The Thread about Allergy-Suffering Client and Business Practices  

If you look at it from the customer's perspective, I can understand how she would be upset considering that you cancelled the order the day before the party. At this point there's not really much you can do, but I definitely wouldn't quit over this. Mistakes happen.

It wouldn't have helped you in this situation, but having contact info for other reputable local bakeries that can fill a last-minute order in case of an emergency is crucial to avoid disappointing customers, especially if you are the only baker.

And if you constantly have 12 hour days without sleep you may want to look into raising your prices to decrease your workload.

No wait seriously--no offense to anyone who has allergies or has a loved one with an allergy. But some of the allergy challenged amongst us get this way about this. Seriously. They DO with regularity.

 

I could give you story after story after story after story. But first let me hasten to say my son had food allergies and he just did without or Mom made it. I told him he's not gonna get forlorn because he can't eat all the foods, he's gonna be grateful that we know what makes him sick and we can avoid it.

 

In some people with allergic children in particular they want the world to be the same for their child and it just isn't gonna be the same as for the non-allergic. The child feels left out and some of the parents over react. Typically they are pushy and want you to bake for them no matter what. I personally don't understand that but they push and push and push and don't take no for an answer. No offense to anyone--just talking in general from years of experience.

 

You seem to be a bit cake-customer-challenged here at first. But just think you'll be able to handle anything pretty soon

 

In my experience it is not unusual for parents to react this way which is why now you know you NEVER promise to bake for them. At least I never will. I mean if someone's life depends on it--agh no I'll leave that to Jason's former bakery.

The bakery is still open (just under new management) so if anyone in the SF Bay area needs to refer customers with allergies, send them over to http://www.allergyfriendlypastries.com/.

There were some instances when we could not accommodate a customer's allergy (corn and sugar were the most common), when this happened I would give the customer some tips on how to make their own safe cake. We would also get inquiries from around the world asking if we ship, since we don't I would usually do a quick search for allergy-friendly bakeries in the customer's area. You'd be surprised how many are out there.

I don't think I've ever told a customer a flat "no" with no additional tips or pointers, unless they were asking for a discount.

As a Mother of 7 I would be grateful that you caught this before hand.Yes I would be a little irratated that it came 24 hrs before but grateful that i was not spending the night at the hospital with my child.

 

My first Gluten Free product had me in tears and i mean tears. Reading every label and so on, I called the customer 2 days before hand and told him I was just not wanting to hurt him at all and I give up.He was the best customer ever because he asked what I was using and he went through my ingredients with me on the phone.I know it sounds really bad because I am the one doing him a service but my point is once in awhile you run into a customer that just makes you feel better.

 

He is now one of my best customers and I call him Smiley because he is always smiling lol.I have had many contracts with him and his whole family.

 

Stick with it, believe me the good ones outweigh the bad and some just plain want to grow your business for you.

If you are going to do FB giveaways, you need to specify exactly what the prize is. At the very least, it needs to be an item from what you CAN supply or is on your "menu". I can't understand someone asking for a cake which you don't make, unless you worded it so it sounded like you'd make ANYTHING. But let's just say not all people out there understand the cake biz, and as k8memphis said, she's seeing it from her own little bubble.

As you've found out FB freebies are not a great marketing idea for cakers. This woman will bad mouth you and cause a disproportionate amount of negative press. I'm not aware of how you worded your offer, but like any contract, you need terms and conditions for your prize offer. Say for example you will give away a dozen regular chocolate butter cake cupcakes, with regular buttercream and sprinkles. Advise that the prize is as listed, no alterations possible. Also specify the amount of notice needed, and that the order is subject to your schedule too (if its a big cake).

At the very least, to make good on this offer, honour your disgruntled customer's prize on another occasion. She may want to bring a cake to a dinner, school fete, work function - or for anyone apart from her son. Tell her you do not make "special diet" cakes but she can redeem her prize on another occasion (giving a week's notice).

I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but you need to accept your part in this problem too. Be a professional, and leave the emotion out of your dealings online. You've apologised which is the first step

One other thing - next time, get a customers phone number, so you can speak to them directly instead of emailing. You cannot guarantee someone reads their emails!

Good luck, and don't give up...these are great learning experiences!

My website, facebook, and my mouth all tell people that I do NOT offer products for allergic or sensitive people.  Even if I used the appropriate ingredients, I'm still going to be using the spoons, mixers, table tops, that I used on yesterday's peanut butter filling.  I clean things VERY well, but I'm not willing to take the chance of a lawsuit.  Also, I can understand a customer being upset over the order being cancelled the day before a party.  That doesn't give her time to make other plans for her child, and I'm sure that's the most important thing to her.  She probably would have been just fine with you changing your ingredients to accomodate the allergy, but still have a chocolate/chocolate cake.  None of my recipes for chocolate cake or fillings include nuts, so I'm not sure if that's a recipe she asked for, or your own recipe, but that might have been reworked to avoid this situation. 

I know that's what I don't understand about a few of these most outspoken parents of children with life threatening allergies. It's really really hard on them.

We don't and won't produce allergy-friendy items. It's not discrimination, it's called CYA.

Not to question this lady, but the nut-allergy alert parents I know NEVER order chocolate cakes.... too much of a danger. I know you can make a nut-free chocolate cake, but I thought nut-allergy 101 was NEVER order chocolate ANYTHING unless you know where the chocolate used comes from. Seems like this lady was taking a chance just by ordering a chocolate chocolate cake and not asking you to check your chocolate source. 

Sorry to say, but that woman is a NUT CASE !!!

 

I have a niece, who is deathly allergic to anything dairy, beef or pork

 

No one in my family would ever be angry at a person, who honestly says even an hour before an event, that something FREE could not be made.I would most definately be angry, if something supplied free would cause my niece to end up in Intensive care or worse, just because, someone has not done their homework

 

I do use all those ingerdients in my kitchen, BUT before I cook or bake for my niece, I double check and clean my kitchen to hell and beyond, including buying new utensils, something which I have done for complete strangers, but i have expected them to pay for this. I have baked for allergic kids, but the parents must agree (and sign) that they understand, that I usually cook and bake normally for my family and other, but because i know, what these allergic kids go through, i do my best to  accomodate them. I wash everthing down, only offer limited stuff to allergic kids and have customers bring me the milk or margerine that their kids can eat,i if I can't get them here. I have had customers, whose kids have never had a cake for their birthdays, because no bakery out here would make them, and if they would offer that, the parents would not trust them anyway (I live in Chine)

 

For allergic customers, I dictate what I can or cannot do, NOT the other way around, because I wash everything I use first with soap, then vinegar, then in a dishwasher, that has been previously run in a disinfectant mode TWICE. I do that, because I know what the kids miss out on otherwise, and I would NEVER expect a complete stranger to do something like that for free, just because I "won" a normal cake.