Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating Business › m.o.b. Complaint (I never get these). How to handle this?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

m.o.b. Complaint (I never get these). How to handle this? - Page 5

post #61 of 114
8/22/12 at 6:38pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all so much for all the wonderful input and a variety of opinions. I respect you all so much and appreciate it! I don't have friends in the cake biz locally to bounce this one off of, and I really never get complaints, (just lotsa love!), but I've dealt with complaining customers in our other business enough to see a pattern with my last 3 complaints (all similar to this).

What I find stunning, all else aside, is the just overwhelming trouncing rudeness and insulting language these women jump in with, right on the first email. Not a friendly mature, "Hey, there was an issue with our cake. Can you give me a call and we can see what possibly caused this?" Nope, just in-your-face crazy rude. I guess that's what makes anyone want to slap them back. Really?!? You want to be that rude, insult me, my work, my recipes, imply all sorts of things, and then I'm supposed to smile and hand you all your money back TOO. What planet are they from?? I don't have TV, but if this is what reality TV is promoting (behavior-wise), this is a sad day for business owners.

I will email her tomorrow morning and let you all know what I happens. And not to worry, I'm the soul of diplomacy when handling customers, especially if it's in writing.

Will keep you posted, of course. Pray for some sleep for me tonight--I seriously got about 2 separate hours last night. From 11-12 a.m. and then 6 to 7 a.m. I'm going to go pour a straight vodka over ice and put my feet up in the breeze outside for a bit.
xo
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
post #62 of 114
8/22/12 at 6:41pm
Goodness. This is a tough one. Knowing your business and professionalism from past posts, I have utter confidence that the cake in question left your bakery delicious and beautiful.

That said, this is a lesson for you- there is NO way I would EVER let a wedding cake out of my bakery 24 hours before the wedding to sit who knows where for who knows how long before it was served.

I know I'm being overly protective, but this is exactly why. I'm a control freak, and these cakes are the ones that are going to get mistreated.

I guess while it isn't your fault in ANY way that their cake was served cold or whatever they did to it, I would say that if I were in the position you are in I would hold myself accountable for at least part of it because I let it all happen in the first place. No contract, cc over the phone....pickup 24 hours in advance. It just screams issues.

I would offer partial refund. I know you are cringing. I know you don't want to let her get away with it. But I can see NO good coming from dragging this on.

And let this be a lesson to all of us- cake situations that start out "out of the norm" may end up in a forum post on CC.....
life is short, get a cakesafe.
Reply
life is short, get a cakesafe.
Reply
post #63 of 114
8/22/12 at 6:42pm
Goodness. This is a tough one. Knowing your business and professionalism from past posts, I have utter confidence that the cake in question left your bakery delicious and beautiful.

That said, this is a lesson for you- there is NO way I would EVER let a wedding cake out of my bakery 24 hours before the wedding to sit who knows where for who knows how long before it was served.

I know I'm being overly protective, but this is exactly why. I'm a control freak, and these cakes are the ones that are going to get mistreated.

I guess while it isn't your fault in ANY way that their cake was served cold or whatever they did to it, I would say that if I were in the position you are in I would hold myself accountable for at least part of it because I let it all happen in the first place. No contract, cc over the phone....pickup 24 hours in advance. It just screams issues.

I would offer partial refund. I know you are cringing. I know you don't want to let her get away with it. But I can see NO good coming from dragging this on.

And let this be a lesson to all of us- cake situations that start out "out of the norm" may end up in a forum post on CC.....
life is short, get a cakesafe.
Reply
life is short, get a cakesafe.
Reply
post #64 of 114
8/22/12 at 6:42pm
Goodness. This is a tough one. Knowing your business and professionalism from past posts, I have utter confidence that the cake in question left your bakery delicious and beautiful.

That said, this is a lesson for you- there is NO way I would EVER let a wedding cake out of my bakery 24 hours before the wedding to sit who knows where for who knows how long before it was served.

I know I'm being overly protective, but this is exactly why. I'm a control freak, and these cakes are the ones that are going to get mistreated.

I guess while it isn't your fault in ANY way that their cake was served cold or whatever they did to it, I would say that if I were in the position you are in I would hold myself accountable for at least part of it because I let it all happen in the first place. No contract, cc over the phone....pickup 24 hours in advance. It just screams issues.

I would offer partial refund. I know you are cringing. I know you don't want to let her get away with it. But I can see NO good coming from dragging this on.

