Does anyone else experience problems with people who have never taken a cake class or even DECORATED a cake, but still seem to find faults with anything you do and declare how they would have improved upon it?

This isn't just one person. I've had several people look at something I've done and say, "Well I could have done that." or "I could have done better." I'm sorry, I still have a lot to learn, but I consider my skill level to be a little above someone who's never picked up a pastry bag.

On one of my first paying cake jobs, I served two retirement sheet cakes and the DIL of the honoree took a bite SPIT IT OUT and said, "Well that's just Duncan Hines cake mix."

Yes, I use heavily doctored cake mix and I receieve a lot of compliments on how my cakes taste. Had the retiree requested scratch cake, I would have made it. But they were friends and only wanted to pay $35 for two full sheet cakes. (I was new, that will never happen again.)

How do you respond to these people? If they were clients or prospective clients, I would tell them they might want to get their cakes elsewhere if they're not happy, but these are just people in my office or church, etc. Any suggested reactions that WON'T get me charged with assault?

grrr. Goodcakefairy

Wow! I'm really sorry you've come across so many rude people! And the lady at the retirement party apparently has no manners at all! I probably just would have told her that's what they ordered. I just can't believe the gall of some people.

First of all, your cakes are beautiful...I was just looking through your photos.
There are always going to be people who think they can do things better than others even though they have never tried. When I bake, sometimes people will stop over to say hi or comment..most of the time its good things, but every once in a while you get one of those people that drive you nuts. My favorite is when I'm doing a character cake from a pan and they say "Oh that's easy...you just put stars on it". I always tell them if its so easy why is someone else paying me to do it?

You just have to ignore the jerks and realize that they come with this business. Next time someone tells you that they can do it better, just smile and tell them you'd love to see pictures.

After I type this....no one will like me...LOL!

I personally simply ignore people who say things like that...If they think they can do better then by all means go do better....If they don't like it don't reorder from me cuz I have enough on my plate as it is.....and for those people who want Wal-Mart prices....go to Wal-Mart....that's not who I am intersted in selling to anyway. You can't please all the people all of the time.

As hard as it may be when people are being tactless and rude by spitting out cake and making comments.....let it roll of your back. Lots of people thrive off putting other's efforts down especially when they only wish they could do it!!

I'm not saying don't take constructive criticism; I'm saying ignore tactless rudeness!!

I'm sure your cake was wonderful and if they didn't like it oh well!!

Berta

I would've said something to the effect of "for $35 that's all I can afford to do!" Honestly, $35 is a steal for a doctored mix even! I always have friends go on and on about how many stars I put on the cakes (I usually have character cakes for the kids' birthdays and stuff). I always go on about how easy it is. I'm the exact opposite! Sorry I don't have any good come-backs!

Kelly

The only person who points out my faults is DH! I've stopped asking him what he thinks of my cakes. I can see the flaws...get your finger away from the cake!!! LOL! He likes to point really closely at the problem spots and I can just see him slipping and poking right into one of them.

Spitting out the cake...how awful! I don't believe for one minute that cake tasted anything but delicious.

Yes the words hurt and it's hard to understand where they come from. I've learned over time that people who act like this are very unhappy in thier own lives usually and like to spread the unhappiness.
Consider the source and move on(happy in the knowledge that you are the nicer person)

Sandra

I swear my DH wasn't the motive for this post, but that's a good point. I've warned him repeatedly about "pointing out the trouble spots" under the guise of being helpful. Until last week, when he got a spatula-full of icing in his hair!

He leaves me alone in the kitchen now.

The motive for this post was a woman yesterday who took a look at my MMF dragon cake and said, "well, I could have done that with Play-Doh." All I could say in response, "Well, I'm sure that would have been delicious."

I don't know if I'm just too sensitive (or whiny) or what. Maybe I'm just in a particularly rude area of the country. Or maybe I should eat some chocolate and shut up. Thanks for your kindness.

The appropriate response in table manners would be as follows:
1. Approach the DIL from the rear. Grab the back of the DIL head with
your left hand, firmly grasping the hair.
2. With your right hand, retrieve the cake that was "accidently" spit out.
3. Grab a little more.
4. Heres, where it gets tricky, firmly force the cake back into her mouth,
careful to avoid the teeth, while leaving his nose unobstructed.
Wouldnt want to cut off the oxygen now would we?
5. Important! While doing this entire "Table manners Lesson" you must
whisper into her ear "Here Dear, you dropped this, let me help. Ahhh...
there's a good girl." or "I got yer Duncan Hines, Mrs. Uppity!"

