Tell Me What You Think...was I Wrong?

Business By PSLCakeLady Updated 17 Oct 2006 , 8:49pm by littlecake

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PSLCakeLady Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 9:38pm
post #1 of 28

About two weeks ago, I had a customer come into my place of business (cake retail/bakery) to pick up a few things for a project she was working on. I stepped out of the store and left my employee there. When my employee left work she told me that we had a customer asking about a cake and if we knew anyone who did cakes....(We do cakes...it's on the window). Before my employee could get a word in, the customer jumped in and told the lady she did and just kept proceeding with basically taking this lady's cake order (in my store). I told my employee that this will be the last time she lets that happen but if the lady came back, I would talk to her. Well...her daughter came in to pick up the rest of her order I said listen I need to talk to you, I explained what I understood had happened and then I very nicely told the lady "listen, I know your mom didn't realize I do cakes or I'm sure she would not have done this, but please let her know that I can't let this happen." I further told her that I have no problem referring business to my customers who do cakes if I have overflow but of course, that has to come from me. There was no one in the store to hear me talking to her that I should have embarrased her.

Ugh....ok, two weeks have passed and the lady called me today to say that she was insulted. She said I have bad public relations because she spent money in my store and I should have just overlooked it because she even got the other customer (the one who she did the cake for) to buy a pan from me. I told her that I was in no way rude to her daughter but let her know that you just can't do that regardless of whether she spent money at my business. I'm upset about this because I hate having a customer upset but I believe as a matter of principle, I was not wrong. Sure I could have looked away and let it go but what if this went on with her and others who think it's ok to solicite business at my store just because they spent money at the store?

I don't know, can you all please tell me, was I wrong? I explained to her that I certainly would not do this at her place of business and would be happy to refer her but she said she'll never shop at my store again.

27 replies
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BigFatMamaKat Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 9:43pm
post #2 of 28

It sounds like you were nice to the daughter. I don't think you were wrong.

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morphis1208 Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 9:44pm
post #3 of 28

In no way were you wrong to confront her. I would have done the same thing upset customer or not.

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auntsushi Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 9:46pm
post #4 of 28

I think you were absolutely right in how you handled it. You have to have boundaries when you have a business (and for life, in general). From what you are saying, you were not rude. You just handled the situation and she reacted. Of course you want to rethink whether or not what you did was okay, as she said she will never shop at your store again. And then we wonder who she will go to saying that you are a bad business owner. icon_evil.gif

I think you did the right think.

Hugs,
Suzanne

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auntsushi Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 9:51pm
post #5 of 28

I went back and re-read your post........so, it sounds to me like this lady is trying to justify HER bad behavior by twisting the story around saying "you should have overlooked it because she got someone to buy a pan in your store" ????? So, does she now feel entitled that whenever she comes in your store, she has the right to do what she wants???? What if there had been ten people in your store when she was there? There's just no telling with this lady what she feels she is owed and entitled to. Now I think that you REALLY did the right thing.

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PSLCakeLady Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 9:51pm
post #6 of 28

I appreciate your thoughts. I would never take business from another person. It's just not right. I realize she may not shop at my store but what if it were a big wedding she took from me. Would it have been worth her sale or future sales? It's my livelyhood. I'm everyday people and spend alot adverstising and trying to build up the business.

Thank you for your thoughts.

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SwampWitch Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:08pm
post #7 of 28

The lady was wrong and you said everything right, EXCEPT I really think you should have spoken to the lady and not her daughter.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

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cookingfool Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:11pm
post #8 of 28

You absolutley did the right thing! Shame on her for being so selfish as to solicite in your place of business. icon_eek.gif This is your bread and butter. What would happen if I where to walk up to a construction site, and grab customer and tell them that I will build their home? I would get my butt handed to me. It isn't just wrong, it is RUDE!!! icon_evil.gif You have nothing to worry about, and I will tell you this...she will miss your business too. She frequented your store for a reason, and now she will have to settle for less at another store for her products. icon_cry.gif God blees you.

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leslies125 Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:11pm
post #9 of 28

If I understand your story correctly, the daughter was not there when the incident happend, so in my humble opinion, she should not have been involved. I agree with you telling your customer what you did, but I don't think it was very professional to tell her daughter and have her relay the message. But again, I totally agree that she shouldn't have done that in your store.

