He Everyone,
I'll be having my first taste testing next month. Ok - here's are the questions. Do you charge for your taste testing and what do you offer? This is important because this the chance to WOW the customer and make the "sale". So how far do we go with it? I'm excited since it's my first and plan on 4 - 4" cakes - different flavors and different fillings all with b/c icing and silk flowers. The bride is planning on 8" cakes for each table at the wedding for 160 - 200 people plus a small stacked for the wedding party table. Would love to hear all your comments and suggestions.

For tastings I make a 6" single layer cake of any of my classic flavors and charge $15.00. If they want it filled I charge an extra $5.00.
Jacqui

No charge! But to offset costs, I only to set consultation dates and I have appointments with clients all day. If they have 30 minutes with me, I can fit 15-16 couples in on one day from about 10am-5pm. It's a LOOOONGGG day, but I only have to spare one or two days a month for meetings and bake off fresh samples of all my 6-7 flavours once to divide up amongst all the couples. I hate the freeze/thaw samples. They never taste as fresh and yummy as the cake they will receive from me baked the day before their wedding.

If you feel you do need to charge for tastings, at least apply that cost to their wedding cake if they DO order from you?

I've only had a couple tastings, so I'm sure I'm not the best answer, but here's what I've done. I make 2 6" cakes. If they aren't sure yet, one is bc and one is fondant. No decorations. Just 2 different cakes with different fillings. It costs $25. If they decide to go with me, that $25 is rolled into the deposit to hold the date, if not, then I keep the money as the cost of the tasting. Then it rolls into the whole cost of the cake. If after the first 2 they decide they want more tastings, that is the cost, $25 for 2 kinds. People pay so much for wedding cakes, I have no problem providing them with a free small sample cake, but only if they are going with me BTW, the times I've done it, I've gotten both of the weddings.

Here's a great thread from last year all about Taste Testings and what people do:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-14134-.html

We didn't useed to charge for a tasting - but now we do. What we charge is added onto the cake as if it was a deposit if they go with us for their cake. I was hearing so much about brides who think that its fun to go to all the bakeries and get tastings even if you don't go with that bakery. Like having free desserts. So for all the time, money and work you put into to it, it may be worth charging for so you don't get stuck in the end. We had a couple show up with their parents and friends - ate tons of stuff, hardly looked at our books, and ended up haing the grooms mom make the cake, which we later found out they were planning on doing anyway! Once bitten, twice shy.

Good luck!!!!

I know a lot of cake decorators charge for a one hour consultation around $25.00 which includes the taste testing. The fee is sometimes paid in advance and if they don't show up you were paid for the time you put aside for them.

If the bride signs then the fee is put toward the price of the cake. If they don't sign then they don't get it back.

Some don't charge for the taste testing at all. I think the consultation fee is a good idea because it locks them in to showing up and they know its not refundable if they do not show up. Some will offer another appointment without charging them if it was an emergency that caused them to cancel.

I dont' charge for samplings and my samplings usually include hot buffet items also, so I'm making them lunch with dessert. I make one 6" square cake and cut it in half (giving me two 3x6" cakes). I tort those and fill one with raspberry filling and the other with white BC icing. I ice both in BC. The purpose of the sampling, to me, is for them to see that I can bake and decorate. The quality of my white cake samples show them the quality of the cake they order in lemon ..... it's all the same except it will taste like lemon! They can see my decorating skills in my photos. My samplings usually run 60-90 minutes (remember, we're also working out their catering menu).

I prefer that they not book with me then and there. I tell them, "Here's what's going to happen next. I will email you my proposals based on our conversation today. That way you can lay them side by side with the other quotes you've gotten and do a side by side comparison. The forms will say 'proposal only until confirmed by bride via email'. That way I've got it in writing that you ordered it and you've got it in writing that you told me to show up! Once I rec'd your confirming email, your down payment will be due right away. Do not email credit card information."

I believe that because I encourage comparison shopping and I don't put hard pressure on them when they are here is why I have a 98% booking rate and almost zero cancellations. They get time to think about it and discuss it among themselves and come to a decision they are comfortable with.

160-200 guests and figuring 8 to a table is 20-25 tables which is 20-25 8" cakes! Wow! Be sure you charge adequate labor fees for all of that work! Do you have counter space and storage space to accommodate that many cakes?

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions regarding the taste testing. From here on I'll be charging and will change my brochure to include the charges. Wow, I'm sure learning a lot from all of you but guess when dealing with the public anything can happen and we have to watch out for ourselves. I'll let you know how it all goes. You are all terrific!!