Couple postponing wedding.....advice please. - Page 2

All I was considering doing was charging her a small fee for that fact that I have had to turn down other business for that date because I was "booked".

If you want to charge a fee or refund her then you should follow your feelings.

The way I see it, they were just 2 or 3 days short of getting their entire deposit back. You may or may not book another cake for that day. BUT you may lose then as customers and that an upfront "small fee" may not be worth the bad feelings it may cause.

I don't know if many of your customers are repeat people. Wedding turns into baby's first birthday etc. I also don't know id word of mouth is your main way of advertising. Do what makes you feel best about future business and how it could be effected.

As I was reading through all the "ah, let them slide" replies, I was wondering what the chance of the OP re-booking that day a month away from the event. And I GUARANTEE the other vendors are not going to let it slide.

I don't know if a contract was signed or what it said. I have specific clauses in mine that deal with just this sort of thing.

The OP is going to miss at least a partial paycheck on the couple's nixed wedding day due to their flighty planning. She should be compensated at least the deposit amount. If the OP has had a good summer and feeling particularly friendly, she could let it slide, but she is under no obligation. I would probably refund all but the deposit and say that you hope you can work with them again when the date is reset. Your prices might go up in 9-12 months.

And as far as future customers, I'm not so sure that someone that "cancels" their wedding a month out is a repeat customer I want.

Just offering an alternate viewpoint.

Personally I wouldn't charge them a fee, you said in your post you are not making a fortune making cakes in a small town. I would think any hard feelings from the bride and groom as yet another of their vendors punished them would have a more negative affect than just changing the date especially since you don't have anything in your contract about a situation like this. I also agree it was goodwill and trust to pay the entire amount upfront most people would love for all their customers to be like that. Life happens I think an extension of kindness on your part and a contract rewrite would take you farther. However it's your business and you don't seem happy with the responses you recieved here so if you feel it is best to punish them with a fee like the other vendors that's what you should do. Good luck with your situation

In my contract:

1. Non-refundable RETAINER (30%). This is the cost for me to turn down other business for that date. I never call it a "deposit". A deposit implies they are putting money toward the cake. They are not - they are buying that day and me turning down business for months leading up to that date. I have literally dropped the word "deposit" from my vocabulary when talking to people and I make sure I explain my "retainer" and what "non-refundable" means.

2. Postponement is handled like a cancellation. There is no guarantee I will be available for the new date. 30% non-refundable retainer is lost. I feel A-OK with this because they retained me to turn down business for that date and reserve it for them. I have only had this happen twice, the 1st time the client booked for a wedding that was 9 months out, then switched the date about 2 weeks later. I didn't feel right making them pay to change it since they had so recently booked and the date was so far away. The 2nd client changed about 45 days out, they had to pay the additional retainer and an additional delivery fee since the venue moved 30 miles away. They didn't like it, but they expected it.
a.) If cancellation is more then 30 days out, any additional money paid is refunded. I don't accept payments in full before 30 days (unless the cake is booked less then 60 days out) so this rarely a big deal for me.
b.) If less then 30 days, I choose how much, if any, to refund. I have probably already ordered supplies, made flowers, booked time in the kitchen that I get charged a fee if I cancel, etc.

3. If they choose to re-book they will need to pay another 30% non-refundable retainer to reserve the new date.

The reality is the client is most likely not going to go somewhere else for their cake. They have to pay full price at the new place, so why not just stay with you whom they have a relationship with? Handle it professionally, have it spelled out in your contract and you should be fine!

I only have one thing to add. My business has just recently had the opportunity to expand. I was sought out and invited to take this opportunity.

While I am all for proper business procedure and policies, I must attribute almost all of my corporate, wholesale, and now storefront opportunities to goodwill. Goodwill is vital to growth and can be found as part of most successful companies' business plans and PR policies.

Learning about busines and gaining experience and education is important, but goodwill can take you over the top in a much shorter and less expensive path to success. Luckily for those who practice it, the majority of their competitors do not and never have any idea what is lost.

I see both sides of this, since the cancellation (they postponed the wedding but cancelled the cake for the date that it was ordered, so that would be a cancellation) is coming during the busy season for weddings, and that's when I count on making the bulk of my money for the year. If I had a client a week who postponed I'd be losing a lot of money if I just said no problem, go ahead and transfer it to another date.

On the other hand, if this doesn't happen all the time, and it won't be financially difficult for you, it doesn't hurt to let them postpone.

I've had people postpone before, and I tell them that the deposit is non-refundable, but that they can transfer it to another date if they tell me as soon as possible and the date is still open. If it isn't open at that point I can refund whatever would have been refunded for a cancellation based on the contract. I'd also say that they can only change the date once, and put that in writing somewhere so that you have a record of it when they postpone again, then cancel after that

I'd tell her it was 12 months from the date of cancellation, not from the original date. In her case that isn't such a big difference, so it shouldn't be such a big deal.

If she wants to keep her original order then fine, do it and get it off your books. Who cares if it's for a wedding or a housewarming, that doesn't matter. It would be easier for you to go ahead and do it than to have to hold onto her money and wait for her to get back to you.

That is going to be a whole lot of cake for a house warming party.

oh well, if you've already changed your scehdule then tell her that the date isn't available anymore since she cancelled.

So, wait. She wants you to make a small housewarming cake on the same day you were supposed to make her a wedding cake, and apply the deposit to it?

Man, people are slippery. But also another reason I don't call it a "deposit" because although that would piss me off, I can't see how to avoid applying the deposit no matter the size cake ordered unless your contract has a minimum amount of cake to order on the retained day. Because its a deposit on cake, not a retainer on your services.

I think all of a sudden being unavailable on that day is bad business. You are kind of stuck.

I bet you are rethinking the contract you use, huh?

But if she cancelled the cake then the OP is fine, and doesn't have to make anything that day. The contract was for the wedding cake, and if it was cancelled then that's done. The op was being nice, but the deposit is non-refundable

Sounds fair to me. If they don't book the wedding OP gets $100 as compensation for turning away orders for the original date. If they do book the wedding the deposit would apply.

If they want the housewarming cake I don't see a problem applying the deposit to that cake, since the situation would be as if the order was never cancelled (assuming the customer can pick it up).

I find the bride's story is hinky. Maybe it's the cynical side of me BUT . . . I find it odd that she is going to take the financial hit of losing deposits if not full totals on every vendor for her wedding because her closing date on a house is 3 days prior to the wedding and has to move; not to mention not considering people who may be flying in for the wedding, hotel, vacation time wasted, blah blah blah. Add in the factor she asks a few days prior to the cut off date of losing cake money about rearranging the cake details then sneaks in a house warming party cake the day of the original wedding day? Who the hell has an entire house unpacked and situated in three days or less to be able to host a house warming party?

I thinks she got sticker shock at the total price of her wedding day and is trying get some money back with her story.

Like I said, I have a cynical side.