First Negative Review In 120 Cakes!

Business By dreamsville Updated 15 Jan 2013 , 11:13am by costumeczar

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dreamsville Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 7:41pm
post #1 of 27

Ok so for the first time in 120 cakes we received a message from a customer (2 months after the fact) with a negative review of the cake we made for her. Kid's 1st bday cake.

 

Was relatively respectful...some points I can understand and some points are not justifiable (she compared us to another business in town). Basically told us that our icing is horrible and even her 1 yr old didn't want to eat it. 

 

so what to do to make sure she doesn't bad mouth us through town. Working on a respectful reply. Do I offer her some free cupcakes or something?

 

Have ya'll had bad reviews? What do you do?

26 replies
-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 8:00pm
post #2 of 27

(edited to say that I misunderstood and this was a private complaint the op received not an online review but i didn't know that when i wrote the following)

 

that really pisses me off

 

yeah, let's all go by the one year old's recommendation--ridiculous

 

i think i'd start a new trend--at least it would be fun to kick it around the idea to let off steam

 

a bad baby cake

 

and have it look a little wonky on purpose and have a pouty face kid on it spitting out generic cheerios

(similar to that capital one commercial with that commedian & the little kid that doesn't want 50% cash back)

 

phffft

 

those review things suck

 

use it to your advantage

 

but seriously--make one and send it to a radio station

 

the bad baby review cake

 

 

 

maybe

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Godot Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 8:06pm
post #3 of 27

AA one-year old child isn't even sentient.

She's already been bad-mouthing you for TWO months, so that's a moot point. Has she said anything about compensation?

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dreamsville Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 9:13pm
post #4 of 27

nope not at all. I know from others that she is a nice person and well known in the small community. My husband, who delivered the cake, could tell as soon as he arrived that she didn't like the cake because it didn't look exactly like the picture. He told me she looked like a "tired, 1st birthday party planning diva"  If it doesn't look like the Pinterest pictures these days, it aint right....kwim?  (I have a feeling she was caught off guard by her own color scheme....it was a minnie mouse cake but she wanted pink and white instead of red/white) so of COURSE it didn't look like the picture. 

 

At any rate, she said she had battled with her feelings and decided to write to us privately instead of publicly (on our facebook page). I can take some of what she said as a learning experience but also want to kill her with kindness and make sure I react appropriately.

 

 

and yeah - as far as the 1 yr old goes....my one year old wouldn't even TOUCH her smash cake so that to me is a ridiculous point :) 

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-K8memphis Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 9:35pm
post #5 of 27

(edited to say that I misunderstood and this was a private complaint the op received not an online review but i didn't know that when i wrote the following)

 

i don't know--it's such a subjective thing

 

i danced with glee when i saw a local place get on the tv news for failing their health inspection because last time we were there there was a r.o.a.c.h. on our table--waitress was horrified--all the owner could do was keep popping in the room to see if we were finished so she could turn the table--she never spoke to us until i approached her and asked nicely for her to stop staring at us and what about the unintended extra 'protein'--she figured out how to speak to us and apologize but only because i approached her--omg

 

the manager when interviewed on the tv--said 'it was an in general heads up for us" (that they failed)  with that attitude it's a wonder they're still in business

 

i could have nailed them in an online review

 

anyhow i hate to bad review online i just don't like to--i did it in person where it might help--obviously it didn't and they got busted

 

i think this mom of the one year old needs to grow up a bit no matter how nice she is what's she's done isn't nice

 

didn't like the icing and you gotta document that to the world forever  two months later really?

and not give the business a chance--childish

 

it's over kill--i'd forget it if it was me--you can't please everyone

 

it's a silly baseless complaint to me and i think i'd ignore it

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-K8memphis Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 9:55pm
post #6 of 27

oh wait--i think i misunderstood--

 

she sent you a private message and did not make an online review?

 

oh sorry did i misunderstand?

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Danilou Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 10:11pm
post #7 of 27

What sort of icing was it? If it was SMB or IMB it may not be what she expected. She may have been used to sickly sweet American buttercream. And if it was fondant...well hardly anyone eats fondant!!!

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dreamsville Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 10:25pm
post #8 of 27

yeah she sent us a private message on facebook, so it was NOT public (for which I was grateful). Her cake was covered in fondant but also had the type of buttercream icing (that she asked for) between the layers of course. Anyway....it was really all about the fact that my design wasn't an exact replica of the picture she sent me and I clearly tell all of my clients that I will NOT exactly replicate someone else's work. If they want THAT cake, they can call THAT artist. I think she was really just talking about the taste of the cake to try to puff her chest a little. We've been told by WAY too many people that our cake and icing is delicious so I can't help her if she just doesn't like the taste. 

 

She didn't ask for a refund nor would I give her one since we designed, made and delivered a cake for her. She could've refused it right then when I walked in the door (and I would've walked right out with the cake) if she hated it that much. So too bad for her. I just don't want to be too over reactive when I write her back. 

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-K8memphis Posted 3 Jan 2013 , 10:39pm
post #9 of 27

whoops i just went off on that word 'review' so sorry

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jason_kraft Posted 4 Jan 2013 , 12:38am
post #10 of 27

AIf I were you I would start with the standard thanks and apology, then invite her to your shop to talk to her personally and try some free cupcakes (made with the same recipe) so you can track down what the issue is with the taste.

