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Unhappy customer, what to do? HELP

post #1 of 11
5/27/12 at 10:59am
Thread Starter 
This is my first unhappy customer and I feel sick to my stomach and want to fix it.
The lady asked me for a gold drape, it ended up being more yellow than gold.... the cake was still beautiful! but the drape was clearly more yellow....
She wasn't ugly upset but sent me an email saying she was disappointed with the drape color...
what should I do at this point?
Should I refund some money?
The cake was from 3 weeks ago, so I can't fix the cake
you ask for it and I'll cake it!
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you ask for it and I'll cake it!
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post #2 of 11
5/27/12 at 11:10am
Why didn't you make it gold?
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post #3 of 11
5/27/12 at 11:18am
Thread Starter 
I used the gold dust and it was pretty yellow! but didn't realized until I already put it on! it is the same gold I always use, but Wilton changed the look from it, still said gold... so I thought it was going to be ok...to me it looked gorgeous! but I guess I shouldn't have gone with it... but it's done. I just want to know what could I do to fix it, I'll hate a bad review for it.
you ask for it and I'll cake it!
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you ask for it and I'll cake it!
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post #4 of 11
5/27/12 at 12:43pm
I would offer the customer a bit of credit towards the next cake, like 10-25% of what this order cost. Make a real certificate and mail it to them. It wasn't exactly right, but it's not like the drape was drastically wrong (like red) and it appears that they waited 3 weeks to bring it up so it didn't "ruin the party"
www.superstarpastrydesign.com
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www.superstarpastrydesign.com
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post #5 of 11
5/27/12 at 1:01pm
I agree with KoryAK. Offer an apology, then a token, like the percentage off the next cake. I think 10% is plenty. Good grief, it's such a small complaint! It seems some people are going to find something to complain about no matter what!
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post #6 of 11
5/27/12 at 1:33pm
I looked at your picture before posting and that cake is gorgeous! If they wanted the drape to be gold, another layer of the gold dust might have been the ticket. I don't use Wilton for silver and gold - they just aren't strong enough as a metallic for my tastes. As far as making it up to the customer, I also think an apology and a good will gesture of 10% is plenty.
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post #7 of 11
5/27/12 at 1:40pm
It's a really nice cake, if it's the one you posted on your gallery. Was it a wedding cake? That's the only factor that might make me think you should possibly refund some of her money - that is, if her wedding colors were gold, and the wedding cake was yellow. I know you can't always get colors to match exactly, and you should probably have language in your contracts disclaiming liability for inexact color matches. But I don't feel like this is just getting the color off by a bit - like if she asked for antique gold but got a bright gold instead. (I can't tell from the picture, perhaps it looked more gold than yellow in person but not in the photo, if that's the case, i agree with everyone else that a future discount is enough)

Again, if it was a wedding, and the drape was yellow, maybe you might think about a small refund. Also, I buy my gold luster dusts from global sugar art and get really good coverage and a metallic finish with just the first coat. Not a big fan of Wilton products, generally.
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post #8 of 11
5/27/12 at 2:28pm
Color is a very subjective. I find that I need to ask for a sample or a really detailed description in order to be on the same wavelength as a lot of people when describing colors.

My high school colors were described as "blue & gold". When viewed, they were deep royal--all but navy--and deep, mustardy yellow. Souvenirs and printed materials often showed huge variations in those colors.

It sounds like she wanted METALLIC gold and she got golden rod gold.

It looks to me like you dusted white fondant? If so, the color would have been much more metallic gold looking had you tinted the fondant goldish yellow first, even using the Wilton dusts, which I find to be pretty "weak", too.

For the future, Crystal Colors by sugarpaste.com are FDA approved EDIBLE colors and their pearlized gold is fantastic, as are all of their other colors.

I think a small discount offer for a future cake is a nice gesture, too.

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #9 of 11
5/27/12 at 3:28pm
First, I want to tell you that your cakes are all beautiful and look so professionally decorated.

I can tell that you are a perfectionist and are torn up about this. Please let it go and offer her a nice discount on her next purchase. All is well! icon_smile.gif
Linda
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Linda
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post #10 of 11
5/27/12 at 5:11pm
I saw the cake and it's gorgeous! And it does look like a gold color - just not metallic gold. I agree with the others, an apology and a discount off the next cake purchase is plenty. The fact that they waited three weeks to let you know they didn't like the color shows it wasn't actually that important to them but felt the need to complain anyway.
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post #11 of 11
5/27/12 at 9:41pm
Thread Starter 
I really really appreciate the comments. Definitely will send her an apology card with a gift certificate. I was thinking maybe her first anniversary cake (maybe a 6in ) I could do for free.

It is hard to have unhappy customers, I was depressed all day for it... guess it can happen to anyone at some point.
Good call on the clause about the color....
Thank you very much! Y'all made me feel better!
you ask for it and I'll cake it!
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you ask for it and I'll cake it!
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