Customers Really Don't Understand How It Works...

Business By costumeczar Updated 4 Feb 2009 , 10:44pm by SecretAgentCakeBaker

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costumeczar Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 1:52pm
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I got a funny (to me) request from a client who's booked a cake for later in the year. She ordered a red velvet cake without tasting it and is now worried that she might not like it, so she wanted to see if I could make a sample of it for her. She knows that I don't freeze cake, so she said that she didn't want me to go to the trouble of making a whole cake for her, and if I could just make her one cupcake or something like that it would be great. icon_wink.gif

I just thought it was funny that she thinks people actually just make one cupcake at a time. She's trying to be considerate, but I have a feeling she doesn't know how baking works...

45 replies
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tootie0809 Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 1:57pm
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That IS funny! I agree with you that most people have no idea how baking works and definitely have no idea how time consuming and intricate cake decorating is.

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janine1972 Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 2:05pm
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LOL!!! Yes, most of them dont know - i mean, if you go to the shops, you can buy just one cup cake or 100, so therefore, you can bake just one cup cake or bake 100 - he he he
Well maybe next time you bake that type of cake - bake her just one cup cake out of the batter - lol it sure wont be missed

its just a miss conception on her part.

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karateka Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 2:05pm
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I had a bride that had already had a consult tell me that she wanted to taste a cake with fondant on it. So next time I made a wedding cake, could I let her taste it?

What? icon_confused.gif

They have no clue.

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txboog Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 2:18pm
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Maybe in her mind she was thinking "the next time you have an order for a red velvet cake, could you make me a cupcake, so I can try it?" Sometimes what we're thinking in our head, doesn't come out of our mouths the same way. icon_smile.gif

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bisbqueenb Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 2:24pm
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I just can't see how people order things they have never ever tasted! Personally, if I were to order a cake I would order something I knew I liked, something I knew others would also like! That being said....I can count on one hand the flavors my clients order! I am open to doing other flavors if they were to ask, but they always seem to chose long time favorites!

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costumeczar Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 4:26pm
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I guess that's why she wants to try it, to make sure that she likes it. Most of the time when the subject of red velvet cake comes up, half the people there don't know what it is, and the other half LOVE it. It might be something that her fiance wanted, I don't remember.

And no, it wasn't her asking for me to make some extra when I'm doing it for someone else. She's from out of town, so she's coordinating with when she'll be driving through, so she definitely just wanted one cupcake icon_smile.gif

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janine1972 Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 6:17pm
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Do you charge for your tasting sessions???
if so would the cost cover baking a small red velvet cake??
Then you could tell her that you charge for your tastings, and if she is interested, that is the only way you can do it to suit her timming, unless you get an order for it before she comes through??!!!

This is really a difficult one - lol one cup cake - i was laughing so hard i almost cried - lol

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costumeczar Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 8:35pm
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I don't charge for tastings, but I'm just going to make it and use it for the other tastings that I have then anyway, so it isn't a big deal. She's obviously really worried about it, and she IS trying to be helpful and not impose too much, but I still laugh when I think of baking just one cupcake for one person.

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JGMB Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 8:47pm
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I really think that people don't know much about baking anymore. I guess bakers should be glad, because that's what keeps them in business!

I told a 30-something woman the other day that I make all my cakes from scratch. She said that it must take so much time to do that, "since you have to let it rise and everything." I had to hold back the laughter!

Then, I sent a bunch of cookies to school yesterday for my daughter's freshman students. She said they asked where she bought them, she said her mom made them, and they said, "Oh, you mean out of a box?" My daughter said it was painfully obvious that none of them had even ever heard of baking cookies from scratch.

The cupcake story by the OP "takes the cake" though (pardon the pun!). It was so naive and cute.

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SecretAgentCakeBaker Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 9:41pm
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I have a cookbook called "Small Batch Baking" (has awesome recipes). The recipes make 2 tiny cakes, a few cupcakes, 4 cookies, etc. Maybe she has seen this book and just assumes that all professional bakers know how to bake this way.

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costumeczar Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 10:53pm
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Why would you only want to make 4 cookies??? icon_eek.gif I can eat that myself as a warmup!

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thems_my_kids Posted 3 Feb 2009 , 11:38pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar

I just thought it was funny that she thinks people actually just make one cupcake at a time. She's trying to be considerate, but I have a feeling she doesn't know how baking works...




That is funny. Even if she doesn't bake professionally, surely she's made cupcakes at least once in her life! icon_rolleyes.gif

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SecretAgentCakeBaker Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:09am
post #14 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar

Why would you only want to make 4 cookies??? icon_eek.gif I can eat that myself as a warmup!




