Customer Is Making Me Feel, Inadequate :(

Decorating By ConfectionsCC Updated 10 Jun 2011 , 11:42pm by rubycurls

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ConfectionsCC Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 2:29pm
post #1 of 14

Anyone every have someone come to you saying they want blah ta de dah cake, and asks if you can do it....then after getting the price quote, goes back and acts like first, they do not like the price, but second, like continues to ask, "You sure you can do that!?" It is kind of hurting my feelings a little bit! icon_sad.gif She is asking for a SUPER easy cake for me, a 2d Fleur de Lis cake, carved from a sheet cake, single layer, buttercream iced. I could not this cake out in less than an hour, and my going rate for simple 2d carved cakes is $50. She is talking to me like I do not get what she wants. Yes I do, You were specific. Thankfully I am just chatting with this woman on FB. She asked if I had a picture of the exact cake she is wanting to make sure we are on the same page icon_confused.gif !!????? I am newer to the biz...I have not done EVERY CAKE imaginable!??!!/ But I would not have told her I could do it if I could not! I don't know, sorry, just venting a little, my pride is a little shot! Why would you even go to get a quote from a baker if you were not confident they could give you what you are looking for!?!?!?!

13 replies
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CalhounsCakery Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 2:50pm
post #2 of 14

Well hopefully she is just a little thick and really is just trying to make sure she is getting her point across. Maybe she's had people misunderstand her in the past. I would find one online and confirm with her that this is what she means. Than she can rest easy that she was understood, and you can rest easy that she won't be mad later and claim that wasn't what she wanted.

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CalhounsCakery Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 2:52pm
post #3 of 14

BTW, I took a look at your photos. You do great work! Chear up, don't feel inadaquate! Your cakes look beautiful!

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AmysCakesNCandies Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 2:53pm
post #4 of 14

Some people just have a "mine is the gestest, most complicated, noboday can have it better, what I have in my mind is the greatest" mentality... and clearly to theese people YOU are not as perfect as them and are CLEARLY not as tallented as thier mind is!
icon_wink.gif

Don't sweat it... unfotunately for as long as you are in business you will run into theese folks!

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bobwonderbuns Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 3:08pm
post #5 of 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by ConfectionsCC

Anyone every have someone come to you saying they want blah ta de dah cake, and asks if you can do it....then after getting the price quote, goes back and acts like first, they do not like the price, but second, like continues to ask, "You sure you can do that!?" It is kind of hurting my feelings a little bit! icon_sad.gif She is asking for a SUPER easy cake for me, a 2d Fleur de Lis cake, carved from a sheet cake, single layer, buttercream iced. I could not this cake out in less than an hour, and my going rate for simple 2d carved cakes is $50. She is talking to me like I do not get what she wants. Yes I do, You were specific. Thankfully I am just chatting with this woman on FB. She asked if I had a picture of the exact cake she is wanting to make sure we are on the same page icon_confused.gif !!????? I am newer to the biz...I have not done EVERY CAKE imaginable!??!!/ But I would not have told her I could do it if I could not! I don't know, sorry, just venting a little, my pride is a little shot! Why would you even go to get a quote from a baker if you were not confident they could give you what you are looking for!?!?!?!




I've been doing this for years and occasionally people like that rear up -- I simply repeat to them in the same tone "now to get this straight, you want a fleur de lis cake, carved from a sheet cake, single layer, iced in buttercream, is that correct?" It's funny, when you repeat their words back to them in the same tone they suddenly sprout a brain cell that says "FINALLY, a baker who GETS it!" icon_eek.gificon_lol.gif If they persist in the "are you sure you can do this" attitude -- just tell them "I've been doing this for a while and yours is a straightforward cake. Yes I can do it but if you lack confidence in me, I encourage you to look at my website to get an idea of the kinds of work I have done. Besides, I wouldn't take on a project I couldn't do, it's not fair to the customer and the celebration of your big event." (Trust me, this goes a LOOOOOOOOOONNNNG way to assuaging their egos!) icon_rolleyes.gificon_biggrin.gif It makes them understand that THEY are the most important cake commission you've ever had and THEIR event is probably more important to you than to them. I've used this approach for years and trust me, it works EVERY time!! Your cakes are beautiful, don't ever let them tell you different! icon_biggrin.gif

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jason_kraft Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 3:41pm
post #6 of 14

As with any specialized skill, people without that skill often either underestimate or overestimate how much time and effort a project will take, sometimes by a wide margin. I get this in my field all the time...I'm an experienced web designer, and I've had some people expect a 10 hour development project to take 10 minutes while others think a 2 minute fix would take 2 hours.

I don't think this customer is trying to hurt your pride (nor are they "thick"), they probably just don't know if their project is simple or complex. This is an excellent teachable moment where you can educate the customer as to approximately how long their cake will take -- usually this is used to justify a higher price as the customer will be surprised at how much labor is required, but it works just as well to instill confidence in the customer as to your abilities.

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mim1106 Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 3:59pm
post #7 of 14

Don't feel inadequate!! Your cakes are wonderful icon_smile.gif

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leah_s Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 4:03pm
post #8 of 14

A lot of people confuse 2D and 3D. Make sure she understands this cake is not going to be standing up.

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katnmouse Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 4:12pm
post #9 of 14

Leah...that's what I was thinking.

She may want a 3D standing fleur-de-lie and thinks that when you say "carved out of a sheet cake" that you will somehow carve it out and stand it on ith's end...I'd make positive sure she understands the difference.

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ccr03 Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 4:18pm
post #10 of 14

Most people who say this are the ones that have been shopping around and have been told my one or more people that it's impossible or extremely expensive.

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ConfectionsCC Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 5:22pm
post #11 of 14

Thanks ya'll so much icon_biggrin.gif I feel better! A tid bit of info on this person. She is planning a wedding for her son in April 2012. I called to chat and before I said ANYTHING about this picky woman contacting me, she immediately said shes sorry! I asked for what? She said that was her friend asking me about cakes and that she is VERY picky and a snob...and even gets her annoyed from time to time! (OH, GREAT) She apologized for referring her to me, that when she mentioned she was paying for her son's wedding, my MIL blurted out with out thinking I do cakes!!! Needless to say....Looks like April 2012 is already booked icon_wink.gif SOOOOO not dealing with a woman who her best friend get aggravated with her LOL!

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KalisCakes Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 5:35pm
post #12 of 14

Don't let get her you down. Some people are just... well.... people. I had once OCD client who wanted to know my quilting technique to make sure the squares would be exactly spaced correctly. I took out a piece of paper and worked up circumference, then divided by inches to show her the number of "lines" I'd be making... even took it further to multiply it out so she would know how many line intersections there would be. She stopped questioning me after that. (Granted, we all know that was overkill, and I really didn't even have to figure circumference since there are handy charts to help me out, but in this case, the overkill was necessary.)

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cakesmith_duane Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 6:07pm
post #13 of 14

Don't feel bad...I think we all have had someone ask us that question. When I began - I did/do freelance work for other bakeries. I would explain what I was about to create and they would look at me and say - Are you sure you can do that? I would look at them slyly....ye of little faith. Then, presto changeo - a crazy cake would appear. haha.

I checked your photos out and you have no reason to doubt yourself. Just smile slyly! Take care - Cakesmith

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rubycurls Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 11:42pm
post #14 of 14

Please don't don't your skills. You do beautiful work x

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