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HELP!! Customer is complaining before she even gets the cake! - Page 2

post #16 of 51
2/8/13 at 5:35pm
Thread Starter 

I am making 2 more for different friends of mine. I met up with her in person earlier tonight and we came to an agreement. I removed the fondant on the belly part, the foot and flower/ribbons. And recovered it without the foot, I knocked off ten dollars for the inconvience. She appologized, I apologized, we hugged it out and all is good. She did feel bad about supplying such a poor quality picture. I have only had one other complaint, so I wasn't sure how to handle this one. I definately learned my lesson (this is why I sit down with people to dicuss cake details instead of facebook messages).

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post #17 of 51
2/8/13 at 5:53pm

$60 for that,really?  That's a give away and the same as saying you know your work is not wort it.  I would charge at least $100-120. Those are Los Angeles prices anyway. Where do you live?

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post #18 of 51
2/8/13 at 6:20pm

First of all, your big  mistake is letting anyone see the cake before it's finished and ready for delivery.   All you're doing is opening yourself up to changes that more than likely would not have been an issue had you not asked.  Trust me, even if you have everything they expect, customers will FIND and look for something to change when given the opportunity.  Don't give it to them. 

 

Second $60 is not enough to charge for something like this...even if you ARE baking illegally.  Keep in mind you're setting yourself up to be the 'discount baker' who undercuts everyone and then eventually feels resentment for having to produce detailed cakes for less than what your ingredients cost. 

 

You gave this cake away.  If you don't put value on your time, no one else will either. 

A closed mouth gathers no feet.
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.
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post #19 of 51
2/9/13 at 12:01am
Thread Starter 
I live in a very small town in Delaware. The only place to go to get a cake is a Walmart that's 30 miles away. I had never made this cake or seen it before so I wasn't sure how much supplies I would need or time it would take. I realize now I should have charged a little more but due to the demographics I can't see charging a lot.
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post #20 of 51
2/9/13 at 4:22am
Hi JenH!! I am from Delawarevas well (just a hobby baker) Where are you located? I am in Newark, right near the state line into Ellyon, MD.
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post #21 of 51
2/9/13 at 5:51am
Thread Starter 
I am in Lincoln in-between Georgetown and Milford.
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post #22 of 51
2/9/13 at 6:05am
I agree with the others as well about pricing. IF you were to sell cakes, the $60 you charged would have been too low. But I hate to tell you, and I am not saying this to be mean, it is illegal to sell cakes in Delaware- we have no Cottage Food Law. I have been asked numerous times to sell, and have declined, because of us not having the law in place here.
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post #23 of 51
2/9/13 at 9:41am

Ha ha Ha!  Not funny.

 

Just now got a call from a mother to be.  She wants a belly cake.  Her baby shower is Hawaiian theme so she wants the hula outfit.  Budget....wait for it....$50!!

 

Ummmm NO!!  NO!  NO!!

 

I tell her that would be about $160. She wants to know if I have any suggestions for making it herself.  Yes, I do.  Visit Cake Central for lots of tips and suggestions and visit Cake Wrecks to see how horribly wrong it can go.  

www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
(1 photos)
Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
(1 photos)
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www.VeryDeliciousDesserts.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Desserts/207874222593145

 

It's never "just cake!"

 

You may get a cake for $way to little but you won't get this cake!

Groom's Cakes
(1 photos)
Other / Mixed Shaped Wedding Cakes
(3 photos)
Retirement
(1 photos)
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post #24 of 51
2/9/13 at 10:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeliciousDesserts View Post

Ha ha Ha!  Not funny.

 

Just now got a call from a mother to be.  She wants a belly cake.  Her baby shower is Hawaiian theme so she wants the hula outfit.  Budget....wait for it....$50!!

 

Ummmm NO!!  NO!  NO!!

 

I tell her that would be about $160. She wants to know if I have any suggestions for making it herself.  Yes, I do.  Visit Cake Central for lots of tips and suggestions and visit Cake Wrecks to see how horribly wrong it can go.  


Hee hee hee hee!

A closed mouth gathers no feet.
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.
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post #25 of 51
2/9/13 at 11:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeliciousDesserts View Post


...... She wants to know if I have any suggestions for making it herself.  Yes, I do.  Visit Cake Central for lots of tips and suggestions and visit Cake Wrecks to see how horribly wrong it can go.  
lmao! My new favorite quote!!!

I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

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I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

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post #26 of 51
2/9/13 at 11:18am

To the OP,

 

Just to put things in perspective:  You're out $35 for product (actually ptobably $40 with the redo) and she paid you $50 (after you took off $10 for the re-do).  You claim to have 7 hours in before the redo, so say a total of eight hours of work . . . . for $10 dollars??  And I'm guessing you didn't take into account your fuel costs to shop for your products, your electricity costs to bake the cake and keep the lights on while you worked and reworked the cake, your electrcity and water costs for clean up, your costs for the cake board and the fuel you used to go buy it, your fuel costs to deliver the cake. . . . . etc. . . . etc. . . . etc.

 

How much are you paying your other two customers to take their cakes off your hands?

deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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post #27 of 51
2/9/13 at 12:16pm
Thread Starter 
Wow I think I will delete mt account. I asked a simple question and instead have been the butt of everyone's jokes. I grew up watching my grandmother bake wedding cakes, those are actually the only memories I have. When I bake I feel like for those 7 hours I am with her again. I was baking this cake for a friends sister, whom I don't know that well, I wanted to help make her day special. I understand I should have charged more, thank you to those of you who made fun of me for it. I was unaware that Delaware did not have a cottage law, thank you (seriously). And I will continue baking for my two children, family, and close friends. I am a single unemployed mother who bakes to release stress and have memories of times I wish I could go back to and be frozen. Maybe some should remember that this forum is to help not ridicule.
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post #28 of 51
2/9/13 at 12:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JenHCakes View Post

Wow I think I will delete mt account. I asked a simple question and instead have been the butt of everyone's jokes. I grew up watching my grandmother bake wedding cakes, those are actually the only memories I have. When I bake I feel like for those 7 hours I am with her again. I was baking this cake for a friends sister, whom I don't know that well, I wanted to help make her day special. I understand I should have charged more, thank you to those of you who made fun of me for it. I was unaware that Delaware did not have a cottage law, thank you (seriously). And I will continue baking for my two children, family, and close friends. I am a single unemployed mother who bakes to release stress and have memories of times I wish I could go back to and be frozen. Maybe some should remember that this forum is to help not ridicule.
People sharing opinions that differ from your own is not the same thing as ridicule.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to give someone a cake to help make their day special as a gift, you just can't legally charge for it if you are not compliant with your local laws.
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post #29 of 51
2/9/13 at 12:25pm
Thread Starter 
I understand that (now). But I was directing that message to those who thought my predicament funny, amusing, or those who thought my price too low. They do not understand that I am not out to make money, I am making memories.
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post #30 of 51
2/9/13 at 12:37pm

Can you quote the people who were mocking or laughing at you, cause I'm not seeing that anywhere.icon_confused.gif

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