| Author |
Message |
MrsSid
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio
Birthday: Sep 22
|
 Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 8:44 am |
  |
Ok, I deliver a cake for a party on this past Saturday. Someone asks me if I knew about "another" sheet cake being there. I said yes (with a bit of attitude) because at the last minute I was told that there would be additional cake at the party. Well, they proceed to tell me that ANOTHER sheet cake was to be served, this cake was pulled from the freezer and had been frozen since JANUARY AND IT HAD HAPPY BIRTHDAY "name" on it!!!!!! They wanted to know how to go about wiping off the message so they could serve it!!!!!! That was the final straw! I proceeded to give them the rundown, #1 - it goes agains my mode of operation to deliver a cake to a party and there are other purchased cakes. If you want to order cakes from another baker/bakery then get ALL the cake from them or either all the cake from me. I do not want my reputation to be tainted because the "other" cakes were not up to par. #2 - I will NOT nor would I EVER serve a frozen cake that had not been properly wrapped/thawed along with my cake! I do not know anything about it, who made it, how it was stored, when was it taken out, NOTHING, I know NOTHING about that cake. I told them DO NOT serve that cake until all of my cake is gone. Well wouldnt you know they had cut and plated the cake and put it out on the table surrounding mine!!! My cake was still assemled, it was a three tier. I yanked a server took their tray and started taking the frozen cake off and sending it back to the kitchen. I told them if you want me to stand here, cut and serve MY cake, then remove this imposter! Now that I've said all of that...was I wrong? What would you have done? |
|
|
   |
 |
|
|
|
foxymomma521
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 1812
Location: WNY
Birthday: Apr 15
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 8:54 am |
|
I understand your point, but did they know of your policy beforehand? If I saw you "yank" a server because you were mad about an "imposter" cake, I probably wouldn't order from you again. Sorry if I offended, but if they didn't know about your policy then you can't get too upset... |
|
|
   |
|
|
CakeDiva73
Forum SuperStar!
![]()
Joined: Jan 30, 2006
Posts: 2488
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 8:59 am |
|
I'm on the fence about the whole 'I won't provide cake if other cake will be served' thing....I understand about the reputation thing and I agree. However, isn't it their choice if they want to serve a small but beautiful cake of yours and save money by purchasing cheapie sheet cakes?
Just as it is your choice to say "No Way!!". So if you have that policy, I don't disagree. I actually think it is spectacularly tacky to do that. My parents go to some high-fallutin' weddingas and said that the people who get the sheet cake feel totally shafted. So what you save in money, you lose in class. |
|
|
|
|
|
aswartzw
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jul 30, 2007
Posts: 1286
Location: Galloway, OH
Birthday: Apr 07
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:13 am |
|
It is your reputation on the line. People won't know that they aren't eating yours so...
1. If they get sick, it's your fault.
2. If it's dried out, it's your fault.
3. If it's a yucky cake, it's your fault.
All in all, you have way too much at stake to allow this. You could potentially get sued if someone gets sick from the cake they've eaten. In this world, you can't be too careful. I used to not agree with this but now I couldn't support you more.
I would have walked away with my cake. 100% paid or not. |
|
|
|
|
|
Sugar_Plum_Fairy
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 2400
Location: Somerset County, NJ
Birthday: Jun 03
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:20 am |
|
I can definitely understand your feelings being that this other cake had been frozen and all, but that being said, I know there are people (my in-laws, for example) that feel that certain items need to be purchased by certain bakeries. For example, (this was before I knew anything about cakes) my wedding cake came from Alba's (in Brooklyn, NY) because I had always heard they had the best cakes and it just so happened that the hall and Alba's worked together; fine. But for the rest of the items served at the Viennese hour, my father-in-law ordered some stuff from Vienero's (NYC), some stuff from Cuccio's (Bklyn), and some stuff from another place (can't remember the name off hand) in NYC.
For my f-i-l, you only buy certain products at certain establishments because that's the item they excel at and the other stuff is just okay. If you want the best all around you go to more than one place and buy what the item that they make the best, so cream filled donuts are from Cuccio's (where my family always went), most pastries and small cakes from Viniero's, breads from Lord's Bakery (Bklyn), etc.
It might not be best for you, but it might work for others. Hopefully thought the credit for each item will go to the proper party/establishment. |
|
|
|
|
|
CelebrationCakery
Frequent Member
Joined: May 08, 2007
Posts: 257
Location: Upstate New York
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:22 am |
|
I was just wondering...so you were a guest at the party and that is why you saw how all of the cutting went?
I personally feel that whomever it was having the party certainly had a lot of guts to do that to you. And why? Did they actually need more cake or did they just want to get rid of the January cake??? I don't understand why people do this... |
|
|
|
|
|
CelebrationCakery
Frequent Member
Joined: May 08, 2007
Posts: 257
Location: Upstate New York
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:22 am |
|
I was just wondering...so you were a guest at the party and that is why you saw how all of the cutting went?
I personally feel that whomever it was having the party certainly had a lot of guts to do that to you. And why? Did they actually need more cake or did they just want to get rid of the January cake??? I don't understand why people do this... |
|
|
|
|
|
MrsSid
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio
Birthday: Sep 22
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:36 am |
|
LOL! I love the different responses!