So we don't eat 4 dozen cookies in 2 days!! icon_smile.gif

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indydebi Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:10am
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A co-worker of hubby's loved my snickerdoodles and everyday, she'd pull one from their daily order to have with her coffee (they rec'd 300 cookies every day). Snicks were the everyday cookie. Well, one day I didn't make them. Hubby told me I had to "make at least one!" snick to send in. I said, "Do you know how to divide an egg into 12 equal parts so I can use 1/12 of an egg?" icon_confused.gif

He goes to work. No snicks. Co-worker stands next to his desk with hands on hips wanting her snick. Hubby tells her that he BEGGED me to make snicks, and that all I said was do you know how to divide an egg.....?

She says, "Well, how DO you divide an egg?"

Hubby says, "I DON'T KNOW! SHE CAN'T DO IT! THERE ARE NO SNICKERDOODLES TODAY!" icon_lol.gif

All of this was in fun between the two of them, but it's a cool story about "you have to make at least ONE of those cookies!" icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif

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costumeczar Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:16am
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I once made cookies and froze a bunch of them, thinking that my husband wouldn't find them and eat them all at once. I found him later standing in front of the freezer with frozen cookies in his hand (and his mouth.) I told him that I froze the cookies so he wouldn't eat them, and his reply was "that won't stop me!"

I don't even buy cookies at the store, we'll eat them all in a day. And forget homebaked ones, they don't last two hours. I was once introduced to a woman who lives up the street from me, and she said "I know you! You're my daughter's best Girl Scout cookie customer!" icon_redface.gif

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SecretAgentCakeBaker Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:32am
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costumeczar, then "Small Batch Baking" is perfect for you! icon_smile.gif You can make a small batch and have 2 cookies each, just for a taste. There won't be any left to be tempting. (At least that's how it is for me!!)

I actually purchased this book mainly for the cake recipes, because there are only 2 adults and one child in my family, and I wanted to be able to make cakes from time to time without having any leftovers. Now I like to make recipes from it to take to bake sales, so I can bring a variety of flavors. (The blackberry jam cake is my favorite!) I also refrain from buying cookies because I would eat them all. From time to time my daughter wants cookies, so I can just make a few for her & her friend and not have any for myself.

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mkolmar Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:37am
post #18 of 46

This is funny that others have the same cookie issues my DH has. Last year I thought I would be a good wife and buy 3 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. DH would have a 1 whole box of Peanut butter sandwich cookies that he loves.(while the kids and I had what we wanted) Gave them to him and he was happy but had a funny smile on his face. icon_confused.gif
Later that night I had to go to the grocery store and I decided to take his car. Well, guess what I found! Go ahead guess!

An entire case of peanut butter sandwich Girl Scout cookies hidden in his car. There where empty boxes and wrappers thrown about like a candy wrapper mine field. Poor cookies...they never stood a chance.
He remembered a little too late and came running out yelling "Don't take my car." I just looked at him and said "BUSTED!"

I didn't know other people were out there just as bad as him. icon_lol.gif

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costumeczar Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:38am
post #19 of 46

If I started baking small batches of cookies I would be signing divorce papers! I bake cookies so rarely these days it would be cruel and unusual treatment of my husband if I only gave him one or two cookies to taste.

And I think that my kids would shave my head while I was asleep to teach me a lesson. Either that, or they'd call and report me to Social Services for child abuse.

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panchanewjersey Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:40am
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Sounds like something I would do, eat whatever I can even raw cookie dough, how funny. But it's pretty bad in my house, if there's nothing sweet I'll make something up just to have a sweet bite to satisfy that sweet tooth. Oh I should say sweet teeth, it's not just me but my kids too. My hubby's weird he doesn't like sweets.

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newmansmom2004 Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 12:45am
post #21 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGMB

Then, I sent a bunch of cookies to school yesterday for my daughter's freshman students. She said they asked where she bought them, she said her mom made them, and they said, "Oh, you mean out of a box?" My daughter said it was painfully obvious that none of them had even ever heard of baking cookies from scratch.




This brought to mind another food product kids and even some grown-ups today have no clue about - popcorn. My sister and bro-in-law grow popcorn for Orville Redenbacher and we grew up on popcorn that you put in a pan on the stove and popped - or in a popcorn popper. My sister's daughter is now a teacher and she was talking about popcorn in class one day and all the kids looked at her like she had horns growing out of her neck. She brought in a couple of ears of popcorn so they could all see it and they were just mesmerized. All they knew of was the popcorn that came out of those bags you put in the microwave!

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FromScratch Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 1:29am
post #22 of 46

Could you make her a tasting cake and charge her for it? That's what I do if I have someone who wants to taste a specific combo after their tasting. A 6" taster cake.. single torted layer and it's $20.00.

