Ok so this might be a little long and hateful but here it goes:

So I took an order for a cake 10" square 8" round and 6" round. The whole order took about 2 hours to be placed because the person ordering this cake wanted a big cake but didnt want to pay for a big cake. In the end I got irritated with her and just said ok 130 total. I know giveaway. Ok so I bust my but making the fondant stuff for the cake so that it can be ready on time. I have my uncle frost the cake for me because he does such a better job than me. It isnt my forte and since it had been a last minute cake I needed it to be done quick. First I think you need to know that we are a hispanic bakery that sells all kinds of sweet bread and mostly does sheet cakes. Its what sells and so thats what we offer. Once in while we get orders like this and Im not afraid of doing stuff like this because ive done them before and its not a big deal. Well when she comes and picks it up she says that this is not what she wanted that its ugly, unproffessional and that her 4 year old can do a better job. She didnt like the icing she didnt like the fondant accents she didnt like the bows, she didnt like anything. That she was embarresed to present it to her guests. That she did cakes and she could do way better. Why she didnt just do it herself I dont know. There is no topper on the cake because she didnt want to pay an extra 25 dollars for fondant bow which is what I charge. But when she was picking it up she was going on and on about how she paid 30 dollars for a topper at some store and like 50 more dollars on other stuff she was going to put around cake. So why she didnt just get bow I dont know. So in the end I just gave her the cake. And well I didnt take the criticism very well and feel verrrrrrrryyyyy crappy about myself. Im doubting my caking skills and if i should just not do stuff like that and just keep to the sheet cakes that we do all the time. Only you guys can understand something like this since it takes a caker to understand a caker. Anyways Ill put my picture up of my hideous cake.

P.S. She also said that she was spending more that a 1000 dollars on this party and so I thought then why didnt you go to some fancy cake shop instead of here a mom and pop bakery. Also she said something from a grocery store looked better than my cake. I hope she tripped and the cake fell on her.

Ill put link in case the attachement doesnt work.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1836416&done=1

I dont think its all that bad! My opinion is that she had no intentions of paying much for a cake to begin with. If she did cakes, she would have done it herself, not bought one. She saw you coming a mile away, got the better of you, and got a free cake! Lesson learned??
I would have paid $130, and gladly served it. Do not doubt yourself...she wins if you do!

Oh boy, she has totally played you and unfortunately won. That cake looks good and for $130 she was already getting a bargain, i assume she has eaten your cakes before so knows the standard.

It's easy to comment in hindsight but what a shame that when she commented that it was unprofessional you didn't pick up the cake and offer it for free to the customer behind her or someone else walking past. Best to give free stuff to people who deserve it.

Dont' give up you do good work and just need to find good customers.

The cake is beautiful and very cheap! This woman sounds like a master manipulator.. the one that tries her luck..guesses a weak point and attacks. If she was so embarrassed by it, why would she have left the shop with it? NEVER ever make a cake for her again.

There are people in this word who will bring people down just to get what they want, and she wanted free cake.
Smile and don't doubt yourself, your cakes are beautiful.

You did a great job , it's very pretty! It's a shame you gave it to her for free, I would have gladly paid for it. Keep up the good work!

I would give the cake a B+, it looks just fine. I would have charged $350 for that cake, and still an additional $30 for the bow.

So you had a crappy day; pick yourself up by your boot straps and keep on caking I looked at your photos; you have lots of talent and please don't let one cheap-skate customer make you doubt your skills!! and you're right, only a fellow-caker would understand...that's why we're all here A word of advice: choose your own battles and if giving the cake away was your best option at the time; then so be it

I wouldn't have given her a thing! If she didn't like it, simply return it to the back and tell her, "toodles! I'm sure you can find something more suitable to your taste elsewhere." is what I would've done! You wouldn't have made any money but, then again, you would've had the satisfaction of keeping the cake you sunk money into...daggum, you gave money away. I would've at least gotten some satisfaction with it by taking a giant scoop of it with my hand and saying, "oh, that's too bad. It's delicious!" while shoving it into my mouth (that is, if I didn't shove it in her face first...my tolerance for stupidity hits zero sometimes and I just can't control myself). The cow chose your bakery 'cause another wouldn't have taken her crap. I'm sorry it happened to you.

Next time (goodness, I sure hope there ain't one though!) no matter what is said, you get the money or you keep the cake!

The cake is beautiful and evident that although sheet cakes may be what you do most of, you have many tiered cakes in your future.

I agree with all4cake. I would have taken the cake back and told her to go somewhere else. If she was too embarrassed to tell people she paid for it, then you should have just kept it.

I think you did a wonderful job. So sorry you had such a crappy customer. Sounds like she needs to step down from her throne. Keep on making beautiful cakes and don't ever doubt yourself.

Your cake looks nice. If she was too embarrassed to serve it to her guests, then she should have been too embarrassed to serve it even if it was free. I wish you had not given her a free cake. She will spread the word to her friends that if they complain and make you feel bad that you will give them a free cake.

Your cake is super cute!!! I like it very much. It's hard to believe there are such mean and nasty people out there but they exist, unfortunately.

Look at it this way - do you believe what she said about your skills? No, I can tell you don't. Will you ever be taken in again by the same type of customer? No, you won't. You learned some good lessons today....you're a good decorator, you can do tiered cakes nicely and you are never going to give away beautiful cakes to bullies.

