waste your time

Rant rant rant.

Why do people who know they are never going to order from you cos they already know they can't afford you waste your time by getting in touch.

I had someone email me back and forward for ideas, I spend time coming up with lots of options for her and emailing ideas and pictures because she doesn't know what she wants. Then she says oh I can't afford it and goes and orders one of those awful cheap M&S cakes.

Don't get me wrong I don't mind people who are genuinely clueless but when you clearly know the price before you start, and know you are never going to order from me in a million years don't waste my time.

Do people honestly believe we have nothing better to do.

Sorry needed to get that off my chest.

Or how about the friends who keep telling you that you ought to start selling them but when they find out what a cake like that would cost, they'd never actually buy one themselves?

I hear you loud and clear!
Same thing here, days and days of emails and pictures(8, to be exact)
and once she made up her mind, I told her how much and she told me that it was a "Simple" cake and it shouldn't be that much money...
Got to love those easy and "simple" cakes.
Jodi

People are clueless, for sure. I got call Saturday night around 8PM wanting a sheet with a bell...for Sunday morning 9AM. No? It's only a bell. Yeah. Right.

i think thats why some people insist on the deposit being paid before they spend more than a couple of emails on someone. but it would be a hard line to draw!
xx

for the same reason I go window shopping on a broke day.... wishful thinking!
Before I spend anytime designing and helping a client come up with a perfect cake, I give them the basics as far as how much $ it'll be according to servings and then, after an ok and usually a 50% deposit, then I spend the time on it.

I never went back and forth more than 2, maybe 3, emails. At that point I'd send them an email that suggested "..... it sounds like you need to stop by the shop so we can discuss exactly what you are looking for. I'm available Tuesday between 1 and 3, or Thursday between 3 and 5. Which will work best for you?"

Weeds 'em out real fast. 'Coz if they can't find time to actually come to the shop, then I just can't find time to deal with them like this.

I would only ever return 2 emails before requesting a deposit before design/help stage. The first mail after the initial intrest mail would be a list of questions, eg. size, flavour, date, ect. if they replied then they would geta mail requesting a meet to discuss further their requirements, If they did not have time for a meeting and wanted to sort my mail then they had to pay a small none refundable deposit for any designs and time.

I'm glad to hear it's not just me, thanks for all your replies made me feel so much better.

If only everyone was as reliable as you guys.

Jodi I love the "simple cakes", that really helped lift me.

Love to you all

J x

Yeah, those "simple cakes" will eat your lunch!

this weeek at my market I had this girl stand there for a good 5 minutes going "whats that? and hwo much? Whats that??? how much? oh whats that?" Just to turn to her BF and say "what time is it, oh gotta go!"

WTH!

Well it just goes to show that for every time waster there is an easy customer.

I pick up an email this morning for a January wedding cake. Straight off without even asking how much she asks if I will do her a cake (new customer never met her before) like the picture she has attached.

I email her asking how many servings so I can give her a price.

She emails me 80.

I email her the price.

She books......if only they were all that easy.

I received a call on Thursday night around 9:30 pm and they wanted an erotic cake so i explained to them I could do it but I would charge them for short notice and i would need it paid in full up front after i told her the price she laughed and said she could get from s cake shop for $28 so I told her "ok then go"

They do it for the same reasons why they don't seem to remember they needed a cake for their childs birthday or dad's birthday until 2 days before the event & then think you're suppose to accomodate them with extravagant half cocked ideas for very little money. For the same reason they call you with somewhat of an idea for a cake but not really & say "I'll call you back" with with specifics on a theme & ideas & don't call back or respond to your emails, texts or calls until 3 days before they need the cake then sound utterly surprised when you tell them they are too late. I don't understand it and never will. Your mistake is not my emergency. if you didn't give a darn about ordering YOUR cake in advance ,then I don't give a damn about making it for you. I had to get in on this vent. Thanks for listening. LOL!!!

ArtieT vent away hun x

Ditto!!

I've been starting to give estimated prices up front...if they don't know what they want, I throw out a few ranges (i.e. base price....average fondant tiered prices...and average range for 3D cakes) and that tells them if they want to keep corresponding with me or not.

I've had people not write back and that was fine with me...I saved myself alot of time by bringing up price right away.

That's something I just learned this year.

I agree; they get told the base price per serving with the first email response. Then I either correspond with them or I never hear from them again. Works well so far...

I know my friends always ask me for cakes or cupcakes, and I love to do them but I hate that when I tell them how much there like " how can we come down in the price" I still need to get paid for my time just not the supplies. So know I have a estimated price list that I email to everyone as soon as they ask me about the cakes and what I can do. It saves so much time with dealing with people that cant afford it.

I don't sell cakes anymore, but I don't understand why you don't ask your customer after they show an interest in your work, what is their budget, and then let them know what you can do in that price range if possible.

Also, I would not give away any drawn design (email or snail mail) unless you have a deposit for the cake. If you do, then all they need to do is shop around with your design.

Just my opinion.

Kita, that is true and it's why you pretty much have to play it by ear.

My red flags went up when they told me they wanted a "really cool and different cake!" and then told me how much they "just LUV Ace of Cakes!"

I'd give them my (conspiratorial whisper) speech about Duff's $1000 minimum "....but fortunately, I'm not QUITE that expensive. So tell me ... what exactly were you looking for and how much were you looking to spend?"

Another method I used was to reply to an inquiry about carved/shaped cakes with "Those cakes start at $150 and that's even before I pick up a pencil to design out what you're looking for."

Either way, I believe in getting the money issue out of the way. Doesn't waste my OR their time.

The website still says $1000....

My minimum for 3D is "only" $200. haha.

I think people are so used to instant gratification these days. They are used to going to the local supermarket and seeing cakes in the bakery section and they wonder why you need at least a weeks notice for your cakes. I need to get the cake and board from the local cake and candy supply store because I don't have them on hand. I don't know where I would keep them. But even last year I made a cake for my boss's grandfather and she asked for a filled 2 layer 1/2 sheet cake. I asked how many people were going to be thre she said about 25 I told her honestly that was too much cake for 25 people. After the cake was delivered the next work day she admitted she had lots of cake left over. Why don't people listen to you, don't they think we know what we are talking about?

They don't understand because we do so much different than a bakery.

For instance a guy just wrote me today...said last year the cake he got his wife was terrible and he wanted a good birthday cake for her. Now, I don't generally do alot of bakery style cakes but once in awhile I do, and I did want his wife to have a nice cake! So gave him some options and he picked one.

Anyway I was talking about 8" ones because he said he only has two kids and his wife...he told me that the 8" (yucky) cake he had last year was very small and he wanted to make sure it was large enough.

I assured him that a full sized 8" cake is also 4" tall (in contrast to smaller bakery ones) and that it should feed about 15 people and that he and his family of four would be eating it at least two days. So he went with my advice.

I felt kinda bad he had such an "awful" cake last year...all his wife wants is a good yellow cake with chocolate frosting and he was searching to find her something good. I thought it was sweet. "Awww, of course I'll make your wife a yellow cake with chocolate frosting." haha.

I've gotten to where I also just ask about their budget up front. I get so tired of the bug-eyed jaw-dropped looks that people give me when I tell them what a cake will cost. And I seriously might maim the next person who says "but it's just flour and sugar" to me. Seriously people. Augh.