All of the little anecdotal stories are great too. My kids have grown up on stovetop popped corn and they prefer it over the microwave stuff, but we bought popping corn on the cob once and they just thought that was the COOLEST thing ever. When my daughter brings treats into school she is always so proud to tell everyone that her momma made them from scratch and she helped.

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janine1972 Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 5:57am
post #23 of 46

lol - We only make the stove top pop corn here in our house - lol
And it still tastes the best!!!!

As for scratch baking - ditto, i dont do box cakes at all.
My son is my bestadvert - lol when i go to deliver cakes or even when we start talking about cakes etc he will chip in and tell the customers how his moms cakes are the best cakes, and he thinks im the best cake decorator too - lol

I think it lovely of you to bake her a cup cake for when she comes around your way again - and using the rest on the next tasting is a good idea!!

Well this was a good giggle for us all! - thank you for sharing

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chutzpah Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 6:04am
post #24 of 46

Arghhh.... microwave popcorn is just SO nasty.

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evasmama Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 6:11am
post #25 of 46

Yay! I'm glad to see I'm not the only stovetop popcorn freak. I can't even stand to smell microwave popcorn any more. I used to love it, but when I decided to make my own a couple of years ago, I never went back.

It's a good thing bagged corn is cheap...I eat a huge bowl every other day! Recently, though, in an attempt to curb the fat and calories, I started using powdered butter sprinkles instead of melted. It's a reasonable substitute, but I still bust out the Land O' Lakes once in a while.

I may have to check out the small batch cookbook. I'd never make a small batch of cookies, but tiny cakes for practice would work well.

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FromScratch Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 1:37pm
post #26 of 46

I love your avatar evasmom... I have been skimming over and I just really read it and about fell over. icon_lol.gif

Now I have U Can't Touch This stuck in my head though... It's Hamma Yo Hamma, MC Hamma Go Hamma and the rest can go and play U Can't Touch This..

I need help... icon_lol.gif

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-Tubbs Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 6:20pm
post #27 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkolmar

An entire case of peanut butter sandwich Girl Scout cookies



As a Girl Guide leader, I heartily applaud his support of a great organisation! Seriously, selling a whole case just makes the girls' day! Once I was preparing to go selling with my girls and a man came along and saw all the cases in the back of my van. He immediately bought an entire case and insisted on showing the girls his scout tattoo!

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melvin01 Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 6:43pm
post #28 of 46

Okay, I know I will get bashed for this, but I'm not a fanatic of the Girl Scout Cookies. I do like the mint ones, but I never buy them. I think (and TubbsCookies, you can confirm or deny this) that they put something addictive in them because people go absolutely NUTS for the cookies! It scares me....

Jeanne, I have heard that sone a couple days in a row now in the car and I'm hoping no one is watching (like I care) because I do my little hammer dance behind the wheel. And of course sing it, after all the car is my own recording studio! I guess if I did dance to this I would get thinner.

I also grew up on the pan/air pop popcorn and just loved when my grandmother would make carmel corn...gaaaa carmel corn (insert homer drooling here). I tried to make it myself the other day and had an issue with my glass pyrex pans getting hot enough to pop adequately. My gram has the best metal pans that do a better job with it. I need to take another stab at doing it one day. Such a fun way to do it, it's done in the microwave with a paper bag to coat the kernels with carmel. Mmmm, now I'm craving!

Something else that I like to do, since I prefer kettle corn, is use one of the little pink packets of sweetener and put a little bit on popped corn. Give it just a hint of sweetness and the powder is nice and fine. Okay, I guess I'm kinda weird. No comments from the peanut--or should I say--popcorn gallery!

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costumeczar Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 6:44pm
post #29 of 46

When my husband refers to "doing a line" he means that he's planning on eating an entire tube of thin mints in one sitting. Hmmm...I think that GS cookies are on sale now, why hasn't anyone come a'knockin' at my door yet icon_mad.gif I'm the one who will swerve across two lanes of traffic and screech to a stop in front of the stands they set up in front of grocery stores, so I'll have to keep my eyes open.

And Chutzpah, I must agree that microwave popcorn is soooo nasty...I have an oil popper that we use, I don't even like air-popped. I'll look for popping corn on the cob, though, that sounds like fun!

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Ayanami Posted 4 Feb 2009 , 6:45pm
post #30 of 46

I grew up making popcorn with my daddy in an air popper & I remember one time (for Christmas maybe?) he got a wine bottle of popcorn kernels that were colored red. I thought that was the coolest thing! Still do. icon_lol.gif It wasn't flavored, tasted just the same as regular, but it popped up wine red. I've looked, but never found anything like it since.

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