And let this be a lesson to all of us- cake situations that start out "out of the norm" may end up in a forum post on CC.....
life is short, get a cakesafe.
Reply
life is short, get a cakesafe.
Reply
post #65 of 114
8/22/12 at 10:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chef_Stef

I don't have anything anywhere in my business, as a clause for customers to bring back uneaten cake, a week later or the day later. I absolutely do not send out cakes that have anything wrong with them, so it seems like a ridiculous thing to offer. I can't believe I even suggested that they do that, and I'm going to change the plan tomorrow on this one before it goes any further.




It's not about sending out defective cake but a means to prevent people from lying about the cake in order to weasel some $$ out of you.

If they lied in order to get some money back and claimed the cake was inedible after they've served the cake and guests even raved about it [another CC post a couple of months ago], knowing that they have to bring proof of this horrible, inedible cake that nobody touched would be a deterrent against lying or at least cause them to find a different lie.

You could swear from now till tomorrow that your cake was perfect but that in itself is subjective--as subjective as their claim that it was not. If the cake was super dry, falling apart e.t.c. at least getting it back within a reasonable time frame ensures that when you do give a refund, it's for justifiable reasons.
Reply
Reply
post #66 of 114
8/23/12 at 4:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vgcea

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chef_Stef

I don't have anything anywhere in my business, as a clause for customers to bring back uneaten cake, a week later or the day later. I absolutely do not send out cakes that have anything wrong with them, so it seems like a ridiculous thing to offer. I can't believe I even suggested that they do that, and I'm going to change the plan tomorrow on this one before it goes any further.




It's not about sending out defective cake but a means to prevent people from lying about the cake in order to weasel some $$ out of you.

If they lied in order to get some money back and claimed the cake was inedible after they've served the cake and guests even raved about it [another CC post a couple of months ago], knowing that they have to bring proof of this horrible, inedible cake that nobody touched would be a deterrent against lying or at least cause them to find a different lie.

You could swear from now till tomorrow that your cake was perfect but that in itself is subjective--as subjective as their claim that it was not. If the cake was super dry, falling apart e.t.c. at least getting it back within a reasonable time frame ensures that when you do give a refund, it's for justifiable reasons.



I'd agree that if you ( the royal you,not anyone in particular) would be willing to have people bring back uneaten cake, they should have a very short time limit to do that. I dont know how youd phrase that in a contract without making people think that there might be an ongoing problem, though.

I did want to comment on a previous post thai mentioned how rude people are getting, and the level of nastiness right out of the chute. The women I was dealing with were exactly like that. I got a call from the MOB and she literally screamed at me in a way that I have never been spoken to in my entire life. It was really pretty unbelieveable and extremely uncalled for. All while telling me over and over that she wasn't the kind of person who complained about things. Yeah, right, that's why she was going aft the venue too. Her complaint wandered around, too, first it was one thing then it changed to something else when it was clear that her contract covered the first complaint, then the second, then the third. I have a feeling that this kind of thing is just going to increase as people start using the internet as a weapon more than they are already.
http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/acaketoremember
http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
Reply
http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/acaketoremember
http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
Reply
post #67 of 114
8/23/12 at 6:28am
I wish there was a way she could accidentally come across this thread just to see how crazy rude all these people think she is.

I hate that this is still going on for you. And even if there was a problem with the cake (not that I think there was for a minute), this woman is ruining her daughter's wedding with all this yelling! I wish the Bride would start sticking up for her own wedding.

I am proud of you for not just turning into a pile of crying mess the way I probably would. I hope things work out! Good luck!
Reply
Reply
post #68 of 114
8/23/12 at 6:58am
Sounds to me as if they wanted a big cake for picutres, then since only needed a small amount, thought they could get their money back by a complaint and threat. Hope it works out for you.
Reply
Reply
post #69 of 114
8/23/12 at 6:59am
Sounds to me as if they wanted a big cake for picutres, then since only needed a small amount, thought they could get their money back by a complaint and threat. Hope it works out for you.
Reply
Reply
post #70 of 114
8/23/12 at 9:11am
Thread Starter 
At 7 a.m. this morning I got an email from MOB saying that the bride's new husband has been rushed into ER and possibly surgery and the bride is too upset and preoccupied to discuss this right now, so "if she doesn't show up tomorrow (friday, with 10dayold cake), that's why. But THIS issue is NOT over".

sincerely
etc


wth?

I'm going to send a nice email around 10 am that says I'm so sorry to hear that, and that there is no need for the bride to drive an hour over here to show me 10 day old cake tomorrow, as I won't be available either, we'll be praying for recovery for him etc.

