Hopefully i'm putting this in the right forum section:

So...you make a cake for a customer...they rave about how great it looks, they pick it up for their event,....do you ever hear from them again? As in...do they ever get in touch with you about how it actually tasted? Do you call them/write them after the event every time? Or is that it I have had people write to me after the event and tell me the so and so cake tasted great...but I've also had people not say anything at all....is that a bad sign?

Just wondering how it all goes for everyone else once the cake it outta your hands and into the customers! Thanks!

I would say no news is good news. People are way more apt to call/email/review when something is wrong or they feel the cake is in some way or another not worth what they paid.

For large events, I send a hand written thank you card to the client the week after their event. This usually prompts them to call/email me about the goods I provided. But sometimes, I never hear from them again.

I had a bride last year that I sent the thank you card to, never heard a peep back. Then just over 1 year later she emailed me wanting to order another cake because the wedding cake was so great. So, some people just leave well enough alone I guess.

Some people do and some people don't. There is no hard and fast rule to it.
I think of it this way, if I go to the store and buy something do I call them the next day to tell them how much I love it and how good it looks/ tastes/ whatever? No, so don't take it badly. Course saying this I would love every customer to come back the next day and rave about how delicious the cake was and how everyone loved it but although it does happen it doesn't with every cake!

When I get positive feedback, I appreciate it and then move on. I don't expect it; but it certainly is uplifting when you do get it

I too send out thank you notes to customers. Very seldom do I get a call back about the cake, not until they order again. If I have contact with them through Facebook, I will tag their cake picture and then they might "like" it or make a comment. Some cakes we just get too emotionally attached to and hate to just see them ride off into the sunset! HA!!

Turn the tables: when you get good service, a great resturant meal or somesuch do YOU give feedback??
Sure it's great to hear praise but as was said, no news is good news

thanks for all the replies! i appreciate it. it does make me feel better knowing no news usually is good news... maybe the next time i do get good service somewhere, i'll call later that day and tell the manager so and so did great hehe

If it is a new costumer I send them a quick thank you email and ask if everything turned out great. I always get a response. I see it as part of personalized costumer service or when a restaurant asks you to fill out a comment card.

I don't contact clients afterward, but I know people who do. Depends on your approach and what you're comfortable with. If I added another thing to my to-do list my brain would explode!

"No news is good news", is a huge misconception. It has been proven over and over that only a very small percent of the population will relay any dissatisfaction in a product. They just move on to another vendor for the next purchase, but they will vocalize their dissatisfaction to friends and family for a long time.

The concept of the follow-up in any professional sales situation is to find any problems, no matter how small, and correct it. The client will open up if given the opportunity. It has also been proven that an unhappy customer with a satisfactory outcome is actually a better voice for your business and will refer more. They also only have positive reviews for your company.

For the purpose of always having positive verbal reviews of your company, this practice will do more for damage control than any other thing you can do.

I will call or email about a month later if I haven't heard just be sure that everything was fine. But I agree, no news is probably good news.

I usually never hear back from a customer. I do have a facebook page where I post my cakes. I usually get reviews from the customer on there. people love to show off there cakes. If they know its on FB they tell friends and I get more customers.

The vast majority I never hear from again until the following year when I'm needed again and then it's, "Oh, this cake was so wonderful - HAD to use you again!!!" I'm thinking - that's fab, but couldn't you have shared this with me way back when?! lol! But then, I do have the ones who take the time to send me an email or post on my fb page to let me know how much they enjoyed their cakes/cupcakes so it makes those mean so much more to me!

I'm glad others are in the same boat as me when it comes to this.
I was just questioning it beacuse I had a customer rave about how great the chocolate cake tasted...and her mom actually ordered the same cake/filling the following week for another event. But then I had a customer (well not really a customer..I dropped off some sample cupcakes at my son's doctors office) and the one nurse said she thought the chocolate cupcakes were dry... (same recipe as the cake) and in that same batch of cupcakes a friend raved how great she thought the chocolate cupcake was. Which than got me wondering...some love it, some don't...just would hope they'd give feedback either way..but I guess we can't be that lucky!

Just remember *EVERYONE* has different tastes
What you love I might HATE! (Like I really hate coffee and anything w/it in it).

About thanking people for cakes, meals or any service.
I just came back from a trip to DC and NYC with my 70 year old mom, and I'll have you know she didn't leave a hotel or restaurant without seeking out the receptionist, waitress or chef and telling them how much she enjoyed the stay or our meal.
That woman has a way of making people feel appreciated.
I'm trying to be more like her..spread a bit of sunshine.

mommachris

I'm not concerned about converting chocolate cake haters to lovers, but a cake should be baked correctly and taste as described, in line with the price paid on quality.