Reading some of these posts about customers lately got me wondering about what are some of the strangest things people have had happen at consultations??
Happily, I've never had an actual "Bridzilla", but I had one who I really didn't know how to deal with. It was only 3-4 weeks before the wedding when she contacted me, and though I usually don't like to do that short notice, it was a small wedding, so I thought would be no problem. In the e-mail she said it was a Western-themed, casual wedding and implied she wanted a Western-theme cake. I came up with a really cute design, using fondant patches to make a pinto pattern with rope borders. Well, at the consultation she decides that is too non-traditional, despite the fact they were going to be wearing black jeans, cowboy boots, and Western shirts for the ceremony! So she starts looking at pictures we discuss various designs, then all of a sudden she just starts to get all freaked out because she can make up her mind about what she wants and goes into panic mode. I don't know what to do, I've tried to make suggestions, sketch designs, and I'm thinking for gosh sakes, it just a cake, not some life-altering, monumental decision. Then, she says she can't make up her mind and will have to think about it and get back to me later, mind you it's at most 2 weeks to go. I'm just about to tell her that fine, but I can't guarantee I'll be available if she waits (and believe me, I wouldn't have been!). Then, her fiance realizes how ridiculous it's getting and knows they have to decide now, and takes her outside and calms her down and they talk and make a decision, finally! The wedding goes without incident, and all's well, but my original themed design would have been so perfect!
My other strange thing was the time a lady was suposed to come by to look at pictures to order a baby shower cake. When I go to the door (I was working from home), she's standing there in a bikini, covered in suntan lotion, wrapped in a towel! I was absolutely flabbergasted! Her excuse was that they were at a pool party in the next neighborhood, so just "ran over". I really felt like telling her to come back when she was clean and dressed, but I was so startled I didn't know what to say, so just got her in and out as quickly as possible and wasn't availale for her orders after that.
marmalade1687 Frequent Member
Joined: Nov 05, 2005
Posts: 284
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Birthday: Aug 15
Posted:
Sun Aug 03, 2008 2:02 pm
My strangest consultation was when I first started...a couple came over with the bride's mom, and we went through the whole consultation designing a very pretty cake for their wedding. The bride was very into the cake, she seemed very happy until the end when she broke down in tears crying that she wanted cupcakes, and the groom was forcing a big cake on her! They started into an argument, just like on a Bridezilla show, and I told them that I couldn't take the order until they worked out their issues - they did leave with the bride still in tears, but called me about a week later to order the cupcakes - I guess she cried enough!
indydebi Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 15102
Location: Indianapolis IN
Posted:
Sun Aug 03, 2008 3:11 pm
Had a bride who grew up in Small Town, Indiana, but currently lived in New York. She was getting married in Indpls. I think she had the attitude of "everything's cheaper in the country!" so came to me with a max of $25 a person as her spending limit. But she had a list of 10 exotic cheeses that she wanted during the appetizer period, plus the other appetizer items, plus the buffet, plus the cake, plus the tea/lemonade, plus the linens for the food tables, plus my staff, AND she wants it plated and served, not buffet .... for $25/person.
When I checked pricing for these cheeses (she gave me the list before the sampling ... red flag #1!), Sysco and GFS had not heard of most of them! So I go to a specialty store ... ONE of the cheeses she wants is so expensive that MY cost .. based on 4 oz per person ... is $7.50/person!! $7.50 out of $25 for ONE of the TEN cheeses and the rest of the 17.50 is suppose to cover everything else!
She brought her dad to the sampling ... a regular guy, who sat quietly sampling my foods ... until he got to his breaking point and said, in a pretty sharp voice that only a little 'ole dad can do: "Girl, who do you think you're feeding this food to! We're from Muncie, Indiana! We eat Colby and Jack cheese! Now get down to earth here!"
I fell in love with him!
She was also trying to squeeze 300 people into a facility that would only hold about 250-275. The venue, wanting to book this event, was telling her "Oh yeah.... that'll fit!!" But to get it to fit, they suggested that she put the food outside on the patio!! IN OCTOBER!!! I asked her if she was renting a tent to cover the food. Well.....no. I shook my head and said, "health dept rules require that food be covered. You HAVE to rent a tent. But bluntly, I'm not inclined to put my food outside in October just so you can complain about the food being cold."
Then she wants to put the food on the dance floor at the opposite end of the room, furthest from the kitchen. I've worked in this facility before so I was very familiar with the layout and told her, no, I wouldn't do that. "Making my staff carry hot pans of food and hot pans of boiling water (in the chafers during tear-down) thru a crowd of 300 people is dangerous not only to my staff but to your guests. So no, we cannot put the food tables at the opposite end of the room."
QUoted her an ungodly price in the hopes that she would go somewhere else. Thank goodness she did.
christeena Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 19, 2006
Posts: 861
Location: IN
Birthday: Jun 08
Posted:
Sun Aug 03, 2008 3:54 pm
I had a consultation just last night with a bride that I work with who is trying to save $$$ and do a lot themselves for 400 guests (down from 900)!!
