I work from home, licensed kitchen. It is not convenient for me to have people just stopping by and honestly, I don't want to sit and chat with someone over a MAYBE $50 bday cake.

How do you politely get out of meeting someone for a small cake? It's not like I have a shop and they stop by, this is my home with 3 kids running around.

I am just not in the mood today I guess. I would like to do the order but do not want to have to "sit down and meet" with someone over every little cake. At the same time I don't want to come across the wrong way.

HELP!!

Just set a policy that you only do consultations for a cake larger than X# of servings or only for wedding cakes. Whatever you wish. Also, you could say that you only do consultations/tastings on Monday (a day when you can get a sitter for the kids or time when they are napping, etc).

This is an easy fix. Good luck.

Just set a policy that you only do consultations for a cake larger than X# of servings or only for wedding cakes. Whatever you wish. Also, you could say that you only do consultations/tastings on Monday (a day when you can get a sitter for the kids or time when they are napping, etc).

This is an easy fix. Good luck.

Just set a policy that you only do consultations for a cake larger than X# of servings or only for wedding cakes. Whatever you wish. Also, you could say that you only do consultations/tastings on Monday (a day when you can get a sitter for the kids or time when they are napping, etc).

This is an easy fix. Good luck.

I agree with kimmy. I only offer consultations on cake orders of at least $100 or more.

I try to handle everything through e-mail so that I have a paper trail. If the client wants they can send me a photo of a design that they are interested in and we go from there.

I too bake from home in a separate basement kitchen. I guess I've "trained" my clients well, LOL! they don't expect to just drop by and "talk cake".

If I were in your shoes I'd simply tell this potential client that you only schedule consultations for cakes over $100 in cost, all other orders are handled over the phone or through e-mail. If she insists on meeting, then offer her a couple of time slots, but let her know there will be a consultation fee charged to her. That should take care of it.

Good luck!

I do everything through email. I will meet with someone for a cake that serves over 100...other than that, eh, they can look at my past work and figure out for themselves if I can do the job or not.

Best friends: google, scanner and email. Google for examples of work they like, scanner to send drawings, email to confirm and track correspondence. Welcome to the digital world!

I do work in a licensed kitchen but it is not a place where I can meet with customers. I recently had this issue with an old family friend. She wanted to come meet with me and bring her mom and sister to discuss her dad's birthday cake. I basically had to politely explain that I do not do consultations (I DONT do wedding cakes) which is one of the reasons I was offering her the cake at such a low price. Consultations are figured into the pricing of wedding cakes/large cakes....sure I will emet with you prior, add $1 more per serving in the price I quoted you because during the time I would be meeitng with you, I could be making a cake!

Thank you for your replies.

I am concerned about coming across like their small cake order doesn't warrant my time/attention. Seems like it may be a little off-putting to folks around here.

I want to be helpful without going through all the motions. She was kind of balking at the price too which makes me want to meet with her even less.

Thanks again, I am going to wiggle out of this one!

Lenette I love your signature line......ain't it the truth!! I just showed it to my 21 yr old daughter and she just rolled her eyes, I guess she's still too young to agree with us

Not my intent....what I mean is, I do most of my consulting on line, haven't really had to meet with anyone over a "smallish" simple cake yet.

I usually only do consults for wedding cakes and really involved cakes like 3-D cakes. Once in a while I'll meet over a smaller event cake, but not often, and if I do it's with a fee. I do most of my consulting over the computer/phone.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having set hours for people to come by, that way you can be prepared for it. Like, Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8 or whenever, based on when you have dinner and when the kids go to bed.

Good luck

I don't know what the laws are where you live, but in my state it's illegal to have customers come to your home (assuming your area is zoned residential), even if you have a licensed home business. If it's the same for you, you have a good excuse right there.

A small cake order doesn't warrent my time and attention.

I only do consultations for weddings and for large birthday/event cakes (and I mean large.... several hundred peeps at least)