I've never had an issue with customers before, but lately I feel like there's been a lot of people looking for the cheapest way out and had someone recently damage a cake but I gave in and refunded their decorating fee.  Now, I wake up to someone complimenting my cake decorating I did for their party this past weekend.  She even sent a picture of the set up.  However....she said she (and other guests) were disappointed in the cake.  It was "dry and crumbly" and didn't have much flavor.  When this person ordered they wanted the cheapest options.  Then, upon pickup thought they were getting a display stand since the picture they sent me had a stand included.....so I offered to rent them one at a discount of $5 and they turned it down because they didn't want to pay $5...

I honestly have never had anything but rave reviews on this cake.  Of course I keep going over the baking in my head trying to think of anything that could have gone wrong...and can't come up with anything.  When I decorated the cake it was nice and moist...like usual.  I had three other cakes go out from the same batter as hers so I am thinking of contacting them to see if everything was ok.  But I'm not sure what to say or how to ask them.  One person I could text, the other I'd have to call.  I emailed one person I know but her cake was her cutting cake for a cupcake wedding so I'm not sure if she will remember much about it but I'm giving it a shot.

Thoughts anyone???

Sorry this happened to you, Steph.  I would not contact the others customers.  You don't want to put ideas in anyone's head.  Unless one is a good friend of yours that will be honest with you, I wouldn't go there.

I will speak on the phone to clients if they prefer, but I confirm everything via email so I have it in writing. I send my clients an invoice via email.  Everything agreed upon is spelled out on that invoice from cake sizes to flavors, fillings, colors, # of flowers, size of cake board and exact wording on the cake or cake board.  

I also don't offer any cheaper options.  I charge $x per serving which includes fondant, filling, cake board and basic decorations.  If you don't want fondant or filling...it's still $x per serving.  The price will only go up from there but never down. Don't let clients talk you down to cheaper cakes. 

As she was a problem from the get go, I would just brush it off.  Sounds like she wanted your cake but didn't want to pay for it.  That's her problem.

Jinkies, Thank you that was gut feeling as well. 

My gut feeling*

I heard back from the girl with the cutting cake from the wedding (and I trust her to be honest).  She said it was amazing, moist, and delicious so I am feeling relieved but shocked that someone would lie and potentially hurt my reputation like that all for a few bucks.  

Don't ever underestimate the greed and unscrupulousness of a customer. When they would even get the stand for $5, you can imagine what extent they would go to for $20.

Document delivery (photo and signature) and move on. You don't want them as customers anyway. <sigh>

 People lie about things all the time to get refunds. "The cake was dry" is the number one starting point. If you told her that someone else got the same cake and they said it was good, she'd say "well, the color was wrong."  Or something else. I call it the "roaming complaint." Most people are honest but every now and then you get the one @johnson6ofus mentioned and they'll say anything they can think of to get a refund.  If you want a laugh, look at this that I wrote a few years ago... https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1072332562046716202#editor/target=post;postID=7016873930306983080;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=63;src=link

Oops, wrong link, use this one:  http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-year-of-huh-complaint-but-this-one.html

I'm starting to think that we need a "stupid" clause in the contract - or that I might have to start screening potential clients with an IQ test...

I cannot believe the bride who was stressed because her hexagonal cake was not hexagonal as stated in the contract....pity that groom....or maybe they deserve each other....off in their geometrical inaccurate world...

The bad thing about customer complaints, is that now days their displeasure has a world wide forum to voice those complaints.....Social Media.   I think sometimes people will make it their personal mission to try take down people or a business just because they can spew their venom on a large platform.  

So how much customer pleasing is worth it to you to not provoke someone to try to destroy your reputation?  I learned once in a customer service workshop for a job I held was that for every one good experience a customer has, they tell 3 people.  For every negative one they have, they tell 10......well, in this day and age of entitlement, multiply that 10 by 1000 via the share button. Scary huh.

^^^^ this is all true mccant, but I think by now people are learning that "everything on the Internet" is not always true. While it's true, they make talk about it, but the scammers are taking over. Pride and integrity seem to be dying...

No wonder we're all riddled with anxiety, lol.  Seems like no matter how preemptive we are, there's gonna be those people.

Oh hahaha that is seriously ridiculously funny - how on earth did they think they were going to get away with that? Stupid people.

"Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" Oops---- I meant 2nd grader!

