AWell that's technically correct, but don't forget the 250% idiot fee that you will have to add on....
If only you could say it instead of just thinking it!
I recently had a customer ordering a wedding cake, I gave her the list of flavours that I currently am offering for tiered cakes, it had the usual mud cakes, chocolate, vanilla, different flavor buttercreams if they want to create their own mix. She was determined to have red velvet, I told her (in a very professional manner) that I don't offer red velvet for tiered cakes for weddings, due to the stability not being as certain as other flavours I offer and with the unpredictability of Melbourne's weather and temperature/humidity. She pretty much had a tantrum stating that she was an ex pastry chef and she has done a two tiered cake with red velvet before and it was fine, and she could give me her recipe if I liked, oh and if I couldn't do it just this once she might have to ask for her deposit back. She also went on about how she had already settled to not have a fruit cake (as I don't make fruit cake) and was going to ask if she could make the fruit cake and cover it with fondant so I could use it for the top tier.
I told her that due to my kitchens registration and my business insurance I am unable to accept premade cakes to add to any cakes that are made in my kitchen.
I do quite a few markets and sell cupcakes and have display cakes and pamphlets with pictures of cakes on them. Some of the things I get people saying are:
Mother to her young daughter "They're soap, not cupcakes"
"So and So make cupcakes"
"I used to make cakes like that"
"I'm watching my weight" (Quite often I then watch them walk over to the mini pancake stand and buy a big plate)
And my favorite, a mother asked if my cupcakes had nuts in because her 16 year old daughter (who was with her) was allergic, I explained that because everything is made in my registered home kitchen I can't guarantee that anything is nut free, her daughter agreed with me that it wasn't worth the risk, the mother however wanted to buy one so the daughter could eat it closer to a hospital, just in case she has a reaction. The daughter talked her out of it and they walked off, about 10 minutes later the mother came back and bought a two cupcakes, and announced that one was for the daughter to eat closer to their local hospital when they get back to the city. I made sure she knew that it was almost guaranteed that there was traces of nuts in these because of the environment they're made in.
Sounds like those cupcakes weren't the only things with traces of nuts
Sounds to me like the Mother has that syndrome where they want their child to be sick to get attention. NUTS is correct .
Wow. Just wow. What a nutjob! (see what I did there, all subtle like? )
OMG! Has it really been sense March that I did my last reply!! Ok, I have had my head in the oven way too long now....At least I'm on the stove now!
Well that's technically correct, but don't forget the 250% idiot fee that you will have to add on....
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You are all sooooo funny!!!! I totally agree...
Let me tell you I am so tired of the crazy clients that one of these days, probably very soon, I WILL say exactly what I am thinking 
Like those that think because a tier or more is a dummy, it should be practically free of charge...
ABut that's what all the wedding magazines say so it must be true! :-/
I had a very interesting chat with a customer last night that I thought I'd share. This woman who had been calling and email me all day, calls me at 9 pm last night (I stupidly gave her my cell phone number), she desperately wants this very intricate cake for her daughters birthday..but she can only afford to pay $150; but this cake is about $200 with all the details. So I ask her what parts of the cake she would like to change to accommodate her budget...(silence)..."Umm, well nothing. I don't want to change anything". So I tell her (nicely of course), she has two options, either make a few changes to accommodate her budget or she can try other decorators to see if they can do it for less....again silence..."Well I want you to do it, your cakes are nicer..can't you just you know give me a deal; maybe don't charge me GST??". Ya that went over well!
Fast forward to this morning, she put down a deposit for the total original price WITH GST.
I have one! How about this:
I've got a customer that want's a cake in October. She wants to tell me early so that I can do her cake. I ask her the date of her event and she's not sure yet; she only knows that it's in October. I told her that I already have an order in October and I want to plan a vacation so I need to know the date. I also have another customer that wants one either August 3rd or August 8th. Really??? What is it with people that know they want your cake but can't tell you an actual date?