Always practice wind sprints before serving up cake like this. Chances are, it will be soooo good that the cops will even chase after you just to get a bite too!

That sounds like a perfect response! Good for you

My DH learned years ago to stay out of my kitchen, regardless of what I'm doing (I don't share well I guess... )

Don't shut up... just have some chocolate and be content in the knowledge that they have no idea what they are talking about.

Dale,
You crack me up

Rude people are the worst. What's worse - I always think of the PERFECT response, LONG after the incident happens....grrrrr.....

Dale,

You sound like my kind of person!!!!

I'm sorry about your experience! That is terrible!! If they wanted a cake from scratch, then they could pay cake from scratch prices. I would not have bitten my tongue. I would have said something to her.

I had a similar experience this weekend. My sister in law asked me to do a cake for her daughter (the purse cake I just posted). We talked about the design and what she wanted. I was doing it for FREE, at my expense and my time.
My idiot of a brother after church this Sunday, said in a very ignorant tone to me, "Ellen, use white icing; none of that plastic stuff. I don't like it. Noone likes it, and we'll just end up throwing it away." I was horrified. I told him that was pretty rude to say, and he said, "I just don't beat around the bush." I told him, "No, you beat down the bush. I could always give you your money back."

Well, I was so ticked about his rudeness, that I called his wife to tell her that I would not be doing the cake. If they wanted a white icing cake, then they can shell out the 20 bucks for it at the grocery store.
The whole incident ended up causing such a stir that my sister in law is about to divorce him. (he is just a rude, miserable person). She was so p-oed at him.
Then I thought about it, and decided to make the cake for her daughter anyway. I didn't think it was fair that Katie was punished for my brother's rude behavior. So my SIL brought Katie to my house for dinner and cake without my brother, and Katie absolutely loved her "plastic" covered purse cake and had 2 helpings of it.

So, when people are rude and don't like the cake, you could always offer a money back guarantee....you could pick up the cake, return the check, go home, and never make two giant sheetcakes for a steal of a price again.
By the way, cakefairy...I love your cakes.

tanyap,
That Strawberry Shortcake cake sounds really neat. I would love to see a picture.

I've learned that most of the dumb comments on the cakes are stemming from jealousy. As I'm sure with most of you, when I bring a cake I instantly become the center of attention(whether I want to be or not) with questions and compliments and there are some people who can't handle that and feel the need to be catty. If I said everything I wanted to say when people criticized...well lets just say I'm not sure if I would get any more cake orders

Tanya - how about telling her that her money would be better spent on etiquette lessons?

Tanya, Are you kidding? I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd started a brithday brawl right there. Good Lord. Some people are so passive aggressive it's not funny.

While we are all on a rant here's mine...

I was asked to do a cake for b day. One of my friends always "thought" she could do cakes just like mine....she showed up to this said b day party with her own cake!!!!! I almost died....

Afterall was said and done I had 3 more orders and her cake was still sitting there untouched...she hasn't spoke to me since LOL

I think it comes with any job people will always think they are better than you... we can only keep doing what we know best and let them wallow in the thought that truly can not do it, which is why they haven't...

Keep your chin up your work is great and don't let negative energy become you....

charleydog- What possible reason did she give for bringing a cake of her own. Did someone ask her to, was there some confusion? I am fascinated... and not surprised she longer speaks to you. What a goober.

ge978 and alimonkey,

you guys are so sweet...

I'm having trouble downloading my pics onto cakecentral.com...I tried for an hour a few nites ago but it would take forever and then cancel the upload at the very end...I've uploaded to other sites without issue so I've got to figure out what I'm doing wrong...as soon as I can do it, I'll share all my pics I've got so far!

LOL she never did say why she did it...and no one asked her...she just walked in (this was a mutal friends child's b day) and said "suprise, look what i brought for your present!!"

That's just weird. Is she normally that competitive?

Lisa,

thanks! I'll try it tonite....I'm at work now....physically, anyway.

ellepal- I love your cakes. Plastic stuff or not.

Is she a good baker herself ? I take criticism gracefully if the person giving it is much better than I am.. but if not, I would fire right back !!

Don't worry I'm sure she is senile (correct spelling ?) ...
Just think of the good reviews that you got in the past and live by that ..