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VENT!! Is this the norm?? Seems unethical! - Page 2

post #16 of 53
8/3/12 at 10:21am
I tell people that a standard serving is 1" x2" x height of the cake, or about 8 cubic inches. If they want bigger servings they need to order more cake. If they cut the pieces thinner they'll get more out of it. It's up to them.

I also tell them that I have no control over whether the people at the venue cut the pieces larger or smaller. That's why I say that this cake will serve this range of servings, but what you end up with depends on how the person wielding the knife cuts it.

There are a lot of factors that go into what size cake you'll need, not just the number of guests. Sit-down dinner or not, frat boy cutting the cake, drinking crowd or not, etc etc etc.

Regardless, I charge a flat amount for a cake, then they can cut it however they want. I help them figure out what arrangement of tiers will be right for their particular event based on all the factors they have going, then charge them based on the size cake they ordered, not on whether it's a birthday or a wedding.
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post #17 of 53
8/3/12 at 10:36am
Thread Starter 
Hmm.. so what's the lesson to be learned here?

TheItalianBaker, I liked your response icon_biggrin.gif

Gatorcake, I see what you're saying. She didn't offer up the party vs. wedding size thing when I asked what her reasoning was. Maybe I would've been less mad if she had, though I don't agree with it.

Jenmat, very well said. If my order had been a huge tiered cake, I could maybe understand feeling miffed.

What's funny is I have read various "advice for brides on a budget" articles that encourage hiding the fact that it's for a wedding to get a lower price.
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post #18 of 53
8/3/12 at 10:53am
Yes the price difference drives me crazy too! When I did my market research i found that almost EVERYONE charged differently for wedding vs. party. It was ridiculous and it made me feel cheated and I was ONLY getting quotes. I charge the same price for whatever occasion, and my cake servings are the same for whatever occasion. I'm all about making a living, but my main goal is to provide an awesome cake with realistic serving sizes at an affordable price, whatever the occasion. Your "friend" sucks for being so rude about the cake. At least you don't have to worry about her trying to nickel and dime you anymore. Ridiculous!
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post #19 of 53
8/3/12 at 11:04am
Well, look at it this way...If you tell the people at the grocery store that your teenaged son can eat that entire box of cereal at once, so it's only one serving, so they should charge you less for it, I doubt they'd go along with it. I don't know why I came up with that example. icon_rolleyes.gif
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http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
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post #20 of 53
8/3/12 at 11:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar

Well, look at it this way...If you tell the people at the grocery store that your teenaged son can eat that entire box of cereal at once, so it's only one serving, so they should charge you less for it, I doubt they'd go along with it. I don't know why I came up with that example. icon_rolleyes.gif



I literally LOLed icon_lol.gif
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post #21 of 53
8/3/12 at 11:23am
Lololololol....sigh.....lol
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post #22 of 53
8/3/12 at 12:14pm
Price discrimination (charging different prices for the same item depending on the customer) happens all the time, and if you can do it successfully it can significantly add to your profitability and/or expand your reach downmarket as some customers subsidize others. Issuing coupons is one common example.

I don't think it's unethical to charge different prices for wedding cakes vs. party cakes, but if you happen to classify a customer in the lower price bracket incorrectly and your cost difference is not significant it's probably better to just let it go.
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Recent Articles: The Magic Pricing Formula • Copyright Law
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post #23 of 53
8/3/12 at 12:28pm
To me the fair thing to do would be to explain the size per type of wedding/event, and if more are needed, advise a larger cake, which will make you more money in the longrun. I ordered more cake than I needed because I know my family would want bigger cake slices (we are in the midwest, go figure!) lol. I don't know why a grooms cake would make any difference anyway.
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post #24 of 53
8/3/12 at 12:37pm
Just because it happens all the time and can increase your profit margin doesn't mean it's right. It's the same flour, the same eggs, it's the same product. As a consumer I would rather be upcharged because I chose an intricate or difficult design, not simply because I was getting hitched. Thus, I treat my customers as I would like to be treated. It all boils down to what each individual business owner deems fair business practice. I tend to be the exception rather than the rule in my market and am encouraged that this will help drive the kind of business I want.
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post #25 of 53
8/3/12 at 1:22pm
I saw this earlier and it got me to thinking. I think the JenMatt who posted has a valid point. There is a lot more involved with weddings at least around here anyway. Brides take up a lot more of my time (which is fine, it's just a fact) with calls, emails, wanting to meet, tastings. Then I have to talk to the venue to confirm times for delivery and such which is often more than one quick call. I deliver most all weddings and at times have to go back to the venue afterward to retrieve my things from the cake. Also, the additional expense of advertising to brides could be factored in.
So, IMO yes, it does matter that it's a wedding. If I have a bride that wants to treat it like a party cake then great but it never happens like that.
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post #26 of 53
8/3/12 at 1:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tuffstuff

I was sooooo steamed yesterday and still a bit upset about a cake order I made from someone who I considered a cake friend. I met her at a cake day-of-sharing thing a few years ago. I recently quit doing cakes for health reasons but I had already agreed to make a groom's cake for a friend of mine so I figured, "oh, I'll just buy it from my cake friend". Had never done it before and I figured I'd finally get to taste her cake.