Yes they knew about my policy, but I wasnt made aware of the additional sheet cake until two days before the event. By then I had already purchased all that butter and eggs to make the swiss meringue buttercream, flour, sugar, lemons, white chocolate, strawberries, etc. I reluctantly said ok to the cake that they told me about two days prior. I didnt know about the frozen cake until the event had gotten well under way. The funny thing is that they were afraid to tell me about the additional cake because they knew it was against my policy. I do have a problem with being nice and allowing things that normally I wouldnt allow. It was enough for me to allow the initial sheet cake but to learn about a frozen one just took me over the edge. Now I was nice enough to cut and serve the never frozen sheet cake but I just could not see serving the other. Folks there knew about me and my cakes and if they ate the sheet cakes they said, "no, this is not your cake". So yes I do value my reputation. Luckily I was able to say what was and what wasnt my cake. We put a lot of time and effort into our baking. It just didnt seem fair to me to purchase what I consider to be quality ingredients, take time off of work, and present you with a made to order cake, at a discount even! only to have mass produced cakes there as well.
I'm not mean (i dont think i am), had you told me in advance i would have worked with you to provide the additional servings if you needed them. You knew more than two days before the event that you gave me an incorrect number of servings. Oh well, it's over and next time i'll know to stick with my OWN policy! LOL! |
|
|
|
|
|
Sugar_Plum_Fairy
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 2400
Location: Somerset County, NJ
Birthday: Jun 03
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:42 am |
|
MrsSid, were the other bakers of the other cakes present also? If they knew you and your policy and know that you have a following, then I agree that the other cakes shouldn't have been allowed to stay, especially if you were staying at the even and slicing them up for serving. Hmm, very odd. I thought this was just a drop off delivery. |
|
|
|
|
|
poshcakedesigns
Frequent Member
Joined: Jan 15, 2008
Posts: 478
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:43 am |
|
I can see where you would be upset but not sure that I agree with yanking the 'other' cake off the table. I can see where you would have every right to remove your cake from the table if you had a clause in your contract that stated they could not have another cake served.
What did the bride and groom say about you removing the cake? |
|
|
|
|
|
MrsSid
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio
Birthday: Sep 22
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:51 am |
|
Hi Sugar Plum Fairy, the never frozen cake was from the grocery store and I assume the frozen one was too. I was to stay and cut the cake for the event. I think it was just a matter of, "hey we still have this cake in the freezer, let's serve it too". Now I didnt tell them to trash the frozen cake, I just said that I would not serve it until all of the other cake was gone. Save that one as a last resort. I guess it would be as if Emeril had cooked one of his fabulous meals but yet they bring in grocery store chicken wings or meatballs and add them to the plate LOL. How would Emeril or any other chef feel? Oh boy, now I'm not saying that I'm the same caliber as a great chef but yens understand where i'm coming from? I just felt a little slighted. |
|
|
|
|
|
cakesbycathy
Frequent Member
Joined: Aug 16, 2005
Posts: 468
Location: Cleveland, OH
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:54 am |
|
I am not trying to sound harsh here, but...
by allowing thm to bring in the first sheetcake (the fresh one), then you set yourself up, so to speak. I'm sure they figured that since you were already "allowing" them to serve one sheetcake, then what's the difference if there's one more? Does that make sense.
I think you handled it the best you could. At least now you know to stick to your policies.  |
|
|
|
|
|
KathysCC
Gallery Moderator
Joined: Aug 18, 2007
Posts: 543
Location: Mississippi
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:56 am |
|
I may be in the minority here but I would have to agree. If you have a policy about this, which is a good policy to have, or even if you don't. I would be appalled to have my cake surrounded by an "unknown" cake. |
|
|
|
|
|
aswartzw
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jul 30, 2007
Posts: 1286
Location: Galloway, OH
Birthday: Apr 07
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 9:58 am |
|
You definitely were not in the wrong especially since they knew your policy and agreed to it beforehand. They simply did not what to pay your price, it seems.
If I were you, I still would have taken your cake and walked out the door. They broke your contract. It doesn't matter if other people disagree with your policy. They signed and they were wrong. |
|
|
|
|
|
MrsSid
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio
Birthday: Sep 22
|
| Posted:
Mon May 05, 2008 10:04 am |
|
oh no, this wasnt a wedding, it was a luncheon. they had started to cut and plate the sheet cakes in the kitchen. then they brought it out on trays and placed it on the table around my cake. by the time i got to the table that was when i saw the sheet cakes being served. i asked that they at least remove the frozen cake, we left the other cake. there was no room on the table for me to disassemble/cut/plate my cake. as guest came to get their own cake or either waited to be served at their table it freed space for me to tear down my cake to serve. once all of my cake was gone they brought the never frozen cake out and i continued to cut and serve it. i never saw the frozen cake again. it was rather unorganized. the chair of the luncheon committee had left instruction for the frozen cake to be held til last as well. so that gave me some comfort to know that those who organized the event felt this move was out of line as well. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
