Another Ridiculous Request

Business By TPACakeGirl Updated 20 Mar 2011 , 4:51pm by costumeczar

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TPACakeGirl Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 1:16pm
post #1 of 27

A customer emailed me on Friday to find out if I do cake pops and how much I charge for them. She said she didn't want anything crazy. Just 12 of them. I wrote her back and told her 12 were $24. She then called me and left me a message that went something like this:

"I would like to order 12 cake pops. I want 6 different flavors of cake pops, 2 of each flavor. I want all 12 to be a different design, and I need them delivered to my friend's house for a her bday at 8 am on Friday morning."

Ummmm, I don't think so. I'm not making 6 different flavors of cake, and purchasing supplies to make 12 different designs of cake pops and then delivering them across town for $24. I called her back and she didn't answer, so I left her a message stating that the price I quoted her was for one flavor of cake and one design. I advised her that is how special orders worked. She then left me a message stating that I didn't meet her needs and she will find a different route to go.

26 replies
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Kitagrl Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 1:28pm
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She probably does not realize you are not a bakery....she may think you have all your flavors on hand and then you just decorate them as needed.

I've had people call who want cakes delivered to someone for the next morning or the next two mornings...they just assume I'm a bakery I guess. I have to call them back and tell them I'm not.

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winnieyoung103 Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 1:49pm
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I just had someone ask me for 2 cupcakes for her sisters 50th birthday. LOL!! After I explained to her I couldn't just mix up 2 cupcakes she laughed along with me .

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LoveMeSomeCake615 Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 7:57pm
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Yeah, that's just how it goes sometimes. I have been emailing back and forth with a lady who wants a 3D shoe cake for 2 people. When i explained that our shaped cakes are a minimum of 20-25 servings, she said she would have to weigh her options and get back to me. I don't know if that means she is going to try to find someone else who will do it smaller for her or what. But sometimes people just don't realize what they are asking or the logistics of it.

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NanaSandy Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 8:21pm
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winnieyoung: 2 cupcakes??? That is just hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!! icon_smile.gif

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ladyt121 Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 8:23pm
post #6 of 27

if it where a bakery where all flavor and design cakepops where on hand maybe the request would not have been so bad but for an at home baker which i am i do one flavor cake. about the different designs here the thing ive been doing cause it has worked to my benifit if i do different designs i use chocolate molds to make my cake pops pour a little chocolate then shape a peice of cake to fit inside and then pour chocolate over it comes out great i only use one color for the chocolate but the mold gives it a different design and as far as droppin it off i charge for delivery and i only deliver if i dont have another order going on i have posted pics of my cake pops

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Corrie76 Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 8:51pm
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They're all coming out of the woodwork this week! icon_lol.gif I already had one nonsense request a couple days ago and just today I get a FB message (yet again...why are people afraid of picking up the phone and talking to one another anymore?)...anyways, it's a man who wants a three tiered cake for his wife for their anniversary AND he wants vanilla chai, red velvet, and carrot cake for the flavors of the tiers .....AND he only wants it to serve TWO people so could I make a tiny three tiered cake? icon_eek.gificon_lol.gif
I replied back, gently educating this man and hopefully have him convinced to just get a 6" double layer with a 3tier wedding cookie cut-out on top to decorate.

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Kitagrl Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 9:51pm
post #8 of 27

ROFL three flavors for two people????

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sebrina Posted 21 Feb 2011 , 12:04am
post #9 of 27

LOL! They must of heard you were charging per person! icon_lol.gif

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lilmissbakesalot Posted 21 Feb 2011 , 1:51am
post #10 of 27

LOL... just tell her that they are $24 per dozen with a 2 dozen per flavor minimum. That's what I would say anyway.

People who aren't in the biz have no clue.

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imanah Posted 21 Feb 2011 , 3:31am
post #11 of 27

oh my gosh that is tooo funny. I am laughing so hard, I had to read it out loud to my husband.

I think if you do go through with that tiny three tiered cake you may get a guinness world record or something.

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FromScratchSF Posted 21 Feb 2011 , 4:18am
post #12 of 27

LOL I get calls from people looking for my "store" because they just want a few cupcakes... I'm on Yelp and the new Yelp ap for your phone does not give people all the details about a business, and it does not tell people that I am a custom baker that has no storefront. It gives them address/phone number. I have the block I'm located on but no physical address. - so I get people driving up and down my street looking for me for just a cupcake or two.

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jason_kraft Posted 21 Feb 2011 , 5:41am
post #13 of 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

LOL I get calls from people looking for my "store" because they just want a few cupcakes... I'm on Yelp and the new Yelp ap for your phone does not give people all the details about a business, and it does not tell people that I am a custom baker that has no storefront. It gives them address/phone number. I have the block I'm located on but no physical address. - so I get people driving up and down my street looking for me for just a cupcake or two.



Does the Yelp mobile app include announcements? I always maintain an announcement on our Yelp page telling people we accept custom orders only, no storefront, no walk-ins, etc.

Of course we still get people asking where we are located, how late we're open until, can we have a cake ready for them today, and so on.

