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tcrema
Frequent Member
Joined: Feb 14, 2005
Posts: 262
Location: Ocean Springs, Ms
Birthday: Oct 11
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 3:30 am |
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Ever feel like this? Well it seems to me that this has been going on more often than not on my last couple of cakes. Last year I worked my tail off doing cakes for other people and 98% of the people would LOVE them and there were the few who were like Oh well....WELL my cake season has started out that way again. It ended that way and It has began that way. I'm really quite P. O. 'ed at people right now anyway so I don't need to be dealing with them. Here is the problem. This lady 2 or 3 wks ago emails me shows me the cake she wants...it's very pretty...fondant covered and air brushed. WELL, I tell her about it cause I figures she is unaware. She said that is ok do your best I've seen your cakes (I had explained I don't have an airbrush system). So Turtleshell and I work out a way to get the look needed. I do it. The cake doesn't really look like what she wants and she is a perfectionist. So I'm not happy so I emailed her a picture of the cake and tell her, I'm sorry I don't know what else to do. I did my best, I don't like it...you may but I think you just decide on the price you want to pay for it. This was at 2am after I finished doing it all. So at 10am my time she calls me to tell me "I don't know what to tell you". So I told her to just be honest and we will go from there. So she says Well the cake looks DIRTY, I like the swirlies and ribbon but can you take it all off and just do a smooth buttercream white and the swirls. The hearts need to be smaller, crown off to the side, writing needs to be light pink, you can do the little ribbon at the bottom but well what do you think...you have 4 hours you can do it. So here it is, I'm exhausted  ...now pissed beyond belief  ...thinking this is not worth the Freaking $35 I had told her it would cost. This is a double layer 10" round strawberry cake. I'm so sick and tired of people...CAKES and CAKES that Behave BADLY. I've said it before but this time I'm really serious. I QUIT. I think I would rather be a hooker on a street corner than to decorate for customers again. So I have a few cake orders to fill and that is it. I'm not doing it anymore. I'll decorate for Friends (which 2 of my 3 cakes I have orders for are for) and I'll decorate for family...but I'm done. It's not that I need a break, I've had a break. I haven't really done any cakes since the first of November. Who knows...maybe when we move I'll change my mind...but I doubt it. For now I'm going to just enjoy the 9 months left here in England...and Thank GOD I'm going to Biloxi. Oh Well thanks for letting me vent.
Tammy
ps.did I mention I HATE CAKES....Here I've included a pic of the cake that has pushed me over the edge |
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| The Cake I was talking about |
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| The Cake I was talking about |
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Tamanna
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 12, 2005
Posts: 47
Location: Kuwait
Birthday: Apr 13
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 3:44 am |
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Common, cheer up, you dont shut down business because one of your customer happens to be stupid. Put her behind and take a good look at all the cakes you have made and how each and ever one was appreciated.
This should not be the reason to quit. Tomorrow is another day. |
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veejaytx
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Mar 24, 2005
Posts: 15696
Location: Carrollton, Texas
Birthday: Aug 21
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 3:59 am |
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Hey Tammy, don't be so hard on yourself, the cake looks fine, and definitely should be more than $35!
You told the woman you didn't have the air brush system, and she said do your best...which you did!
As was stated in the forums just yesterday, you just can't please everybody! I'll bet by the time you finish the cakes you have on order you will feel better about the whole thing!
You decorate very pretty cakes, don't let this one person get you down. (I am glad you will be coming back to the States soon!) Janice |
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tcrema
Frequent Member
Joined: Feb 14, 2005
Posts: 262
Location: Ocean Springs, Ms
Birthday: Oct 11
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:10 am |
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Hey you guys thanks! I'm putting in the picture of the cake...I just REFINISHED it. I think what gets me the most is how she was like WEll just take it all off and start over again...you can make it smooth right? and just kept nitpicking about EVERYTHING. Oh well. I'm going to go and deliver her the cake. That is the other thing...I should have charged her for delivery too! But oh well live and learn right. I can't wait to be back in the States. Janice...I hope to meet you in person one day too! |
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franjmc
Frequent Member
Joined: Jan 02, 2006
Posts: 314
Birthday: Dec 17
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:17 am |
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Tammy, Tammy, Tammy,
You know that there will never be a time in anyone's life where they can please everyone all of the time, but if we're lucky we can please the important people, most of the time.
If you enjoy what you do then you shouldn't let someone with unrealistic expectations, and no doubt, not an ounce of imagination or creativity to take that away from you.
You keep your chin up and look at this as a learning experience, next time someone wants something you feel you can't provide for them, say no.
You have a skill few possess and many are willing to pay for, remember that.
