Anyone getting more "entitled" clients lately? - Page 6

I had someone email me asking if I could make cookies shaped like firetrucks and a cake shaped like one...I said sure, quoted her the prices...A few days later she emailed me back asking if I knew where she could buy a firetruck shaped cookie cutter, lol.

dont' you wish you could be there!?

I worked for a bakery and part of my job was to do the tastings. We did them at no charge. Since I didn't bake or decorate it was possible for the bakery to be able to do that.

I'm happy to say we didn't have many Bridezillas. We would do the tasting and I would interview the bride about location, cake styles, number of guests, etc. and she would taste the cake. I would give her the opportunity to book then, give them the contract and if they gave me the deposit, then we booked it and it was a done deal. If I was told they were going other places to taste I said 'fine' and gave them the contract to return under the understanding that their date could be filled so the sooner we knew the better. Sometimes they returned, sometimes they didn't and some I did have to tell that they waited too late.

I really didn't get the 'we're doing you a favor' kind of attitude. As a former MOB, we did go to several places to taste cake. That was the selling point for me--taste. That's how I ended up working at the bakery. We were there for a tasting and it was so good we booked right then. Then I asked if she needed part time help. Win-win!

Where we got attitude was from the Moms who wanted $300 1st birthday cakes for their little angels for $50. Maybe it's my perverse attitude, but I really loved telling these people no. It's probably the first time they ever heard it.

I think when you own a business, sometimes you can run it from fear...fear of making rent, payroll, etc., and when that happens you are more vulnerable to the discount divas and unfortunately that turns into problems for businesses who aren't. Bravo to those who can stand up for their work and earn what they are worth!

I speak at bridal shows. The first thing I say - Unless you have a $10,000 budget for your cake alone - stop watching those shows. You cannot have that cake!

I honestly say that. I've had other vendors get mad at me and follow behind me (I'm always the first to speak) and tell them they can get whatever they want - that they deserve it and can do it!! (woo-hoo???)

So now I start with that same line and add... and if anyone tells you you can have whatever you want, run from that vendor - because they are not only going to crash your budget but easily talk you in to things you cannot afford and will regret those purchases later when trying to make your house payment. While you may deserve anything you want - not one of us lives in a world where that really happens. Know your budget, embrace your budget, enjoy your wedding day.


I say more than this - more positive things - but this is how I start out.

I actually get lots of business from that little speech.

I also delete those emails (I'm convinced they are spam to begin with) as soon as I receive them. I do not entertain them for a second.

tryingcake, you just went on the "My Hero!" list!

If I speak to a client and the first few words out of her mouth are " I saw this great cake on...(fill in name of show here)" I usually stop her right there and tell her if she lets me know what kind of theme or feeling she is going for I will sketch up a cake that won't require a second mortgage! My favorite though are the clients who order a cake and after I give them the price they are constantly calling back and making changes but expecting the price to stay the same. Such as "Instead of a baseball diamond we have decided we would like a baseball stadium built to scale with little miniture ball players on the field. It's still the same price, right?" Uh....no

i didn't want to open up this can of worms, but i'm glad that someone did. I lose out on some business because i work from my home and don't have the means, etc. to accept food stamps. People will bo to the grocery store to buy a wedding cake because they can use food stamps. smh

LOVE this!!!

I'm so confused. I've this on here before. I told my story - I was on assistance for about 3 months back in the early 80s. We were not allowed to buy any pre-assembled food. NONE! If we went to the deli at a grocery store, we could not buy a pre-assembled sandwich. We could buy slices of meat, cheese, even a bun. We could walk over to produce and buy a tomato, even lettuce if we took the notion. But we could not buy a sandwich. We had to take it out of the store and put it together ourselves.

We could not buy a pre-assembled decorated cake. Again, I was allowed to buy a box of cake mix and canned icing. But not a cake from the bakery department. I guess I could have bought a Sara Lee pound cake from the freezer section and slapped dome icing on it - but not the bakery dept.

Are people allowed to buy all this stuff now? Those rules made perfect sense to me back then. I'm so confused.

I was ready to hang up my oven mitts! I know most of you charge for your cakes (very smart!) but I think the ones who do it for free for friends and family take a lot of abuse. I have probably made 50 wedding cakes in my lifetime - all for free. I am very clear up front that I have an album of all the cakes I've made and would be happy for them to choose a cake from this book. If they want a specific cake, I won't be offended if they find a professional and pay to have "the cake of their dreams". I just lost a friend of 15 years because her daughter wanted me to make a cake from a picture. She didn't want fondant but wanted butter cream frosting that "looked like fondant". The minute her daughter started rolling her eyes at me, all the joy went out of making this cake. I tried telling her I couldn't make the cake and her response was, "It's several months until the wedding. You've got a long time to practice." (That comment infuriated my husband.) So I wrote them a very nice e-mail explaining that I couldn't make her cake and because I wanted her to love her wedding cake, she would need to hire a professional to make it. Her Mom responded that I was a "black cloud" over her daughter's wedding and she didn't want anything more to do with me. While I'm sorry for the loss of a friendship, I'm wondering how much of a friend she really was. I just cautiously agreed to make a wedding cake for the daughter of a dear friend. She has been just as sweet and respectful as can be and totally appreciative for what I'm going to do for her.

polarbear, all I can say to that story is ----->

As the country song says, "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy!"

at that story polarbear! The nerve of some people! It's obvious she was just trying to manipulate you and put you on a guilt trip. Some "friend".

I HATE when people try to manipulate me, and I will not fall for that crap! Good for you for standing your ground and not doing something you weren't comfortable with! Sounds like you're better off without her "friendship"!

as the saying goes

With friends like that.....

Wow, Polarbear. Your story made me angrier than I have been in a while. I mean, I get my feathers a little ruffled when I hear stories from other bakers about customers that are rude and act entitled. But, when family and friends do it, for some reason it just gets to me worse than most.

I do have to say that "karma" is a wonderful thing, though. So, most likely this will come around to bite your "friend" AND her demon spawn in the butt pretty hard in one way or another. . .