This One Is Going To Be A Doozy (Vent)
Business By costumeczar Updated 23 Aug 2009 , 4:44pm by costumeczar
I have a girl who's had to reschedule twice for a tasting already because she apparently always finds "bad traffic" that makes her late. She's got a friend who's translating for her coming with her since she also apparently doesn't speak English, so the friend has been the contact person up to this point.
So I got a message today from the friend today informing me that since the bride "has to" plan everything with her parents and her aunt 
they'll ALL be coming to the tasting tomorrow. That means that they're planning on bringing 6 people (bride, groom, parents, aunt and translator) even after I emailed them that they can only bring three (bride, groom and translator.)
So after I finished yelling "oh hell no!" while I listened to the message, I emailed her and told her that three was the max, and if they don't like it and want to hire someone else because of it that would be fine, but 6 people, 5 of whom can't speak English, is going to be WAAAAY too confusing.
People.... 
Good grief 
I'm sorry for what your going through. I hope it all works out...I've never had to do a taste session, but I can only imagine your frustration. Do you charge for this too or is this included in the total price? If not, you should charge extra!
Wow!! I wouldn't have the patience with them either!!!! I had one person that said she was coming for a taste and called and said she had forgotten and made other plans!! But thats the worst! I would be at wits end with the whole situation as well!!!!
My only thought would be this;
She's rescheduled twice, she must pay no show/cancellation fees. since she did not cancel 24 hours in advance. This would be for each appt. that she was a no show. Make it hurt. Make her pay upfront.
If she wants to reschedule and bring the Beverly Hillbillies, the tasting is paid for up front in cash. You can always deduct off the actual cake.
Every extra person at the tasting will pay each what was originally contracted for the 3, bride, groom and translator.
Your time is money. You could have had another appointment with a bride that was actually going to sign a contract and spend money. Oh, I forgot that actually showed up.
Sending her down the road, probably the best thing you could have done.
If I'm wrong in the above advice, everyone can give me fits.
My posted notice for tastings was, you get the bride/groom for free.
After that it is $20 per person at the tasting with a limit of 3 extra people to attend (I would usually let a mom of bride OR groom slide through and attend free). That $20 per person fee is NOT included in the cost of the cake and must be paid 48 hours in advance.
If they want to bring people GREAT! More opinions, but more work for me that I will get paid for. 
I'd love to be able to charge for tastings, but the common practice around here is not to. Sooooo...If I do I will be eliminating a good percentage of clients who might otherwise book. I do like the idea of charging for extra people, but then I'd have to let them come if they actually paid! 
If this appt doesn't work out because they insist on bringing everyone and their brother (I like the Beverly Hillbillies description) that's it for her. The only reason I let her reschedule was that the friend was so apologetic and pissed off with her after she had to reschedule the second time, I let it go.
I tell them they can bring a total of 4 people (that includes the bride/groom) because I only have 4 chairs. If they bring 6 anyway, 2 of them have to stand and they either split the "cake for 4 six ways or 2 of them don't get to sample (so I've no idea why they came anyway).
Good for you for standing up!
Well, they showed up with only three people, the bride, the translator and the bride's mother! Seems that the bride's mother has been so controlling of the whole process, she told the groom that he'd have to stay home while she came instead of him. They spent the whole time gabbing at each other in Portugese, then gave me a deposit (woo hoo!)
It also turns out that the translator is a girl whose cake I did about 4 years ago, and I didn't realize it because she's using her married last name. She also came to the appointment directly before the one I was talking about, because she had made her brother and his fiance come to get their cake from me! You have to love repeat customers...And now I'm glad I didn't just lose it and ban the Portugese clients, or I probably would have pissed off the translator/free referral agent!
I've had a couple of appointments where the (potential) customers speak n their native tongue while I just sit there. On etried to haggle, after first telling me that my cake was too sweet. I checked later with a friend who was familar with that particular culture and she assured me it was completely normal. First find fault, then offer a lower price. I declined to work with them.
The other time they didn't book, after the bride said, "I don't care what the cake tastes like, only how it looks." And I said, "Well, I care about both taste and looks." She was not amused.
And everyone has to remember my story about the bride who brought her, mom, sister, bridesmaid and the eight kids from her at-home day care center. Yep 12 people. I sent her packin'.
OH yeah, I remember that Leahs. I was discussing that exact scenario with a potential vendor to express what would not be happening at tastings. I'm glad your tasting worked out, cause I know it was gettng real frustrating.
If she wants to reschedule and bring the Beverly Hillbillies, the tasting is paid for up front in cash.
BWAHAHAHAHA.....
I had a consultation three weeks ago that was a doozy. In spite of the fact that I said (both on the phone and in an e-mail) that I could only accomodate two people, the couple shows up with their three kids, her sister plus her sister's two kids, and his parents.
When I reiterated that I could only accomodate two people they said that they thought it would be okay anyway. Um.... no.
I said that the couple was welcome to the consultation, but all superfluous individuals had to leave while the consultation was in progress. Well, they chewed me out and the whole pack huffed off.
A day later she had written really derogatory things about my company, and personal attacks against me, on the local wedding forum. I contacted the owners of the forum and explained what had happened, but they refused to remove her posts. They said it was her right to write about her experience at my store. I contacted them again and said that she hadn't written anything about her experience, but her post was personal. They still refused to remove it. I won't be purchasing any further advertising there, ever.
Luckily, I have many satisfied customers, and lots of people answered her post by saying that they ordered from me, and that I was very professional and nice and fun, etc, and that they were really happy with their consultation.
The funny thing is, she never once mentioned that they had come to the consultation with eight uninvited persons.
Just to be a know-it-all, the proper term is interpreter, not translator. A translator deals with documents, and an interpreter deals with the spoken word.
Just to be a know-it-all, the proper term is interpreter, not translator. A translator deals with documents, and an interpreter deals with the spoken word.
How dare you be a know-it-all! That's MY job! 
(or so my husband would tell you, probably!)
Good for you for kicking out the extra uninvited guests at that tasting. What forum was it that wouldn't take down the nasty posts? That's why I don't like the wedding review sites in general. They should give vendors the opportunity to respond to nasty stories like that online. At least you had other people stick up for you.
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