(I work full time at another job but I am trying to build my cake business.)
Ok, I'm a hobby baker and don't know all the acronyms.....what is GST? I'm just curious because it makes it easier to follow conversations when you understand what's being talking about.
Does she think she's getting a fruit cake (or is she just one herself?)?!
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We were recently planning a pot luck family dinner.
Family member who knows that I make cakes: I'm going to bring dressing and a strawberry cake!
My thoughts: you're a [insert foul language here]
I'm the kind of person that gets along with pretty much everyone I meet so before you think I'm being too harsh know that this particular family member is spiteful and we don't get along well...
There's always one. It reminds me of a woman in my small business management class. We had to do a marketing presentation and since I was doing the class in order to start my baking business so I did my presentation on it. This woman was an obnoxious loudmouth through all the classes and when she learnt about my business idea she asked a million questions about what I planning to offer and how she was a great baker and everyone loves what she makes. She brought in some cheesecake slice she'd bought because she said it was amazing and hoped I'd be able to make something as good. It was very average, factory made stuff.
For the presentation I brought in samples of my products which everyone raved about including her. At her request, I made baed cheesecake and it was 1000 times better than the slice she'd brought in. She was impressed but that was when the one upmanship began. The next day she brought in apple pies she had made herself. She'd been replicating McDonald's apple pies so they were cooked apple wrapped in store bought pastry and baked in individual servings. She made about 100 of them then froze them and told us her family were grabbing them from the freezer and microwaving them. She did this for us in class. They were terrible! The pastry was not golden and flaky anymore. It was oily and soft. Blergh. She just had to show off.
AI've had people ask me for my recipes as well. Grrrrrrr.......dummies.
Just love, love, love the Cake Central Forums! It's like coming out of a dark cave discovering so many bakers and decorators from around the world. Awesome.
I am not a professional baker, or commercial, and do not have a business.....Just a hobby baker and YET: It's all the same stories. And it is comforting, and encouraging.!
I'm new to CC and loving this thread! A little too much actually. I got so absorbed that I missed the end of an ebay auction where I was going to get a dress to wear to a friends wedding for an absolute steal! I totally lost track of time and someone beat me by 50 cents. I'm so mad (at myself) but also hold you guys partially responsible because you are so entertaining!
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Yeah, this wedding I'm going to.... After living together for years with no intentions of marrying, the woman decided she needs to be a beautiful special princess and have a massive over the top wedding. It's just mind blowing what she's doing. I'm convinced she's a gold digger. She's made comments to me before about what a good earner he is and how she is always trying to get him to buy her things (she doesn't work and has never worked during their relationship). Her parents are pushing her to have a baby. On the other hand, I'm sure he is a gay. This might just be a massive assumption because he wears make up, is into musical theatre, and all his friends are gay but you have to wonder....
AYesterday a customer picked out an already made cake and asked if I could write on it. I said of course, then she asked "can you write nice?" I was so appalled by the question I didn't know how to respond!
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Yesterday a customer picked out an already made cake and asked if I could write on it. I said of course, then she asked "can you write nice?" I was so appalled by the question I didn't know how to respond!
You could have said "We are spelling that "N" "I" "C" "E", right!?!?
A
Original message sent by SpeciallyYours
You could have said "We are spelling that "N" "I" "C" "E", right!?!?
Haha that would have been a good comeback
I've had people walk into my bakery with a cheap off-the-shelf cake they purchased from the supermarket. Then asked me to write on it. I believe in good customer service so I always responded, "Yes, of course I can." Then followed quickly with, "But I charge as if you purchased the same size cake from my shop."
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I've had people walk into my bakery with a cheap off-the-shelf cake they purchased from the supermarket. Then asked me to write on it. I believe in good customer service so I always responded, "Yes, of course I can." Then followed quickly with, "But I charge as if you purchased the same size cake from my shop."
Good one!
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