is validity and how much. If you have baked hundreds of cakes using a recipe and you get one complaint then I am likely to believe that the cake was just not to their tastes or there was a fluke when baking. But when you are just starting out (and even later one), I think you cant just toss aside all complaints with out examining them to see if there is really something there.
If this was a family party then I can totally see people discussing the cake and whether they liked it. I know a lot of people that would sit there and discuss how dinner at a restaurant was horrible, even if someone else was paying for it.
I completely agree. I often see people in threads about refunds using the fact that they undercharged as an excuse for not giving a refund, and in my opinion, it's not appropriate. It's not the customer's fault you undercharged. If you didn't deliver the agreed upon product, then you owe them a refund. I don't know if this woman's complaint is bogus or genuine, but the amount you chose to charge her doesn't have any bearing on the validity of her complaint.
I agree that undercharging is not a good reason for not giving a refund, however; where do you draw the line? The complaint was (in the consumer's opinion) a dry cake. The cake was eaten, the cake was nicely decorated, and cake didn't fall apart. So - what do you do???
I agree that undercharging is not a good reason for not giving a refund, however; where do you draw the line? The complaint was (in the consumer's opinion) a dry cake. The cake was eaten, the cake was nicely decorated, and cake didn't fall apart. So - what do you do???
If I ordered a cake that was well decorated, didn't fall apart, was eaten, but that I thought was kind of dry and not especially good, I'd just chalk it up to experience and never order a cake from that person again. Let's face it - you don't always get what you paid for.
I would not ask for my money back, and I don't think in the scenario you describe anyone deserves their money back. Generally, if it's too bad to eat, it should be kept and returned for a refund, although I think sometimes that genuinely can't happen (like at weddings where it's cut, served, eaten or not, picked up by the catering staff and thrown away). Then you have a harder time figuring out what's up.
In the OP's case, I'd probably just refund her money. As new as she is to baking, she might easily have screwed up her recipe, and it might really have been bad. If she's baked this recipe 50 times and it's dependably good, then I'd say it was just a matter of taste and the customer is out of luck.
Ohhh have I been in your exact position!!!! I did a baby shower cake for a co workers wife. IT WAS AWESOME!!!! it looked like the best cake I had ever done, and I tried the scraps too, very moist. My first cake I ever sold. ughhh this was awesome and I was so proud of myself. a week later i got a very disgruntled voicemail and when I called her back she also said it was "the worst cake they ever had" and also they had to throw every last bit of it out was conveniently thrown in after i asked how much was un eaten. She demanded full refund. I said because she did not present uneaten portions that i would refund for my time, but materials were gone and she was to cover that. She agreed but after I got off the phone I GAVE AWAY ALL MY CAKE STUFF, through away ANYTHING to do with baking and criiieeeddddd for about a day then was just mad that I had wasted so much time in a hobby that i wanted to turn professional but got such a bad review I quit. Well for laughs I posted some pics of my cakes on my facebook and all of a sudden friends of friends were like OMG can you make a cake, how much do you charge and so in 2 weeks im making my first since then and there will be no mistakes. Im using recipes from SeriousCakes and Confetti Cakes and I WILL BE VICTORIOUS! hahaha im excited and cant believe i threw everything away (that was a Bad decision). Keep on caking girl! im 20, full time job and in school also trying to make this happen. It'll either work or it wont, but the only way you get any further is by trying a little harder then you did before. You never get anywhere by quitting. Best of luck!
Taste is so subjective. Really! What tastes great to some may taste awful to someone else. She should have brought the cake back for you to sample for moistness. I have NEVER been somewhere there was bad cake (and I've tasted a few), where that was the topic of conversation. How rude! Chances are the customer didn't care for it, therefore NO ONE did! Please. If that's the case, why are supermarkets still in business because their cakes DO suck! But then that's my opinion...there are those that absolutely love the nasty gritty super sweet frosting of a supermarket cake. Which is why you should not offer her a refund based on her assessment of what tasted good...unless she could bring a sample back for you to taste. But it sounds like you tasted it. So, unless the cake looked awful and was not the design she wanted, then you have nothing to make up for.
You could offer a 10% discount on any future order, but honestly, better to get rid of the PIA's now while you're still in learning mode. And chalk this up to lesson learned. And hang in there.
I feel your pain, I just did a wedding cake-4 tier, square stacked, the bride wanted silk star-gazer lilies with lots of leaves, even showed me a postage stamp sized photo-well after the wedding she let me know that the flowers were much too big for the cake and overwelmed the topper (a very tacky topper in my opinion) I offered no refund but did explain that star-gazer ARE big-and I was sorry she was uphappy. Then she went on to say the fondant didn't "squish" properly when they shoved it in each others faces-dry those tears-keep with it!!!
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