Client Decides To Go To Bj's For A Cheaper Cake
Decorating By rosa1110 Updated 11 Nov 2010 , 5:50am by LuluSweetArt
HI CC FAMILY, I HAD A LADY THAT HAS BEEN AFTER ME FOR THREE WEEKS NOW. SHE WANTED A TWO TIER CAKE IN FONDANT COVERING MATCHING A HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEME, THE CAKE WAS TWO DIFFERENT FLAVORS. THIS CAKE WAS FOR THIS SATURDAY. I WAS CHARGING HER $70.00 FOR THIS TWO TIER CAKETHAT FEED ABOUT 35-40 PEOPLE, TODAY SHE EMAILS ME THAT HER SISTER TOLD THAT BJ'S HAS CHEAP CAKES THAT ARE GOOD. THE NERVE OF SOME PEOPLE WHY BOTHER ME FOR THREE WEEKS THEN WIND UP GOING TO BJ'S 
, DID I OVER CHARGE OR DO YOU THINK SHE WAS TRYING TO GET OVER 
.
i asume thats a grocery store? so we know a big price drop comes with a big taste and looks drop. if price is more important (or thats all she can really afford) then thats her call. people will always dith the custom cake for grocery.
sounds like you didnt get a deposit, or payment in full? maybe time to think about a policy change, many people get cakes under a certain amount paid in full at time of ordering, and most people ask for payment in full a week before delivery. even a deposit would cushion the blow of lost time.
xx
You didn't charge her enough. Some people can be so cheap
Brincess, it's like Sam's club, a wholesale club, sells in bulk. They have a bakery dept.
Rosa, no, I personally don't think you overcharged. Depending on the design and the time it would take you, you may have been undercharging her.
She might get a sheet cake there, but it's not going to be anything like what she was going to get from you. She'll get what she pays for and then wish in hindsight that she had gotten that "Wow" cake instead of the one off the shelf.
With some people it is more about cost then it is about taste. That being said...then there are those that can afford, but they have no "taste". I think this is pretty rude to go through the motions of time spent on design planning and ordering just to turn around and waste your time. You should send her a bill for time spent on planning, even if you don't get your money, maybe she will think twice about stiffing someone else.
I had someone from my husband's work that wanted me to make a cake for her daughter's baby shower. The co-worker had seen and tasted my cakes before. Her daughter is having twin girls and she said she wanted to get a "special" cake for the shower. I told her I could not make her a cake for the price she could get one from the grocery store. When I gave her a price, she decided the grocery store cake was special enough. 
That's fine with me. I am a hobby baker. My free time is at a premium and I don't plan on giving it away! Doing a cake for twins would have been a fun cake to do, but my ingredients would cost me more than she was going to have to pay for a grocery store cake.
A cake from BJ's, Costco, Walmart or any grocery store is not calorie worthy for my waistline. While they might not taste bad, they certainly don't taste good.
I had someone ask me for a 3D fire truck cake, and I think I quoted her $3.50/serving for a 30 serving cake. She was a friend, so I told her I wouldn't be offended if she decided to go with a supermarket cake, which she ended up doing. It was an awful cake and the children had food coloring stains all over the place. It made me happy.
They may get a sheet cake there, but BJ's doesn't do tiers do they? There is no way we can compete with those places. Most of my cakes are for Weddings and Tiered Specialty cakes that they can't get elsewhere. Don't worry about it we are all in the same boat with most people thinking we are too high priced. I do marvel at how some on CC get darn good prices for thier cakes. I say more power to the cakers that can.
I do not know what your purchasing market is like, but you charged less than $2 per serve, which is extremely inexpensive. Did you calculate your costs properly?
Theresa 
I agree with everyone else here, you definitely under charged for the cake but I have had clients in the past call me and want me to do a cake and then call me to tell me the brides mother in law wants to get a cake from the grocery store instead even though the client I had wanted it from me. Her hands were tied but I always say go for it, if they want a cake that tastes like cardboard they can have it. Quality is everything and it is there decision and usually their mistake but point taken. She was wrong to lead you on for all that time though.
A cake from BJ's, Costco, Walmart or any grocery store is not calorie worthy for my waistline. While they might not taste bad, they certainly don't taste good.
I agree 100% and I do think they taste bad. Some people just don't know the difference .
I posted almost the exact same post last week and although I had many responses the same as yours, I was aslo scolded for basically "bashing poor people who deserve to have a nice cake" (which I most certainly did not do)...my whole point was pure irratation such as yours for those who can afford, but waste my time, etc. only to go purchase the EXACT opposite of what they were asking me to do....I feel like saying to them..."IF you wanted a cookie cutter sheet cake why didnt you just ask for one?!?!"
You didn't charge her enough. Some people can be so cheap
I agree 100% You get what you pay for and I would bet she wont be getting a tiered cake ANYWHERE for less than $70
You did not over charge at all. I would have charged more it has been in my experience most people do not understand and could care a less about your time
My neighbor said something to me yesterday that really stuck, "You can't compete with WalMart's prices, but if that's what they want, let them eat cardboard." You get what you pay for.
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