I recently did a 3 tiered bridal shower cake for 100 people. The cake turned out beautiful! The customer opted to pick the cake up herself. Customer and friends were pleased with the final product. I instructed the customer to drive CAREFULLY!! No sudden stops and no sharp turns. Pick up was at about 3:30pm. At about 6:00, I receive a phone call from customers sister stating that the cake was sitting on the table and fell out of the box. she went on to tell me that she wanted a new cake for 100 servings for the next day for free! I explained to her that there was no way I was doing a cake for free being that the damage was not my fault. i explained the best I could do would be a small sheet cake as a gesture. i then asked her to text me a photo of the cake, maybe we could figure something out. 7:30 pm, no photo. so, i call her back to inquire about the picture of the cake. she tells me she left the cake at her house and was on her way to the venue and would take a photo after she returned home. i finally get the photo at 12:30 am. She didn't seem to be in a hurry to resolve the issue. she calls early Saturday morning to ask what I was going to do. the top two tiers were still in tact, but smudged a bit. the bottom tier of the cake was crushed on one side. My suggestion was to turn the top tiers around so the smudged side was not showing and then slice up the bottom tier and place the slices surrounding the tiers being that the cake was still edible. She insisted on having a nice new PRETTY cake for the event. i explained to her that being that the damage done to the cake happened after it left my care there was not much I could do. I was already overbooked for the weekend. I have NEVER heard of a cake just falling out of the box on its own. What would you have done? sorry for the long vent!

Talk to Customer and NOT the sister! haha Sounds like sister is DRAMA QUEEN! Customer might not even know that sister's table made the cake fall out of the box. LOL

There's no way I would be giving anything for free in this situation! You have no idea how the person drove, or if they were just careless while moving the cake. I'd just say something like you already did--"I'm very sorry that this happened. However, since the cake was fine when it left my location, I am not responsible for the damage." Also, make sure you have a disclaimer on your website and/or contract stating that you are not responsible for damages once the cake leaves your location, if customers choose to pick up the cake instead of having it delivered. Sorry this happened, but just remember that you didn't do ANYTHING wrong, and you don't owe her anything. She's just another person who wants to find someone else to blame when things go wrong.

If the location isn't too far away, you could offer to meet them and the cake at the location and fix/arrange cake. If you had a contract stating your responsibility/their liability, charge them for fixing it. If not, I would consider doing it for no charge...out of kindness and future business/reputation. Going to shower would also be a way to explain the damage if necessary. Give your side because Sis just might be telling her side with quite a spin on it.

The venue was on the other side of town and the customer decided to pick up the cake. her idea of a compromise was a sheet to feed 100 people at no cost. I felt that was completely unreasonable being that whatever happened to the cake was not my fault.

My policy....I am not responsible for a cake after it has left my care...Period...I would say too bad..So sad!!

I would not be offering her a darn thing. The cake was perfect when it left you. You cannot be responsible to anything that happens to it after someone else picks it up.

Tell her exactly that.

I ended up not doing anything for her. I told her that once the cake leaves my care I am no longer responsible. she told me the cake was a total loss, but the photo she sent showed two tiers still in tact and the bottom tier crushed on one side. my suggestion was to slice it up and eat it. it was still edible.