This Client Smh! Rant

Business By LovelyCakes4Us Updated 12 Mar 2013 , 7:13pm by SystemMod1

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:15pm
post #1 of 93

Okay so i have a client wants a cake for 250 guest and his MAX is 500.00. As of right now i do not have any other wedding cakes that month and decided to possibly do it but cut some cost. He will have to pick the cake up saves 50.00 for his location. HE will have to buy his own cake stand saves 50.00-100.00 i will post his emails..

 

To me he sounds like he wants alot for nothing wanting things the way he wants it like as if he is doing me a favor which he is notthumbs_up.gif! I am doing him a huge favor to be honest, I have tons of other cakes that month so its not going to profit me anything to make his cake nore do i NEED his order.. Here is the cake he officially wanted and his emails.. Should i just throw the order out the door? I'm like 98% sure that i do no want to deal with him. Just venting! im getting soo many customers this week waning basically a free cake!

 

Start from the bottom, maybe im just grumpy today lol!

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

Client
Okay, maybe we should start out with a conference call to discuss options before scheduling a cake tasting.  Will tomorrow evening at 8PM work?  My fiance and I work different shifts, so during the week it is difficult for us both to be available at the same time. 
 
Don't worry I am not trying to negotiate any further, just need to keep the price in the $500 range. 
 
Shawn
 
me

Shawn,

Thanks for considering us, we are booked out for the entire weekend and next week Tuesday for a event. I am able to meet any other day after 5:00pm.

 

As for cost, I will not be able to negotiate any further. Also if you would like a tasting it will be 20.00 for three-four samples which will go towards your payment if you book with us. 

 

 

 

Hi,
 
We really appreciate you taking the time to working with us in getting us a cake.  After giving your e-mail some thought, we think it would be best if we met up for a consultation so we can discuss the different options to help cut costs yet make sure you are taken care of.  We are available on Saturday or Sunday this weekend.  Let us know which times works best for you and then we will pick one.
 
Thanks, 
Shawn 


 
On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 6:48 PM, Unique Cake Delights <[email protected]> wrote:

Shawn,

 

It will cost 475.00 for all ingredients,delivery,boards and so much more that goes into making a cake to serves 250, any baker would basically be giving the cake away for free, sorry to say :/.

In order to make your cake you would have to cut some cost if you can have someone pick the cake up? Also if you can buy the cake base yourself will cut cost, I love the design you have picked for your wedding I will search something similar.

 

Also the flavor choice will have to remain the same through out the cake, meaning one tier cannot be a different flavor then another.

I normally would not make a cake for 250 for as low as 500.00 but I am willing to help. 





 


From: Ss G ;  
Subject: Re: Wedding Cake? 
Sent: Thu, Mar 7, 2013 8:44:32 PM

Hi,

 

Our budget is $500 max.  We realize that the cake pictures that we sent may have too many intricacies for our budget so we can definitely work around that.  What we would really like is a 4 tiered cake (the top cake can be pretty small like 4-6 inches diameter) with fondant that would be enough to feed about 250 people.  Is this possible?  If so, can you maybe send us a few photos of some elegant cakes that would be $500 and under and would meet our needs?

 

Thanks, 
Shawn

On Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 9:21 AM, :

Please send your budget I have different options for everyone, may have to switch a few things accordingly to fit the serving size in your budget. 
 

 

 

From: Ss G ; 
To: 

Subject: Wedding Cake? 
Sent: Mon, Mar 4, 2013 3:28:20 AM

 

Hi, 

We are getting married on the weekend of July 6th and we are in the process of finding our cake vendor.  We will need about 250 servings and really need to keep the price minimal because we are on a tight budget.  I have attached some photos of cakes that we like and we are requesting your best price for something similar.  In terms of buttercream vs. fondant, we are not sure which one would be better and more cost effective, so please give your input on that.  Please include a breakdown of the costs (cost/serving, cake stand rental, delivery, setup, etc. etc.)  The reception will be held in St. Paul.  Let me know if you need any additional information.

Thank you, 
Shawn

 

92 replies
Norasmom Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Norasmom Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:31pm
post #2 of 93

LOL.  Out the door he goes...definitely not worth your time.  He is expecting too much for $500.00.

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:32pm
post #3 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norasmom 

LOL.  Out the door he goes...definitely not worth your time.  He is expecting too much for $500.00.

party.gif indeed!

Paperfishies Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Paperfishies Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:37pm
post #4 of 93

I think the delivery is something I would insist on.  Most people do not know how to drive with a tiered cake in their car, especially a heavy tiered cake.  I have seen way too many horror stories on here about customers picking up their tiered cakes, getting to the event and the cake is in a million pieces and they want a full refund from the baker.