Just last week!

People can be amazingly creative with their unscrupulousness!

They didn't get the refund AND I called them out on their lie and sent them packing.

A-holes.

You. Are. Awesome.

EVERYONE needs to have enough "cake balls" to do that too!!

I wish I was as strong as you Jedi Knight!  I'm one of those bakers who takes everything someone says to heart....need to grow some "cake balls" as johnson6ofus" said.  They said they weren't the only person at the party who didn't like it.  So even though I confirmed with another customer who had cake from the same batch (and they were delighted with theirs) I gave in!  They were very pleased that I took the time to acknowledge their complaint....and probably happy to have a small gift certificate coming their way...  So even though I have big suspicions about the whole situation and it may very well have been a test for me to see how I would handle a complaint...it's done with and I'm trying not to stress about it.  I guess I'd rather it be a lie and this person gets $15 bucks off me than have had it be true and had people unhappy and talking about it.  Unhappy customers and social media do not mix so I"m glad I made her happy in the end.

 This is exactly right, and there are people who threaten you with a bad review if you won't give them money back. I've been doing cakes for almost 17 years and it's gotten a lot worse. I've also picked up cakes and walked out when people have tried to scam me out of refunds, so you have to be willing to stand up to people if they're abusive.

 It's one thing to give good customer service but handing over refunds to people who don't have a legitimate complaint isn't "giving good customer service," it's being a doormat. And word gets around that way, too. If you're not a doormat then people won't try to take advantage of you. If you want all the scammers and their scammer friends to know that you'll hand money over at the slightest complaint, then go ahead because they'll tell each other to come to you to get a free cake!

 Here's an awesome article that shows why I have no respect for review sites and nobody else should, either. http://birdsongphotography.com/2014/01/why-i-killed-weddingwire-deep-thoughts-on-bs-tulsa-wedding-photographer/

Costumeczar that's definitely something I have to learn.  I don't want word getting out that I will give a refund at the drop of a hat either.  It's such a fine line and I live in a small town.  So word of mouth, good, bad, or doormat...would get around fast.  Thankfully, I have plenty of amazing customers willing to spread the word, but one bad apple can spoil everything.  Working on learning the line between good service and being taken advantage of. I haven't had to deal with this...only in business a year and half...and have been so use to good feedback and customers that this was hard to stomach.  But based on what everyone is saying it's common and something I'm going to have to learn to deal with and not had out refunds willy nilly.  So sad that the world has come to this.  I just want to run a good business..too bad it comes with difficult things as well.  That's life!

Might be a good time to start a mental "No Cake for You!" list.  You already have two candidates.  

If either the one who damaged the cake, or the recent dry cake person calls...you should be terribly, terribly busy!

haha good idea PattyT!

 It really won't! People are so afraid to get one bad review they overcompensate to try to avoid that. But I guarantee that if the complainer complains about you, she's also complaining about other people, and the people who know her know that about her.  I had one girl complain that the icing on her wedding cake wasn't white because it had butter in it. Her friend, whose cake I also did, sent me a message apologizing and telling me that the complainer was complaining to every vendor about things to try to get refunds, and that there was nothing wrong with the cake. If someone is a miserable wench it comes through and people take what they say with a grain of salt.

If you have a hundred five-star reviews and you get a one-star review it just makes the complainer look like a whiner. 

Very true costumeczar!  I just can't believe there are people like this...if you just try to get refunds you shouldn't have spent the money in the first place.

I couldn't help but laugh at that article! That is so true, and usually you can tell which reviews are fake, they're the ones who use their own picture to review their own business under a different name. A local cake business did that on yelp here. I thought the crazies in my neighborhood stuck to mowing their lawn in the undies or some such, now they're on the internet? God help us all! ha ha! xD

And to reply to OP, yes you will get lots of "Buyer's Remorse" people, think of the return desk in retail.... we get lots of them and sometimes the food they cooked was still stuck on >.>

I was a grocery manager many years ago. Some old fart (which I myself am now...lol) brought in the WRAPPERS of 6 bran muffins and wanted a refund because of the muffin bits that stuck on the wrapper (which he scrapped off and ate!). I bet that was in 1985???

30 years later, the scammers are still at it....

(No, I did not give him the refund because he ATE them ALL)

Don't click on the link zerocc1990 posted, it's a generic spam link.