I just got my equipment back from the girl who hired me to make a replica of her mom's wedding cake. I had been hoping to be home when she left it, so I could ask if she was surprised, did they like it, etc.

But it was just sitting on my front step in a garbage bag (that I provided) when I got home.

So I feel a little weird...maybe it's because I'm just starting out? I've always been around to see the results of my cakes, meaning been there when they are eaten. I can eavesdrop and hear the honest remarks. I know pretty much how they are received. Now I just have to assume that if they don't complain they were satisfied, right? Feels weird. I guess I'll get used to it. Am I the only weirdo, or has this happened to anyone else?

No it has happend to me, i worry a lot about the customers opinion about the taste, if they liked the design, and i keep thinking if they really meant it when they say " it's really pretty" ... so yes i also have felt it!

Every time I set up a wedding cake and leave the reception site I always wonder what the bride and groom will think when they first see it. Sometimes I get feedback about my cakes and sometimes I don't. It's so much harder when you don't know the person personally that you are doing the cake for. I just assume that no news is good news.

I have had this happen too & it annoys me. I have not made a wedding cake. But I have made a few cakes that noone says anything about it.

Maybe its just me But I NEED feed back.

I made my sister here bday cake Saturday & she ate it right there in front of me & did not tell me thank you its gross, yummy or not even a HINT.

Man it makes me MAD!!!

She did not even appreciate it

No more cake for her, Mark my words!!

I've never had that happen. But, I would feel the same way that you do, if it did. I bake and decorate with anticipation of reaction. I enjoy the comments as much as the $$$.

Maybe after things settle down for the bride, she'll call or send a note.

Me too!! I need the feedback. It's another way to grow. But when I do get feedback it is kind of general and I don't feel right trying to pull details out of people without seeming like I'm fishing for more compliments. I really want feedback..good or bad to help me to improve what I do.

I am just starting out also and have the same thing. I get really nervous waiting for the customer's reaction! I have even considered sending along a survey with a SASE asking about decorations and taste, etc.

Yeah I just did two wedding cakes and haven't heard back...except one lady, when just my dh was home, returned the cake board (she didn't have to) and since she was not the bride, she was like "You make cakes from your HOUSE?" My dh wasn't sure if she thought it was dumb or not. She did say the cake was good.

Otherwise haven't heard from that bride or the other bride.

I often hear back from party cakes but even those sometimes I don't, or sometimes I have to send a quick email and make sure all was fine before I hear back.

I, too, enjoy hearing how they liked it. If I am not at the wedding, I always send an e-mail to the bride to follow-up to see how her special day was. Then, I always add a "I was also wondering how you and your husband liked the cake". I have always received a response. It kills 2 birds with 1 stone, I have followed-up and I have received feedback. I also follow-up on other special occasion cakes.

What about doing a feedback card? Send some thank you type card that says, since I was not there to see you eat it, what do you think? I know that some of you are more poetic than I.

Just a thought.

Stephanie

OK I am sick I know it! If I haven't heard from a party cake I will call and say I am still trying to figure out if I calculated the right amount of cake servings- was there enough-too much left over- OK SO I LIE. But usually they will give feedback then.

Weddings- I offer to cut and serve(price built into the cake) IF declined. I will make copies of the pics and call later explaining that I have copies of the cake pics to mail them -did the address change? And that will spark a conversation.

I don't do this for the money I do it for the enjoyment of knowing someone liked what I did. And I NEED to know if they did like it.

I always email a special congratulation note and just say that I hope they enjoyed their cake and thank you for using Cakes on Demand. I almost always recieve a response I send it about a week after the wedding. If I don't here from someone it doesn't bother as much as it use to. No news is good news.

Haven't really sold cakes yet. Only to friends and family. But if i try something new like frosting Ect. I want feed back. So this weekend I made a cake for my niece for her birthday. She turned 12 and I put dolphins on the cake when she saw it she loved it. But what I wanted to know was how it tasted. When they didn't call to tell me how it was I was on the phone calling them to find out how it was. They haden't eaten it yet. So a few hours later i got the call with seal of approval. The B-Day girl had the huge piece with the dolphins on it. But if I ever do cakes for someone else I will pull all my hair out trying to find out did it taste good or did they like the way it looked??? I will be crazy I guess I need to do more for family so I can work out my problems They will love me for it I am sure

YES FEEL THIS WAY ALL THE TIME!!!!

What i do is after the function/occasion, I send out an email to see if all was okay. Most people are impressed that I took the time to send the email. In this way I know how the cake was. Whether they are honest or not I will never know but I suppose proof is in the pudding and I'm always getting reorders and referrals.

Hope this helps.

I believe if anyone is interested in doing this but I think it is cheaper postage to mail a postcard.

Maybe some of you could send a pre stamped postcard with the order at the time of pickup or delivery for comments and feedback.

When someone places an order with you and all the details are worked out you could say, now by-the-way, I would love to hear your feedback about your order and will be sending a prestamped feedback card with your order and would really appreciate it if you would just drop it the mail back to me. This really helps me alot in making sure everyone was happy.

I use to work with a cleaning company and thats what they did to get feedback and to check up on us girls HAHA. 99.9% sent them back in.

The crew supervisor (which was me) got the cards ready for each address we were cleaning that day. The front of the card was prestamped with our address, hand written with there last name and address so we new who it was from, and a stamp.

The back of the card ( this was a preprinted generic card for this purpose) but it had the names of the rooms in a house (bathroom, kitchen, dining room, etc.) going down one side and across the top, excellent, good, fair, and bad. Then colums for check marks across from each room.

Then it had about three lines across the bottom for comments.

It worked out really good. It was very simple for the customer to just put a few checks and if they wanted a few comments and stick in their mailbox.

I know that is not exactly how we would do it for cakes but its an idea. We would want something like; Taste, Design, Customer service, etc.
And something like How happy are you with your order.......Please circle one and explain why.

Very Happy Somewhat Happy Not Happy
_________________________________
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Something like this. If any of you who like to give out coupons with your orders this could be a way to get them to send the card back. You could tell them that if they send the card back you will send them a coupon for their next order. But then again they may lie and not tell you how they really feel just to get the coupon. But then again if they were not happy they probably would not order from you again anyways so they would not need the coupon.
So that means that if they send the card back just to get the coupon they must be happy and wanting to place another order with you. So that might tell you right there if someone doesnt send the card back to get the coupon, then maybe they were not happy and you could do a follow up with them and find out why.

Also when sending the coupon is a very good time to thank them for their business.

Sorry i know this long, but I am a motor mouth and cant seem to stop.

Sorry, HTH someone.