THEN If she gets back to me with whatever she expects me to do, I will explain to her that the issue is simply that they served a perfectly baked but freezing cold cake to their guests, and unfortunately that is not a money-back complaint. (If you serve a frozen pizza at a party and you fail to follow the instructions, so it ends up going on the plates frozen in the middle- your guests will make faces too, but you won't get a refund).

dh is like "WHY are you still discussing this??" lol
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
post #71 of 114
8/23/12 at 9:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chef_Stef

At 7 a.m. this morning I got an email from MOB saying that the bride's new husband has been rushed into ER and possibly surgery and the bride is too upset and preoccupied to discuss this right now, so "if she doesn't show up tomorrow (friday, with 10dayold cake), that's why. But THIS issue is NOT over".

sincerely
etc


wth?

I'm going to send a nice email around 10 am that says I'm so sorry to hear that, and that there is no need for the bride to drive an hour over here to show me 10 day old cake tomorrow, as I won't be available either, we'll be praying for recovery for him etc.

THEN If she gets back to me with whatever she expects me to do, I will explain to her that the issue is simply that they served a perfectly baked but freezing cold cake to their guests, and unfortunately that is not a money-back complaint. (If you serve a frozen pizza at a party and you fail to follow the instructions, so it ends up going on the plates frozen in the middle- your guests will make faces too, but you won't get a refund).

dh is like "WHY are you still discussing this??" lol



On the plus side, the MOB isn't planning to show up and make your life hell in person!

Your planned response sounds good. I dont see what bringing you 10 day old cake is going to accomplish at this point. Any cake will start to be dry and inedible at this point. I really hope this is all over soon!
Reply
Reply
post #72 of 114
8/23/12 at 9:38am
Yeah, sure he went to the hospital, right, okay.

I don't know if you've already emailed them but i'd add that it's pointless to bring back cake that old since the quality won't be representative of what it was on the wedding day. Then the rest of what you were going to say. icon_rolleyes.gif
http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/acaketoremember
http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
Reply
http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/acaketoremember
http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
Reply
post #73 of 114
8/23/12 at 10:10am
Thread Starter 
Here is what I just sent her. No sense waiting, when someone says "this is NOT over". Oh, yes. I think it IS.


Hi MOB--Very sorry to hear about (groom); please let (bride) know our prayers will be with him. In any case, there is no need for her to make the trip over here, as her cake is now 9 days old.



The explanation for your issue can be found within your own original email description and phone conversation. Italian meringue buttercream cakes need to be allowed time to come to room temperature to soften the butter content in the icing, filling, and cake before serving. The fact that the filling separated from the cake (which indicates overly firm filling and cake at cutting time) means that it was obviously served much too cold and not given time to sufficiently warm up before cutting.

This was clearly indicated in the release of liability and instructions that were signed and left at the bakery, as well as in the copy sent with the cake at pickup on Friday, 24 hours before the wedding. Verbal instructions were also given in terms of set up timing. From pickup onward, your group assumed responsibility of the transport, environment, and final set-up of Sadie's cake, as well as storage for the ensuing 24 hours or so between cake pick up and cake cutting and serving. An issue arising from cutting and serving a cold cake, having not allowed adequate time for it to come to proper room temperature, is not something we can offer compensation for, as those are circumstances beyond our control; hence, the signed instruction and release of liability form. Our cakes are recommended to be set up at the reception no less than 30-60 minutes prior to guest arrival to most receptions, where there is usually then a meal served, toasts made, etc., followed by the cake cutting, which allows sufficient time for the buttercream and cake to come up from refrigeration temperature.

We would be happy to offer (B and G) a free anniversary cake in the flavor of their choice for next year at no charge, or sooner, if they would like. I will let (bride) know all this as well. Beyond that, we would recommend discussing this with whomever was delegated the responsibility of timing for set up of the cake at the reception venue.


CASE CLOSED woman
If she wants to pursue it further, go ahead
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
post #74 of 114
8/23/12 at 10:38am
I await her reply with bated breath icon_smile.gif
How to Price Your Cakes
Reply
How to Price Your Cakes
Reply
post #75 of 114
8/23/12 at 10:42am
Thread Starter 
Oh Kelly,
you and me both baby.

You can be sure it won't be friendly.

I HATE confrontational people, but I refuse to be bullied.
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
www.cakesbystefanie.com
When pricing cake, remember mom's advice: Try taking 150 guests in formal wedding attire to a nice restaurant for dessert, and see if you can get them all a piece of fresh, decadent, custom-designed cake for less than $4.00/sv!
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Decorating Business
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating Business › m.o.b. Complaint (I never get these). How to handle this?