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KatieTaylor77 Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:20pm
post #10 of 28

What that lady did was just plain tacky . . . although, I probably would have just asked for the moms phone number to speak to her directly. Either way, the woman probably has no clue about being considerate of the business/people she is around, so of course this is a shock to her. Just chalk it up to people not having respect for others . . . you did the right thing.

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mmdd Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:21pm
post #11 of 28

Put a no soliciting sign up! Make sure she see's it if she comes back.

I do have one question....you said your business is cake retail/bakery....bakery means what? Did the customer not understand that? Why was she asking your employee if she knew of anyone that did cakes?

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PSLCakeLady Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:21pm
post #12 of 28

Valid point about the daughter, but I guess I wanted to let it be known since both of them were shopping for the same wedding project. True, I should have justed asked the daughter to have her mom called me. However, according to the lady, she did nothing wrong because she spent enough money to cover the multitude of her sin so to speak. I did apologize to her for the misunderstanding and told her there was no mal-intent, but she needed to understand my point of view...she was having no part of it.

Live and learn I guess. I should choose my words more wisely but some people have an aire of entitlement.

...bakery...cakery really...but yes, it clearly says that on the window. However, as I said to her, I'm sure she did not realize that. She didn't seem to care because she paid enough to me in merchandise to cover it.

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cambo Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:22pm
post #13 of 28

I agree with you that this woman behaved in very poor taste, HOWEVER, I totally agree with "SwampWitch" and "Leslies125" that her daughter should not have been involved to relay your concern. I think I would have called the lady and spoke w/ her directly.

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PSLCakeLady Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:26pm
post #14 of 28

I had no way to contact the lady. But Yes...could have asked her to call me.

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Theav Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:28pm
post #15 of 28

I agree with not talking to the daughter but the mother instead.

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Dizzymaiden Posted 14 Oct 2006 , 10:36pm
post #16 of 28

I wonder if a compromise could be made. If she does recommend your shop and others come to it and purchase products then it is possible the loss of one cake could be sacraficed for the retail purchases of others. You could benefit from a "partner" type of shop. ?? Just a thought.

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KatieTaylor77 Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 12:39am
post #17 of 28

The cake supply I use in my area is a bakery as well as supply shop. I spend way too much money in there . . . and in return they are always kind to me and have helped me out with learning new things, new products, etc. I can see how someone in the store might be confused as to whether they sell cakes--however, any customers who are in there regularly would have no doubt about this. I would never dream of drumming up business in the store that has given me so much free help and advice--its just bad manners. In no way does spending money on supplies give a customer the right to solicit cake business when inside a bakery!!!! Its just that easy . . . its bad business practice and you have every right to stand up for yourself. Who cares what someone that rude thinks??? If she has a problem with it, tough!

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tatetart Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 12:46am
post #18 of 28

No! YOU ARE NOT WRONG!!!!When she pays your overhead, then she can solicit your customers.

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aligotmatt Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 12:57am
post #19 of 28

I don't think you were wrong by not wanting someone soliciting business in your shop. I'm not sure I agree with addressing the daughter, but I totally understand why you did... That being said, I bet she'll send someone back to shop at your store for her. She may be too proud to come back herself, but when you need supplies, you have to go!

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doescakestoo Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 12:57am
post #20 of 28

I agree, spending the money in any busness does not give you the right to take the customer from the busness. If I would do that to the local bakery here I would have lost a good friend and lost busness that she has given me. So that what that customer did was way wrong. JMHO. You should have talked to her not the daughter. But you were not wrong in getting the message back to her. Next time I would have asked for the mom's number. We all live and learn. Keep learning and living.... thumbs_up.gif

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MustloveDogs Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 9:11am
post #21 of 28

I am constantly amazed by how inconsiderate, selfish and rude our "customers" can be!
She knew she was doing something wrong, that is why she tried to justify it..to make herself feel in the right.
I would not have been so polite, I would have banned them from the store immediately.
They know this is a business, not a charity and what do they seriously think a bakery sells if it doesn't do cakes also???
Don't feel bad that she claims to be offended, If I were you I would be far more offended by what she did.
Keep your chin up and remember that for every terrible customer, there are 100 great ones!