Try to follow up with her as soon as you can. When I have a negative experience with a vendor I will contact them directly, and if I don't hear from them within a week I will post a negative review on Yelp.

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costumeczar Posted 4 Jan 2013 , 8:07pm
post #11 of 27

Personally, I wouldn't even respond. Or the total extent of a response would be "thank you for letting us know." After two months, and the reaction that your husband got when he delivered the cake, it's way too late to do anything about it. Seriously...

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lorieleann Posted 4 Jan 2013 , 10:46pm
post #12 of 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar 

Personally, I wouldn't even respond. Or the total extent of a response would be "thank you for letting us know." After two months, and the reaction that your husband got when he delivered the cake, it's way too late to do anything about it. Seriously...

 

this.  tell her you'll take her comments into consideration and that you consistently hope to respond and develop based on your customers feedback blah, blah, blah... 

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howsweet Posted 6 Jan 2013 , 7:10pm
post #13 of 27

Agree with costume czar .    One person out of 120 didn't like your cake. If the rest liked your cake, that means more than 99% like your cake. Big deal, forget about it.
 

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-K8memphis Posted 6 Jan 2013 , 9:50pm
post #14 of 27

it sounds like she's got the baby blues to me

 

i mean no one cares if the one year old disliked her icing on that day but 60 days prior?

 

are you kidding

 

if we wrote letters for everything a toddler didn't like...no one would get potty trained

'cause everybody's writing letters

 

she's depressed--hope she feels better soon.

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dreamsville Posted 7 Jan 2013 , 9:33pm
post #15 of 27

Thanks all for comments!! You all definitely made me feel better!! :)

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tykesmommy Posted 7 Jan 2013 , 10:36pm
post #16 of 27

A

Original message sent by -K8memphis

it sounds like she's got the baby blues to me

i mean no one cares if the one year old disliked her icing on that day but 60 days prior?

are you kidding

if we wrote letters for everything a toddler didn't like...no one would get potty trained 'cause everybody's writing letters

she's depressed--hope she feels better soon.

This!

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TigerBaker Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 4:42pm
post #17 of 27

AQuote My husband, who delivered the cake, could tell as soon as he arrived that she didn't like the cake because it didn't look exactly like the picture. He told me she looked like a "tired, 1st birthday party planning diva"  If it doesn't look like the Pinterest Quote She didn't ask for a refund nor would I give her one since we designed, made and delivered a cake for her. She could've refused it right then when I walked in the door (and I would've walked right out with the cake) if she hated it that much. So too bad for her. I just don't want to be too over reactive when I write her back. 

Sounds to me like you need to get your story right...

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dreamsville Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 7:24pm
post #18 of 27

AThere's no reason to be rude. Yes my husband delivered the cake, I'm just telling you all what happened through him and what's going on in MY head as if I had delivered the cake myself. Thanks though for trying to make me look like some kind of psycho liar. I was only asking for help.

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-K8memphis Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 7:27pm
post #19 of 27

it was also two months previous and she did deliver the cake, had it delivered, but her husband actually handed it off

 

i get yah, dreamsville--it makes sense to me for what it's worth

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jgifford Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 7:28pm
post #20 of 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by TigerBaker 

Quote
My husband, who delivered the cake, could tell as soon as he arrived that she didn't like the cake because it didn't look exactly like the picture. He told me she looked like a "tired, 1st birthday party planning diva"  If it doesn't look like the Pinterest
Quote
She didn't ask for a refund nor would I give her one since we designed, made and delivered a cake for her. She could've refused it right then when I walked in the door (and I would've walked right out with the cake) if she hated it that much. So too bad for her. I just don't want to be too over reactive when I write her back. 

Sounds to me like you need to get your story right...

Yes, you are a Newbie.  You might try reading some of the threads and getting an idea of how we try to treat people here before you go off on someone on your first post.

 

WE understood what she meant and no one was having a fit about who actually delivered the cake.  It doesn't matter.

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shanter Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 9:49pm
post #21 of 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgifford 

 

WE understood what she meant and no one was having a fit about who actually delivered the cake.  It doesn't matter.

 

This  ^^^^^

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TigerBaker Posted 11 Jan 2013 , 10:44pm
post #22 of 27

AIf that was a fit then you don't know me, I was being nice. I don't care if I am a newbie, I can state my opion...

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tykesmommy Posted 12 Jan 2013 , 4:24am
post #23 of 27

AOh good sprinkle maker in the sky.

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cazza1 Posted 12 Jan 2013 , 4:36am
post #24 of 27

WOW a baby that doesn't like YOUR icing.  Wonder how many icings this gourmet baby has rejected or accepted. 

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howsweet Posted 15 Jan 2013 , 5:40am
post #25 of 27

Me too! :lol: And i always hate it when someone tries to make me look like a psycho liar :lol: Hope your day gets better! :)
 

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chollyhale Posted 15 Jan 2013 , 6:58am
post #26 of 27

Sounds to me like the same customer I got once, almost same scenario, you're totally right, as many times as you tell them you're not doing the same cake as the picture, she's still unhappy with changes THEY made! Also, I've had someone "throw in" that my cake was dry, when if anything, my cakes are too moist, never dry, never had that critique before, but she threw it in when she complained about the look, almost to make her displeasure amplified. Some people.

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costumeczar Posted 15 Jan 2013 , 11:13am
post #27 of 27

A"The cake was dry" is always what they fall back on when you point out that you delivered exactly what they wanted.

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