A...that a potential customer is going to be a douchebag? How do you deal with it? Do you pick and choose your customers? Do you go with your gut feeling from your first impression, whether it be by phone or through e-mail? I know it's harder to tell what a customer is like from an e-mail, but I can often tell if someone is going to be difficult and impossible to please just from an e-mail or two. Then, I always wish I had just not taken their order at all. Thought? TIA!

You could simply just say that you are booked for that day already.

If you know in the end you're still making good money from them ... do it and know you came out ahead ... if they want everything including the kitchen sink and aren't paying for it ... drop them before you start!    

AI assess the level of difficult they are going to be and give them a quote that reflects it! If they are willing to pay for PITA level 1, then I usually go ahead with it. :)

AI've been doing cakes for 18 years, and I've learned that if my psycho radar goes off the job isn't going to be worth it.

A

I love that!

ACostumeczar I actually laughed out loud to your comment to the point my hubby asked what was so funny! We were just having this convo at wrk (hairstylist 15 yrs) and basically we say exactly the same thing psycho alert!! I work at a higher end salon which just means I have clients with higher expectations (haha) and that can really bring in the psycho, now I'll have to deal with them the first time, but I will surely blacklist you from my book ASAP!!

AOh nooooo! Aren't you afraid it's a computer virus costumeczar? Although I am curios:D

strangely, both of those "I love you long time" PM's today were from pages that have lots of previous posts on this forum.  Almost like someone either made fake identities  a very long time ago, or simply hijacked someone elses pages.   OOPS  they were all made today...

If someone who is an actual baker has had their page hijacked, they report it right? and they'd have a few cakes to show for their efforts;

or are there people with lots of different false identities here. 

My policy is that I have to protect my business. I vet customers just like customers vet me. I have spent a lot of time and effort growing my business to exactly the way I want it to be (well, for the most part!) and I am not going to risk it on anyone, no matter what they are willing to pay. I can afford to be somewhat picky on the work I take and that is one of the reasons I have my business model the way I do. (again, for the most part!)

I usually have 3 ways of dealing. 

1. If right off the bat my "high maintenance" or even "psycho" or "too scarred to be pleased with any baker at this point" radar goes off, I am automatically booked. 

2. If I have started the conversation and all of a sudden it takes a turn for the worse I use the "I just don't think I'm the right baker for you" phrase. 

3. If I have started the convo and after back and forth I think they are worth it but they need to be put back in their place (they are all of a sudden adding things and asking for things never discussed or getting bucky with me on pricing) I use the "this is what I can offer you, and if you need to go in another direction, I totally understand."

I always use email, so even if these haven't landed so well at the other end, I don't have to listen to them if they are upset with my answers :)

I'm sure others would disagree with being that high with my boundaries, but I find that I have a fine-tuned "radar" and if I go against my gut, I end up kicking myself EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

Miss Helen has not responded to my email to her yet, I feel rejected. Maybe my alter ego of a guy who lives in his mother's basement and who would like to meet a nice lady didn't appeal to her.

A

Lol;)

They way I can tell is when they are asking waaaayyyy to many questions. Usually the best customers I've had are the ones that come to me knowing what they need and just wanna know how my services would work out for them.

Sometimes with a picky customer you have to do your better than best effort but charge them more... and some other customers that are picky and want to lower your prices to the bone, and complaint about everything or make you feel like your not good enough... its better just to stay away from that type.