Your cake was beautiful!! I agree with the other CC'ers that the woman wanted something for free. Don't doubt yourself!! I would have proudly paid more than that for your cake!! That woman is a cheap free-loader. I also agree with everyone here that you shouldn't accept her business and start asking your future customers who referred them to you in an effort to avoid wasting your time with her loser friends/family. Just know that your cake was beautiful and she wasn't even worthy of being in the presence of it.

The fire dept or any other group like that would have been very appreciative of that cake and you would have felt better giving it to someone worthy of your very pretty cake. Maybe she will look bad when she tells people she bullied you for a free cake. Your integrity and the look and taste of the cake may work into future orders for you, but don't give a rude person a cake.

You are a sweetie, and unfortunately this witch got the better of you at a weak moment.

Your cake is fine, please don't doubt your skills. But, as I seem to be advocating a lot more these days, don't let one more moron do this to you ever again. If you don't feel up to arguing with a person pulling this sort of thing, calmly pop the till, take out any money they'd already paid, put the money in front of client, and take your cake to the back of the shop. Don't forget to smile and say "bub-bye!" as you turn on your heel, too.

Then as the previous poster said, donate that cake to a worthy cause.

That cake looks good. Unfortunately she played you and won. I don't believe she had any intention of paying from the start. She most likely picked up on your confidence issues from the start (wearing you down to give a low price at the start) and knew she could wear you down even more when she collected it.

Don't make another cake for her, and let her know why too. If you do ever decide to make her another cake, make sure you have her sign a contract or disclaimer first to avoid this happening again. I don't have one to help you with but I'm sure some of the lovely people on here would be able to help with it.

OMG! This lady definately is a manipulator!! The cake is nice and you definately cannot let her ruin your confidence. This lady just didnt want to pay for the cake to begin with. I love making cakes I just do not like when there are difficult clients. People have no idea what goes in to making these cakes. Hopefully you never have to deal with someone like that, but if you do...stand firm and know your worth!

no money=no cake!

I would have sent her to her fancy party cakeless...

Do not doubt your ability...that cake was very, very nice.

I really don't understand why you gave her the cake. If she didn't like it, then tell her she is too hard to please and to go somewhere else. I thought the cake was really cute, she was just being difficult. She said such terrible things to you, I wouldn't have given her anything, certainly not a 3 tiered cake.

OMFG!! Your cake was LOVELY and I am sooo sorry this happened to you...she is lucky she was not dealing with me, as I am not as nice as you... she would have been WEARING that cake as she staggered out the door...
Cathy

Your cake is adorable. Just practice on frosting and smoothing the cake a little and they will be perfect. Love the design. And don't give in next time. If they don't like it don't let them take it. No freebies.

Wow, the nerve of some people. Geez you were only charging her $1.75 a slice! I'm sorry, she was a b*t*h. The way I always look at people like that, is that when they leave, they have to take themselves with them.

I think its a great cake. I wouldn't have given it to her. Next time take it down to a nice old folks home, church, school, where it will receive the appropriate ooohhs and aahhhss it deserves. Let her go and eat Walmart cake.

Next time remember if they are a total pain when ordering, it won't get any better when they pick up. If people start giving me grief during the initial contact...it's a big red flag, and often I'm suddenly "booked" for that date, then I refer them to the most expensive place in town.

Oh Dear! I'm so sorry that has happened to you.

Unfortunately you've been had by a scam artist, who is a complete pig.

I want to cry for you, it sickens me to my stomach to think of the vile excuse for humanity, talking to ANYONE in that way, much less a talented baker/decorator such as yourself.

Your cake is lovely, and anyone else would have paid up and said thank you in the process.
It sounds to me like she has narcissistic personality disorder! Most people have the social skills, and emotional maturity to know that's not the way for an adult to behave towards someone. Anyone who behaves like this past the young teens stage has serious issues!

Please try to put this behind you and don't let her win.
If it makes you feel any better, I'd probably have been taken in by her too, and most likely would have been so shocked and frightened by this bully, that I'd most likely have done the same and just given her the cake
I'm slowly learning to see these people coming, and I think it just takes a little time to get the confidence to say GET LOST YOU MORON!! NO Cake for you!!
Your skills are worth paying for, YOU ARE WORTH IT!!
And IMHO The customer is not always right!

Thank you guys for all of your encouraging comments. I will not give up and yeah i think i should have handled if differently but oh well now. But i do vow to never to give away a cake or take an order from that vicious snake. Her family goes to the bakery all the time so ill be sure to ask them if their ugly free cake tasted good.
Also u guys r right as soon as somebody tries to haggle me on pricing ill be sure to tell them that im sorry we booked that day.
Thank you again everybody! !!!!!!!

(((((HUG))))) I think your cake is very pretty. I agree with the others that this woman just wanted a free cake. She sounds horrible! She bullied, insulted and embarrassed you and walked away with a free cake, what a nerve! If she really didn't like the cake and would be embarrassed to serve it to her guests, then surely she wouldn't have taken it even for free. I would bet she told everyone she paid a lot of money for it and took all the glory as her guests admired and complimented your lovely cake. Ask her family what they thought of your cake and make sure you tell them how rude she was.They may be surprised!