Sooooo . . . we start discussing the cake and I ask her where - in a local park. I ask her if there will be tents - nope!! She is having her guests sit out in the sun and expect any cake I make to sit out in the sun! GRRR!!! Indy, you'll love this, she says that she has trimmed her food budget down to only $4 per person and my $2 per serving on the cake was just a bit more than she could probably manage and she will get back to me after talking to her fiance. The wedding is Sept. 21st and she was going to do a dessert buffet herself but is starting to feel stressed! Ya think!! Don't brides realize that heat+humidity+insects+cake= disaster!!! I almost hope that she decides against me!!
indydebi Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 15102
Location: Indianapolis IN
Posted:
Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:10 pm
OH christeena, where in Indiana are you? 'Coz I don't want this chic calling me! I just love watching the grandiose ideas of these "little girls" (and that term has nothing to do with chronological age!) meet up with the hard arm of reality!
I can just hear them now, because I've heard them say it .... "Oh we'll just have some "simple little" desserts ... that's shouldn't cost more than a Twinkie!"
There are not enough laughing icons for me on this bride story! Oh PLEASE keep us updated, even if you have to sneak in the wedding to see how it turns out!
Here's one that some of you have read elsewhere, in a galaxy far, far away.
WARNING: do not be drinking anything at the time of reading or else it will blow through your nose all over your screen!
I do all my preliminary contacts with couples online. I have a two-page thingie that I send out, which explains about the cakes and prices and figures etc. I always send this out so they can take a look and then if they are interested they can book a consultation/tasting. When they book a consultation I always send out a new mail asking them to have some idea of what they want as it saves so much time. They don't have to show up with pics and sketches of exactly the cake they want, but please do think about a bit, thank you very much!
Coupls shows up to consultation and has absolutely no idea. Obvious that the cake isn't a priority (doncha just HATE that?), and after 2 hours 15 minutes they have finally made a decision as to flavors and looks (I really try to keep the consultations less than 1-1/2 hours).
He then asks the price, and I get out the calculator and add it up. Simple cake, decorations are included plus 20% for RF. He gasps and says, 'We don't have that kind of money!!' I was like WTF, thinking to myself that I am absolutely NOT gonna dick around with this one (I think at that very second I had a premonition of what he was going to attempt). I closed the folder, stood up and said simply but nicely (and completely SEETHING inside), 'Well then, I think we're done here. It was nice meeting you and I hope everything works out with your wedding plans.'
I know it's a cliche about someone's jaw dropping, but his did. He said, 'Well, aren't we going to discuss the price?'.
I said, 'We just did, and even though you recieved the pricing information and could do the math yourselves, you chose to book a consultation.'
He says 'No, I mean negotiate the price?'
I KNEW it! I said, 'My prices are non-negotiable. This isn't a flea market. People are knocking down my door trying to order my cakes. I am going to have at least 20 couples calling to book your date. I have no need to lower my prices to snag an order. Now, if you don't mind I'd like to finish my work here so I can get home. All consultations are scheduled on my leisure time which consists of about 10 hours a week, and you have just wasted 2 of my valuable hours.'
I hustled them out the door and locked it after them. I could see them on the stairs outside looking at each other, wondering what just happened.
Three days later she showed up at the shop, telling me they'd like me to do the cake after all and that she was ready to pay her down payment to book the date.
I said, 'I am no longer interested in doing your wedding cake.'
She said, 'It's only been three days! How can that date have booked up so fast?'
Well BLESS her little misunderstanding heart! I then replied, 'I never said I was fully booked. I merely said that I don't want to make your wedding cake.'
OMG!!!! Y'all should have seen the look on her face.
SCORE
Chutzpah 1
Wanker 0
cjmommy Junior Member
Joined: Feb 11, 2008
Posts: 27
Posted:
Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:01 pm
Oh Chutzpah... I should have listed to you... I now have water all over my computer screen !
sari66 Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 02, 2008
Posts: 517
Location: hot lanta
Birthday: Sep 05
Posted:
Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:54 pm
LOLOLOLOL chutzpah you are fabulous!!!!
Jasmine33 Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 23, 2008
Posts: 249
Posted:
Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:17 am
hahahha that is funny!
mommachris Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 06, 2005
Posts: 576
Location: central California
Posted:
Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:11 pm
hello mezzaluna
mommachris
CakeGrlPA Frequent Member
Joined: Nov 04, 2007
Posts: 328
Posted:
Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:44 pm
hahaha...Chutzpah you're my hero!
jkalman Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Mar 12, 2007
Posts: 4234
Location: Southern New Hampshire
Birthday: Oct 28
Posted:
Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:54 pm
HA!! I love this story seester..
CakeWhizz Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 01, 2007
Posts: 277
Posted:
Mon Aug 04, 2008 3:14 pm
SCORE
Chutzpah 1
Wanker 0[/quote]
LOL!!! Nice one!
APrettyCake Regular Member
Joined: May 08, 2008
Posts: 124
Posted:
Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:35 pm
Chutzpah - I once said in a post recently that I do not bow down to the cake gods...however, YOU are now my idol! I wanna be just like you when I grow up!!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
$7.50 out of $25 for ONE of the TEN cheeses and the rest of the 17.50 is suppose to cover everything else!
!