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TPACakeGirl Posted 21 Feb 2011 , 4:18pm
post #14 of 27

I usually have no problem mixing and matching flavors and designs if I have them available on hand. Sometimes I do. I will usually announce that on my FB fan page. But for special orders, which is what she called for, it's one flavor cake pop and one design per dozen. I'm not baking 6 cakes because you want to special order six different flavors, especially not for $24.

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FromScratchSF Posted 16 Mar 2011 , 7:59pm
post #15 of 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft

Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

LOL I get calls from people looking for my "store" because they just want a few cupcakes... I'm on Yelp and the new Yelp ap for your phone does not give people all the details about a business, and it does not tell people that I am a custom baker that has no storefront. It gives them address/phone number. I have the block I'm located on but no physical address. - so I get people driving up and down my street looking for me for just a cupcake or two.


Does the Yelp mobile app include announcements? I always maintain an announcement on our Yelp page telling people we accept custom orders only, no storefront, no walk-ins, etc.

Of course we still get people asking where we are located, how late we're open until, can we have a cake ready for them today, and so on.




Nope, just gives them name, star rating, address & phone number, I think. I took out my general location and put by "appointment only" and that seems to have stopped the calls. I just don't want to waist their time, you know?

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MamaMia808 Posted 17 Mar 2011 , 1:35am
post #16 of 27

That's crazy! I've had some crazy requests but not THAT crazy! Can't believe she had an attitude after also! Booooo!!!

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karateka Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 12:22am
post #17 of 27

Just today I had a guy call me and say he met me at the bridal show. (I had samples in little lidded souffle cups)

He asked me if I sold those samples I had at the show. I responded that I did not and he hung up.

Yesterday I had a guy call and ask about ordering a cake. He asked if he could come by to see what I had to order. I asked if he had seen my website, and he said no, so I told him what it was, explained that I was a custom order shop and he could basically have whatever he wanted. Whereupon he told me that was great! He needed to pick up a birthday cake in 4 hours, and that should be plenty of time, don't I think? icon_lol.gificon_lol.gificon_lol.gif

Yeah....they are coming out of the woodwork.

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grandmomof1 Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 12:50am
post #18 of 27

karateka - you made me laugh

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Becky1679 Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 12:57am
post #19 of 27

Ohh.. I'm so glad to hear other people get requests such as this. My latest cake pop request was for 36, and she wanted 9 like this and 9 like that and 4 like this.. I almost said, no cake pop for you! icon_smile.gif

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costumeczar Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 1:25am
post #20 of 27

I've had people ask for stupid stuff, but yesterday I got a letter telling me that my business would benefit from sponsoring a wedding for 500 people. If I donate the cake then many "very influential people" would see my cake at the reception, I would be promoted on this girl's wedding website and her facebook page, I would be allowed to advertise brochures on the cake table, and I would be allowed to come to the reception and make a speech about my company. If I chose not to sponsor, she conveniently included an advertising sheet with ad space rates so that I could buy an ad in her wedding program instead. I'm still slightly horrified.

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cmehend Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 1:30am
post #21 of 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar

I've had people ask for stupid stuff, but yesterday I got a letter telling me that my business would benefit from sponsoring a wedding for 500 people. If I donate the cake then many "very influential people" would see my cake at the reception, I would be promoted on this girl's wedding website and her facebook page, I would be allowed to advertise brochures on the cake table, and I would be allowed to come to the reception and make a speech about my company. If I chose not to sponsor, she conveniently included an advertising sheet with ad space rates so that I could buy an ad in her wedding program instead. I'm still slightly horrified.




Oh my gosh! Who does that? That's the craziest thing that I have ever heard of!

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Foxicakes Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 2:34am
post #22 of 27

OoooKAY!!...Costumeczar!! You WIN!!

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costumeczar Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 1:11pm
post #23 of 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxicakes

OoooKAY!!...Costumeczar!! You WIN!!




haha! I don't know, I was just reading the thread where the father of the bride got up during the tasting and walked around the baker's house snooping...That would be worse.

At least the "gimme" bride didn't ask me to donate 500 cupcakes. Not that she's going to get anything from me, but that would be worse than making a cake.

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Cealy Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 1:37pm
post #24 of 27

The 'gimme' bride obviously is looking for a freebee wedding! Wonder if she got her dress for free too?

I also am a certified floral designer and all the time I get "after putting money out for everything else I don't have money for flowers! What can you do for cheap?" hmm NOTHING!

As for what to say to the person asking for 12 cake pops- the best thing I heard on Ace of Cakes was, "we do not make a cake for under $100!" so if you want a cake or cake pops for 12 people, that will start at $100 flat fee! hmm wonder if the dough heads will still call? lol

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Alfiesmom Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 1:53pm
post #25 of 27

Like Dunkin Donuts donut holes -- I'll have 3 of this flavor, 2 of that ! LOL

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jason_kraft Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 3:40pm
post #26 of 27

I wish someone would ask me to "sponsor" their wedding with a discounted cake...I would gladly offer a 25% discount off my special "sponsor" price, which would happen to be 25% higher than a regular wedding cake quote.

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costumeczar Posted 20 Mar 2011 , 4:51pm
post #27 of 27

I was thinking that I should do it, but just do the butt-ugliest cake I could think of and write "This space for sale" across the front of the cake. Then leave the business cards for someone I don't like out in front of it, heh heh heh.

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