 

IMO, you shouldn't negotiate with customers.  I bet the bride didn't haggle with the place she bought her dress, if a dress was out of her budget she would have to look at different options.  Instead stand firm in your price but give them options, like, using fresh roses instead of sugar roses...No draping on the bottom tier, leave out the very top tier and all of the hand painting, etc.

Laurelj Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Laurelj Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:37pm
post #5 of 93

AWow he wants that cake for $500? Seriously I would walk, not even worth your time to get up outta the bed for that one! That is only $2.00/slice, are you kidding me, don't even walk, run as fast as you can, there is absolutely no way he can begin to "take care of you" with that! :-(

cakesbycathy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakesbycathy Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:38pm
post #6 of 93

Drop him.  Drop him now.
 

cakesbycathy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakesbycathy Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:45pm
post #7 of 93

There is no point in wasting your time with this guy.  He's says he's not trying to negotiate but really he is.

And there's NO WAY I would let anyone pick up that cake.  I would INSIST on delivery.

 

If you already have plenty of other orders and aren't desperate for the business there's no reason to deal with this guy. And even if that wasn't the case I would tell you to walk away.   Being on a budget is one thing but this is ridiculous.

 

Since you already opened the door to working with him you can either follow thru and take a loss on this order OR you can tell him that after reviewing his emails and pictures you aren't able to work within his budget.  He can either increase his budget for that particular cake or decrease his number of servings.  Or you can just be booked.

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:46pm
post #8 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laurelj 

Wow he wants that cake for $500? Seriously I would walk, not even worth your time to get up outta the bed for that one! That is only $2.00/slice, are you kidding me, don't even walk, run as fast as you can, there is absolutely no way he can begin to "take care of you" with that! icon_sad.gif

 

 

Yeah he told me to send similar photo's for that type of cake, when i did so he said how can we make the cake pictured be in my price range, such as making it look simple/similar.. No matter how simple i can make it the ingredients is almost 500.00 it self! No brain er to dismiss this order i just needed to vent! icon_biggrin.gif

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:47pm
post #9 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakesbycathy 

 

 

Since you already opened the door to working with him you can either follow thru and take a loss on this order OR you can tell him that after reviewing his emails and pictures you aren't able to work within his budget.  He can either increase his budget for that particular cake or decrease his number of servings.  Or you can just be booked.

 

Will do! 

DeliciousDesserts Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
DeliciousDesserts Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:00pm
post #10 of 93

AThat cake is A LOT of work!! No way I'm doing it for $2 a serving!!

In his budget, he can't afford a cake that serves 116 & that decor!!

I'm surprised you entertained this. I would have sent him a sketch or photo of what $500 would get him.

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:04pm
post #11 of 93

A

Original message sent by LovelyCakes4Us

Okay so i have a client wants a cake for 250 guest and his MAX is 500.00.

As soon as you found out his budget was $500 you should reply with your all-inclusive minimum price for 250 servings (hopefully it's significantly higher than the $475 figure you quoted). If the customer is not willing to increase his budget to at least that point it's not worth spending any more time on him.

A customer picking up a 4 tier cake themselves is a recipe for disaster, delivery should be mandatory on cakes of that size.

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:06pm
post #12 of 93

How much does ingredients cost you all for a cake that serves 250? Simple ribbon design? plus dowels,drums,delivery,cake board Mine added up to 475.00 i know we all have different recipes and brands. I cant even make his cake simple and make any profit with just ingredients etc. 

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:08pm
post #13 of 93

A

Original message sent by LovelyCakes4Us

How much does ingredients cost you all for a cake that serves 250? Simple ribbon design? plus dowels,drums,delivery,cake board Mine added up to 475.00 i know we all have different recipes and brands. I cant even make his cake simple and make any profit with just ingredients etc. 

$475 is way too high for ingredients and supplies for a 250 serving cake.

Can you post a breakout of how you got to this number? It might help determine where you are overpaying.

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:08pm
post #14 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft 


As soon as you found out his budget was $500 you should reply with your all-inclusive minimum price for 250 servings (hopefully it's significantly higher than the $475 figure you quoted). If the customer is not willing to increase his budget to at least that point it's not worth spending any more time on him.

A customer picking up a 4 tier cake themselves is a recipe for disaster, delivery should be mandatory on cakes of that size.

