What Would You Do? I Need Advice Please :(
Decorating By julz417 Updated 26 Mar 2012 , 3:56am by step0nmi
Hi all! I am an hourly employee for a wedding venue (read in-house cake baker) and have been with them for about 3 months. Things are going great and they are really happy with me so far. I have some time scheduled off in the fall for my sister's wedding (I'll be doing the cake.) They also have another baker who provides cakes for them as well. They are talking about getting me an "assistant" to help me when things get really crazy (3 and 4 cakes per week) and I'm fine with that (I would rather not wash the dishes) and I even have someone in mind that I would feel comfortable working with.
Well here's where I'm getting that uncomfortable vibe. They had scheduled a tasting for me with a bride whose wedding date falls on one of the days that I will be out of town. I told them that I would need to contact her and explain that I am unavailable but they want me to meet with her anyway thinking that by then my assistant should be able to bake the cakes and if not decorate them, the owner has a cousin who decorates and she could come in and do it. I am totally NOT okay with this! I don't want to meet with the bride and sell her on my abilities and my product and get her to sign with me and then have someone else do it! Am I wrong in this line of thinking? I understand that they have a business to run and can't tell a bride "So sorry, but you can't have a wedding cake" but why not refer them to the other baker as I thought they were going to do anyway??? I really don't know what to think about this. I want to talk to my employer about how I feel, but not sure where to start.
Thanks for reading this long post and I welcome any and all advice. 
My thoughts are that since you are a hourly employee that the bride is more the venue's client than yours, so it doesn't really matter who does the consultation. I've seen this a lot on the cake decorating shows. You see Buddy or Duff do the consultations but then someone else will do the cake.
My thoughts are that since you are a hourly employee that the bride is more the venue's client than yours, so it doesn't really matter who does the consultation. I've seen this a lot on the cake decorating shows. You see Buddy or Duff do the consultations but then someone else will do the cake.
i agree. if you work for them and they don't know cake...they are going to have you meet with the bride anyway. All you have to do is sit down with her and figure out what she/they want and then take that to the venue. Whoever is doing the cake doesn't matter...and probably shouldn't lead on to the bride that you don't know this. Just happily sit there and tell her she'll have a beautiful cake on her wedding day 
Thanks for your replys. I agree with you both on the point that they are not really my clients but the venues, but it is my reputation as the baker thete, is it not? Im not too worried about the actual baking of the cake as they would have my recipes to follow, but as for the construction and decoration of the cake...i dont want it associated with me if it looks bad, would you?
Thanks for your replys. I agree with you both on the point that they are not really my clients but the venues, but it is my reputation as the baker thete, is it not? Im not too worried about the actual baking of the cake as they would have my recipes to follow, but as for the construction and decoration of the cake...i dont want it associated with me if it looks bad, would you?
this is true...but as someone that works for the venue you can only ensure that whatever assistant you receive will know what to do by that time. Unless you are in a management position and have the authority to demand someone GREAT does your cake you will have to relinquish some control of the situation.
NOW, unless you are saying that you are working under YOUR business name for the venue...that's a different story! If that was the case then I would be very weary about the situation.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%