I called her to see if I could pick up the cake early and I mentioned that the wedding starts at 6 pm. She was like, "wait.... this is for a wedding?" She got all attitude-ish and goes on to explain that she would have charged me more if she had known it was a groom's cake. She assumed it was for a baby shower because it was a rubber ducky. I NEVER said it was for a baby shower even though she claims I did (I checked the facebook messages! That was our only method of communcation!). I didn't purposely try to mislead her - it just never came up.

And that's besides the point - why on earth would you charge more just because it's for a wedding?? She would have done absolutley nothing different! It seems almost like price gouging to me- taking advantage of brides, assuming they will pay more for their "special day".

What really upsets me is that I have always been so nice to her - referring business her way, GIVING her some cake supplies I didn't need anymore, which included around 50 brand new cupcake boxes, and I let her borrow my damask stencil once for a cake she was doing.

I just don't get it.

She was like - "you would've done the same thing - charged the same way" - um NO... I don't care whether you're going to have it at your wedding or stuff it in your face in a dark closet. A cake is a cake is a cake. Same price - I don't care what it's for - the labor and supplies are all the same (charging extra for delivery/set up, I can understand).

Oh, and I saw this morning she already removed me as her friend on facebook. Classy. I am soooo glad I didn't take her up on being a business partner with her. Now I see her true colors.

What do you think? Is this a normal way to charge? I hope not. Just doesn't seem right.


So what ended up happening? Did you get the cake and were you charged more?

Sorry it just didn't seem like the story ended yet and I'm curious lol...
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post #27 of 53
8/3/12 at 3:08pm
I do mostly wedding cakes, and i'd rethink the idea that weddings take more time. The craziest, most high-demand, multiple email sending clients I've ever had have been people looking for birthday cakes. Brides are easy in comparison.
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post #28 of 53
8/3/12 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sherri2012

I can see charging a different price, too. I've not sold any cakes, but think about it for the future. ( Once I get some more practical experience under my belt) The things people are saying about advertising to brides, spending more time with them, phone, e-mails, consultations, delivery, clean up... and all of that costs a cake maker more time than birthday cakes. Time is money, and every time you are doing something for the customer, you should get paid for it.( even thinking about the design, really!) That's just a good business call. - Though can see where people could not understand.

Not sure how I will set up my pricing, yet, but do see charging more for wedding cakes. It makes sense.



But in this particular case, the OP DIDN'T go through any of those, she basically ordered a cake with rubber ducky on it and was being asked to pay more just because she mentioned at pick up it was a groom's cake.
How is the caker doing more work for this cake than other cakes she sells?


Costumeczar, you took the words right from my mouth with every post you posted on this thread, exactly what I've been thinking of saying myself. I was about to say myself, if I'm ordering a cake just for me to eat alone but I want a fairly big cake for 1 person just because I love eating a lot of cake, like an-8 inch, is the caker charging me for 1 serving or still charging for the price of an-8 inch?

That's why over here nobody sells cakes by the serving.

But I agree with Jenmat's opinion on charging more based on what goes into making her wedding cakes.
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post #29 of 53
8/3/12 at 3:46pm
I charge a flat rate per tier size of cake based on flavor and BC/fondant. I also have a serving count designated to each size.

I have 3 fake servings sizes made of wood painted to look like cake that I show the client...wedding, party, and half way in between (1.5x2x4.5). I base the price/serving count on the half way size.

I tell the client that cutting it more towards the party size will yield less servings and more toward the wedding serving will obviously yield more servings. Having a visual representation helps so much!

I also provide a chart that shows how to cut to get each number.

Here is link to my pricing chart on my website: http://www.sugarmommascustomcakery.com/cakeflavorsandpricing.html
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post #30 of 53
8/3/12 at 4:10pm
Anyone ever wonder why there are two charts? Who decided there should be a difference? Wilton? Honestly curious here.

In all the years I've been doing this, not once, not ever, not even a hint of anyone having a problem with how big my servings are. And not once have I ever used party servings for any event. Always the wedding chart. My chart is a tad bit more generous, but maybe by 2 or 3 servings only, so that really doesn't matter.

Or is Betty Crocker's fault with those pictures of humongous 20 cubic inch slices on their box mixes? And...I can put food away. I'm not a dainty eater. I love my cake, God I only love *my* cake, but one serving is enough for me.

So, really...who started the whole party/wedding thing anyways?
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