 

 

Yes higher then 475.00, my lowest for a cake to serve 250 is 750.00 min!

jgs Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jgs Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:09pm
post #15 of 93

drop him fast, 

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:10pm
post #16 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft 


$475 is way too high for ingredients and supplies for a 250 serving cake.

Can you post a breakout of how you got to this number? It might help determine where you are overpaying.

Oh gosh a brake-out! I have it saved some where let me check. i just know it was 475.00 

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:11pm
post #17 of 93

A

Original message sent by LovelyCakes4Us

Yes higher then 475.00, my lowest for a cake to serve 250 is 750.00 min!

Then $750 is the number to reply with as a starting price. It's generally a bad idea to tell the customer what your cost is unless there's a very good reason.

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:22pm
post #18 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft 


$475 is way too high for ingredients and supplies for a 250 serving cake.

Can you post a breakout of how you got to this number? It might help determine where you are overpaying.

This is for a cake to serve 315 so i figure 250 would be around 450-475 i buy at Sams club cub foods Aldi and local cake store.. These are he best prices around some i have to pay a high price for other wise i won get the good stuff.

 

 

Cake to serve 315.
67 cups of batter
26 cups of butter cream
 
Fondant,
1 batch= 3lb = 48 oz.
18x4=140 oz fondant = 4batches
14"x4=70 oz = 2 batches
12x4"=48 = 1 1/2 batch
8x4"=24 = 1 batch 
 
Total fondant = 9 batch's 
Total mixes = 9 batches
 
 
PRICE
 
4 bags p-s for outer butter cream 10.00
20.00  better cream
other ingredients 100.00 puree's,chocolate etc
cake board 50.00
dummy's 12.00
dowles 15.00
taxi 50.00
 
 
 
30 dozen eggs 40.00
67 cake mixes 70.00
1 bottle oil 8.00
3 big sour creams 30.00
35lb bag sugar 51.00
35lb bag flour 25.51
salt free
2 gals of milk 5.00
vanilla 8.75
15.00 15 bags marsh mellows
24.00 powder sugar
35.00 butter smbc
20.00 high ratio shortening
 
589.00
LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:25pm
post #19 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft 


Then $750 is the number to reply with as a starting price. It's generally a bad idea to tell the customer what your cost is unless there's a very good reason.

Yeah i figured that much after i sent him the message.icon_rolleyes.gif

kikiandkyle Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kikiandkyle Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:26pm
post #20 of 93

I'm guessing people keep calling you for free cakes because you're giving them away! 

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:30pm
post #21 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by kikiandkyle 

I'm guessing people keep calling you for free cakes because you're giving them away! 

 

 

Honestly i'm not, i was just venting i clearly am not going to take this order. 

cakesbycathy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakesbycathy Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:35pm
post #22 of 93

Good for you for turning it down.

Makes you wonder, though, who he is going to get for the cake with that budget and what it ends up looking like...
 

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:38pm
post #23 of 93

AWhere do you live? If there is a restaurant supply store near you, you should be able to cut down on your expenses significantly.

Is $50 for cake boards a typo?

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:40pm
post #24 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakesbycathy 

Good for you for turning it down.

Makes you wonder, though, who he is going to get for the cake with that budget and what it ends up looking like...
 

 

 

I suggested he go  to Walmart or Costco icon_biggrin.gif! But there are people on Craigslist who charge 1.00/serving because they are just starting out.icon_confused.gif

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:41pm
post #25 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft 

Where do you live? If there is a restaurant supply store near you, you should be able to cut down on your expenses significantly.

Is $50 for cake boards a typo?

 

 

The cake BASE :) ya know the big fancy thing it sits on icon_biggrin.gif..

 

Minnesota.. 

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:45pm
post #26 of 93

STAND* Okay i need to get some work done lol feeling discombobulated! 

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:45pm
post #27 of 93

ABefore you make another cake, get thee to Restaurant Depot in St. Paul and compare prices.

http://www.restaurantdepot.com/locations?Id=178

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:46pm
post #28 of 93

plateau

 

but it's not on a plateau?

kikiandkyle Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kikiandkyle Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:57pm
post #29 of 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by LovelyCakes4Us 

 

 

Honestly i'm not, i was just venting i clearly am not going to take this order. 

Clearly. 

LovelyCakes4Us Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
LovelyCakes4Us Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 6:03pm
post #30 of 93

A[quote name="jason_kraft" url="/t/755352/this-client-smh-rant/15#post_7369109"]Before you make another cake, get thee to Restaurant Depot in St. Paul and compare prices.

http://www.restaurantdepot.com/locations?Id=178[/quote]

Thank you Jason.

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%