AThey are all definitely on that list! Someone had asked previously how I know her and she is an old co worker, friends, cousin.

AI think part of your learning curve needs to be learning that as a business you need to stop taking it personally. She didn't do anthing wrong other than not wanting to insult the cake in front of you. For a butt cake, I think it's a fail. You didn't deliver what she wanted, she was justified in complaining and asking for a refund.

AI have to agree with your husband. This customer is just cheap! 24-hr notice! Are you kidding me! It would have been twice that and she sounds like she's been living at the swap meet dickering one deal after another. Don't short change yourself or your art. If they want something better they should plan and pay for it. She got a great deal cause she insulted your talent. If she'd actually felt that way she would have brought it up right away not after she left and could act cowardly with her opinion. You did good work with what time you had second of all stick up for yourself! The customer is always right but it's ok to challenge their ideas and have them articulate what it is exactly they want different, then attempt to fix it not refund or discount something.

AI feel like I'm in an alternate universe.

BrandisBaked, there's a definite trend on CC for posters to bash the customer and support the OP. If anyone dares to say something different, they often get bashed for being "offensive" or "mean." My advice to you: quit while you're ahead  ... 

The customer is cheap, but I thought it was a boob cake as well.  

People that order crap like that are red flags waiting to happen anyways. Jus' sayin yo.

And that is not a butt, it's boobs, doesn't look like the original cake, her complaints are valid at least on that, and I'm not reading what else what was written. 

And what is this "customer would pay wayyyyyyyyy more at a real bakery" crap? Yeah they would, you got that right! They'd get what they ordered, from someone who knows what they are bloody well doing, charges appropriately, and doesn't act like half talent should equal half price and half expectations

That may very well be my swan song depending on the mood of the Mods today, but I don't give a rat's butt. Knock it off newbies. You want to be a good respected decorator? Then slow down, get some dang skills, LEARN how to price, learn to say no, and just stop this foolishness. Dang it! That was more for....a lot of other people, not necessarily you, poster.

AI must say, AZ is right.

AZ's post is a tough one but there are MANY wise words backed by experience.  Use it as a tough teacher who lets you know you CAN do better.

A*cheers in the stands*

Honestly, when I saw this last night, I didn't know what it was.

AZ, Costumeczar, and Brandibaked are the only ones making sense here.  Clearly this is not what the client ordered.  It is the job of the decorator to know what he/she can do in a reasonable time frame with the equipment  at hand and to decline or offer slternate suggestions if they can not produce what is desired.   The OP did a reasonable job on a cake that should have been priced mush higher than $45.00, but it wasn't what the client ordered, so while it should have cost more than it did if that was what was ordered,  the client was not wrong to say she didn't want to pay for what was clearly not the cake she had expected.  The way she did it was not optimal, but she was actually correct.

While posters on CC tend to side with a decorator over a client, people in business need to know their limits and be able to communicate those  to the client.  Every potential inquiry is not one that has to be accepted.  Learning that is a key to success.

After seeing the inspiration cake I agree that it wasn't quite in line with what was ordered - when you took the order knowing you didn't have the pans to create the requested shape, did you let her know that?

It's not the customer's fault that you took their order without enough time to prepare yourself, unless you warned them otherwise they had no reason to know you couldn't deliver what you promised. It seems like common sense to any of us that you can't make that cake with that little warning unless you have the correct supplies but the customer isn't a cake decorator and has no idea. 

Again, not all orders are business you need. An order you can't complete isn't an order you need.

A

A;-D

Being a new cake decorator I was really pleased to find this site and I've just joined this forum, but after reading some of the replies to this poor girls post, I think I might think twice before I ask for help and support!

AIt's all okay! Criticism is good! I agree it wasn't my best work but she did know It was not going to be exact. I don't like to copy others work exactly anyways! Thanks!

When I was a newbie on this site I took my lumps.  Some of it harsh.  I chose not to take it personally but learn from it. As hard as some of the comments were to read, I am very grateful to the members who took the position to push me in the right direction.  To all those who are still learning - please so the same :)

Responses tend to be more tough love here in the business forum.  There is a good cross section of business owners with valuable advice though, so if you can bring the big girl panties and take it with an ounce of salt (and a lime and a shot of tequila or two) you can learn a lot.