*vent alert*..well i had a customer who is also a friend that goes to the same church as me..she ordered a cake for her daughters intimate graduation..she saw a cake of mine that was a 3 tier wedding cake with stargazer lilies..she wanted a 10 inch with stargazers but with turqouise colors instead..she stated she wanted the dots on the flowers to be black instead of brown..i misinterpeted her by the dot thingy..and i thought she wanted the dots on the petals to be black instead of brown..what she meant was the stamens..so first mistake there..she wanted scrolls all over it so i did that too..i charged her 50 dollars cus stargazers are not the easiest thing for me to make..she gets her cake and says..oh its ok..its not what i expected..i told her what did i do wrong and she says she thought the flowers would be positioned different and she wanted it to look more like the wedding cake..i told her the wedding cake has three tiers.and the flowers were positioned in between the tiers..i offered to fix the problem and she in a huff said no..her time is valueble and she has to get to the party..so not only is my friend dissapointed but i feel yuck too. i hate that this is ruining my day..i know you cant please everyone but for me its hard cus this is someone im friends with..my hubby thought she was being tacky and thinks she mad for charging her more than she thought i would,i felt i was being reasonable and this is the first time somoeon has critisized my cake so i guess im taking this harder than i thought,, just wanted to vent to ppl who more than likely know where im comming from!

Sorry this happened!

Do you have photos of the wedding cake and the newer cake so we can see?

That's the trouble with making cakes for friends and close colleagues. I've found the only way to get it right is to obtain very specific instructions from them. I charge different prices depending on the level of intricacy that the modelling and decoration involves so I am always specific with pricing. e.g. for an 8" vanilla or choc sponge with one Waybuloo Pipling on I would charge £25 but if they wanted all four Piplings I would charge £35. For simple applique patterns on a 10" I would charge £35 but if they wanted roses, calla lillies as additional decoration I would charge £45. You have to be very specific on pricing and I also ask for specific colours or if they are OK trusting me with the design. That gives them no room for argument if they do not like the cake you finally produce.

Don't feel bad - just take it as a lesson learned and a mistake that will not be made again. After all, how can we learn without making mistakes.

CP xx

I checked out your star-gazer lilies cake in your photos and it's beautiful! Your flowers are gorgeous - I can't imagine what she's complaining about. And I'm betting that because the cake was for a "friend" you didn't charge nearly what it was worth. She should be grateful to have you for a cake connection! Seriously.

I sure hope she didn't expect a "wedding cake look" for $50. Maybe she was just under stress and didn't realize what she sounded like. It's hard when people we hold dear make harsh comments. It stings. It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. If she is a true friend, even more a true church friend, then your friendship will overcome this.

Shake it off. Your best and worst critics will always be your family and friends.

If she was really your friend, she would be happy as heck that you didn't charge her what I would have for the same cake. Next time, she pays full price.

It's time for you to make a price list, order sheet, and contract. And no more discounts for friends, only immediate family, and only then, if they appreciate the work you do for them.

Theresa

Oh, woops. I guess I skipped over the part that said you charged $50. I was right though - WAY undercharged! My local grocery store charges $40 for a simple single-tier 8" non-personalized cake (and no sugar flowers of course). Your friend owes you big time.

Your flowers are gorgeous!!!! I don't see any complaints....

thanks yall!!it definatly stings! she is a people pleaser kind of person and for her to complain the way she did was sooo out of character ..maybe i just didnt know this side of her ..but whats done is done and hopefully the flavors will win her over..i knew i would eventually run into a dissatisfied customer cus you just cant make everyone happy..i just didnt think i would be someone i was close to..oh well!

I think the comment " my time is valuable" gets me right there. What did she think your time was worth? You made a beautiful cake. Without being rude I think you need to let her know your time is just as valuable as hers. Of course we always think about these things after the situation.

As another graciously suggested perhaps she didn't realize how she sounded. If it is ever brought up again then nip it in the bud... not much of a friend in my opinion.

"to avoid being criticized: do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

It is difficult to please someone if they probably expected a free cake (even though charging only $50 was basically free in my book). Stress or not, that was no way for her to treat a friend. Period.

i agree..her daughter (who the cake was for) sent me a text to tell me the cake was a hit and say thanks so much..so at least her daughter had manners and was apprecitative.i agree with the "my time is valuble" comment ,that kinda made me mad too,when i think of the time it took me to make the stargazers alone..ugh!do they think i can just run to the store and buy these??no way! lesson learned

Did you agree on a price before you both committed to this? If you agree on a price beforehand, she can have no reason to be upset at the price, since she would have had the option to not proceed if she thought it was too much back then. If a price isn't made clear until delivery, that's a recipe for sticker shock.

I don't know if OP did it this way, but I'm always amazed at all the posts I read here where it's clear that price wasn't even discussed at all until after the cake was made. I don't understand how this happens. Can anyone shed light on this for me?

LOL!!