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MissT Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 3:37pm
post #22 of 28

Would she go to Walmart and advertise that she sells clothes?!? Would Walmart agree to it?!? No, it is just not acceptable to solicite business while in a similar place of business. I would not go to my local bakery and expect them to be ok with my advertising that I do cakes.

So maybe you should have not spoken to the daughter, but at least you gave her mother the benefit of the doubt that she didn't know you did cakes.

Sounds to me like mom's upset because she got caught and called on it. Would she have done this if you were there?

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cakegurl06 Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 4:25pm
post #23 of 28

PSL you handled it very well. It's difficult to know exactly how to handle these kinds of things when they happen because our emotions get in the way too. Yeah, maybe talking to the woman directly instead of her daughter would have been the ideal way to handle it but, so what. You worked with what you had to work with and you handled it as professionally as you could, even trying to soothe her temper when she should have been apologizing and soothing yours! People almost never react well to being told they were inconsiderate or rude (or borderline stealing!) and will tend to try to turn the tables and blame their accuser. It's a pretty typical response. She should have just apologized and said something like "I spoke up without thinking. I'm sorry."
I think you handled it very well and I wouldn't second guess yourself at all.

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JoanneK Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 4:41pm
post #24 of 28

This is a hard one. I'm sure you were upset over this but to be honest I think I would have let it go. When she came back into the store I would watch her closely. If I saw her do it again then I would say something right then. I would ask to speak to her before she finished talking to the customer. Then I would tell her nicely that you don't allow things like this to happen in your store.

Since you were not really there you don't know what was really said. Why didn't your employee say anything like "Oh I didn't know you did cakes. Do you do them from home? Are you legal?" Then tell the customer you also do cakes and then take over and point her to the wonderful cakes you do and so on.

The daughter should not have been talked to at all. I think that may have upset this lady most of all. It would have me. I mean if you have a problem with me fine. Tell me about it. But if you talk to my family first I'm going to be ticked off.

You don't want to lose any customers. So it's a hard one. But since this lady has been a repeat I would have taken a little more care with her.

Just my opinion of course.

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indydebi Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 8:11pm
post #25 of 28

So someone bought a pan at her recommendation. Big. Whup. I have a friend who used to work in banking and had to constantly listen to customers who, while making a complaint, would point out that "i've got an account in this bank!" So my friend would look up the account ...... and one time he told the customer, "A $14.27 checking account balance does not entitle you to make your car payment late and get the late fees waived".

It would be wrong for a Ford salesman to stand on a Chevy lot and pass out his business cards to potential car buyers. It would be wrong for realtor A to sit in realtor B's office and grab new home buyers as they walked in the door to realtor B. It is wrong for a cake decorator to stand in another bakery/decortor's place of business and solicit business from the bakery's customers.

It's one thing if you had introduced the woman as "Here's a lady who can do cakes for you." It's quite another for her to butt in and take the business.

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smbegg Posted 15 Oct 2006 , 8:24pm
post #26 of 28

I would definatly put a no soliciting sign up to help your employees inforce this if it happens in the future. That way you are covered and it gives you some leverage in the future. Then there can be no "accidental" referrals!

Stephanie

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sweetbaker Posted 16 Oct 2006 , 3:03pm
post #27 of 28

If you also sell cakes, does your shop have a display case with cakes? If the one customer had to ask if your store sold cakes then maybe the other customer (who took the business) didn't know either. But if you know the lady that took the business is aware that you do decorated cakes and she is a regular customer, I would have waited for her to come in to store and spoken to her directly. Otherwise, I would have let it go.

Also, if you don't have a display case of baked goods, maybe post some signs in the store that you offer decorated cakes. Do you have a portfolio available for viewing? You could also post a line about that on your sign.

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littlecake Posted 17 Oct 2006 , 8:49pm
post #28 of 28

geeeeeze louise!!!!!!!!!!!!

i thought i heard it all!...

the sheer nerve of some people!....YOU HAD TO LINE HER OUT...

if you didn't that pushy woman would continue......i guess she can't get her own customers she has to steal yours????

it didn't hurt that daughter to relay the message...with someone that strident and stupid...it's probably happened before.

it seems to me that NOT soliciting business at a professional shop would just be common sense.

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