Last night I was busily baking a cake for an extremely demanding friend (who nevers pays for anything) getting myself all wound up that her cake wouldn't be good enough, when I managed to drop the newly cooked 12" square, 4" high cake onto my kitchen floor, demolishing it in seconds. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did both 
The fact is we all have crappy days, and we all have good days. Don't let one bad day spoil your good ones. We're all here for you and we all think you're great. |
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veejaytx
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Mar 24, 2005
Posts: 15696
Location: Carrollton, Texas
Birthday: Aug 21
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:23 am |
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Hi Tammy, the cake looks pretty, not necessarily better than before. I hope you tell this woman what a deal she is getting...delivery too? Something tells me this woman is one of those who is never pleased! Takes a lot of nerve be so off-hand about expecting someone to completely redo a cake! You might also suggest to her that she try decorating one herself sometime, see how easy she thinks it is!!!!
You are right, every cake has a lesson for us of some kind! Sorry you had to deal with this one.
Janice |
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beany
Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 03, 2005
Posts: 586
Location: Western Australia
Birthday: Oct 10
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:24 am |
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| franjmc wrote: | | We're all here for you and we all think you're great. |
Here here! |
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MsTamara
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 26, 2006
Posts: 27
Location: England via Albany, GA
Birthday: Dec 31
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:30 am |
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Wow, Tammy I hope you don't quit. I need a fellow cake maker here at least until you PSC. My husband is stationed at Mildenhall but we live in Red Lodge. Don't let that lady take your joy for cakes away. That cake was beautiful and it still is. I agree with the other posts it's much more than the $35 you asked for it and I would have charged her for delivery too. Take some time and cool off a bit cause your cakes are awesome.
Tamara |
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tcrema
Frequent Member
Joined: Feb 14, 2005
Posts: 262
Location: Ocean Springs, Ms
Birthday: Oct 11
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:18 am |
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Well I just got back from delivering the cake...The lady STILL was not happy so I told her to pay me what she thought. So she was like how bout I pay you for the supplies and she gave me a $20 but was still complaining about the cake so I told her you know what you are not happy, so I'm not happy. I told her I would $10 or less whatever she had. She goes well I don't want to rip you off. I said no because you aren't happy I wanted you to be satisfied and you aren't so that will be fine. She was like Ok. Then Her daughter runs up sees the cake and was like MOMMY MY CAKE. I asked her do you like it. She smiled really big and said she loved it! So I told her mom well at least the Birthday girl likes it and she said yeah but she is just a kid what does she know! GRRRRR!!! Funny thing is that she kept saying that nothing matched...well the pink on the cake was identical to the color of her plates and napkins...God Forbid the match somethinG! |
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mssweetie24
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 30, 2005
Posts: 50
Location: Ky
Birthday: Sep 03
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:35 am |
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I think both of your cakes were very pretty so I dont no what she would have to complain about. It takes alot of time and effort to do cakes and some people dont appreciate what a person puts into them. She sounds like a person who is a hag that no matter what you do it is never right or enough. I wouldnt let it get me down. Im sure that will be one costumer you can do without. I wouldnt have let her got by with so little of payment. You should have been paid the $35 even more. Some people are just rude. I believe I would have taken my cake and left and when I got home enjoyed me a strawberry cake.  |
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subaru
Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 24, 2005
Posts: 1430
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:35 am |
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Sounds to me that this "lady"( i use the term lightly) is one that complains
about everything. She probably was looking for a discount anyway. I checked out your photos, you do great. Don't let someone like this get you down. Think of all the good things people have said about your work,
and all the pleased customers you have had. Not everyone is so aggravating. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. |
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chefdot
Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 08, 2006
Posts: 502
Location: Glendale, AZ
Birthday: May 25
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:44 am |
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OMG Tammy, that lady is a well, you know. I can't believe she said that her daughter didn't know better since she was a kid. Didn't her mom teach her to keep those kind of comments to herself? Geez! The nerve of some people... if I were you I wouldn't punish everyone becuz of her and stop doing cakes... just don't ever do them for her again! I think your cakes are awesome... she just doesn't know. Like someone else said, she should try doing it, hers wouldn't have came out even a quarter as good as yours.
BTW are you stationed in England? If so, what branch? Air force? |
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cookielady1
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 38
Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Birthday: Nov 26
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:45 am |
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Tammy, I wouldn't quit doing cakes. I'd just quit doing them for that "lady". That cake should have been at least 45.00, and that's here in south Texas! And for her to only pay you 20.00 after having you decorate it TWICE was just insulting. Then you DELIVERED the cake? Did you charge extra for delivery? I certainly would have. I would have been a bit angry after the whole situation as well, but don't stop doing what you love. Just don't do it for people like HER! |
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Mac
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jul 20, 2005
Posts: 2473
Location: East Texas
Birthday: Aug 29
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:59 am |
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tcrema--
That "lady" was definitely no lady. I think both cakes were awesome. Don't let her get you down.
She obviously is one of those that want something for nothing.
As my DH would say "She would b**** if she were hung with a new rope!" and I agree. |
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peacockplace
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Oct 25, 2004
Posts: 2748
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:03 am |
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Just wanted to say sorry about your ordeal! Your cakes were pretty and I think the second one was really cute! I think she just wanted something for nothing!At least you can feel good knowing you made the little girl's day and she loved her cake. Forget the stupid mom! |
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