Just needed to vent/cry ... I had an order for a bank this morning. It's their 175th birthday so the order was for a full sheet cake (18x24). Make the cake last night all is fine, don't take pictures because I'm going to once it's set-up at the bank.

Take the cake out to the van for a 9am delivery ... it's very heavy and knew that I would have some problems with it. Get to the back of the van and the cake is almost all the way in while I'm still holding it and the weight of it shifts and I lose grip .... it drops down about 6 inches into the back of the van and the top layer slides off the back of the cake about 3 inches and is in pieces. The front and top of the cake look fine except there is a 'step' at the front where the top layer slide.

I'm crying in the driveway wondering what I can do because I can't slide it back on and the part that slide off is in pieces. So, I call the bank, no one answers because it's before they open. Decide to drive there thinking that I am only going to see the one lady that ordered it - NOPE! Get there (before opening) knock on the door tell them I am there about the cake and the entire bank staff comes out of no where wearing suits and fancy dresses wanting to see 'THE CAKE'. I apologized my butt off and took the bank manager out to the van to see the cake. He decides to take the cake anyway (!) and see if he can salvage it. We carry into the kitchen and they cut the back off where it had broke and served it anyway. I refused payment ... how could I honestly accept! I have since had 2 phone calls from different employees there telling me how good it is and not to feel bad - they also are depositing the money into my account because I bank there as well.

Very bad start to my day - not so horrible and ending. Thanks for listening, I had to get it out.

Poor thing.... I know you're feeling bad right now, but don't let it get you down. We're human.... stuff happens. At least you know what went wrong to make sure it doesn't happen again. It sounds like everyone was understanding and I'm sure they'll order from you again.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. I guess I would have refused payment also but it was nice of them to pay you anyway. I am sure they saw how hard you worked on it. Things happen and we learn from them.

How dreadful! I'm so happy that everything turned out well.

Ugggg- That's one of my biggest fears! Sorry that happened. They didn't get the wow factor-- but everyone probably felt much worse for you than being upset about the cake. Everyone has had some version of that feeling--not fun!!

Since they insisted on paying, just give them a discount next time or mail them a coupon for something. Don't torture yourself over it though, I'm sure all of them were over it by the time they ate their first bite!

THat is a nice compliment on your work that they are taking care of the payment, plus the phone calls! If you still feel the need, just drop them off a couple of dozen cookies sometime as a thanks and appreciation for their business and understanding.

thats a great idea indydebi..

I am sooo sorry! Here is a ((((((((((((((((((HUG))))))))))))))))))))))

We are human and I KNOW they understood! That is a good idea about dropping off some cookies sometime as a Thank you! Sounds like you have a really great bank! (and from experience it was probably not as bad as you think as well)

Oh I know how you feel It happened to me 10 years ago and I remember it like Yesterday. I WAS SICK! My cake was for a quincenerria. And the people were very nice and felt very bad for me having put so much work into the cake. luckly mine was also salvageable and the part that slid we were able to cut and still serve. My first thought was not to charge also but they would have no of that! They paid the full amount also.. All you can do is live and learn. I dont deliver a cake now that I dont think about that day! GET BACK ON THAT HORSE.. you will be fine!

I'm so sorry that happened to you! ((hugs)) It was nice that they were understanding!

Oh no! How sad. This is my nightmare waiting to happen. I think about this and wonder when it will be MY turn to drop a finished cake. I've had one smash to the groud as I was decorating it but not after.

How sweet that they are putting the money into your account. It also sounds like you are going to get other orders because it tasted so good.

I'm so. so sorry. (((((hugs, hugs)))))

that's got to be the most awful feeling, but it is the one time that the saying 'its just cake' falls in our favor. Here, us decorators worry so much about what the cake looks like, and all the awws and arrrs it gets when some of our customers just want a great tasting cake. Had they planned on putting it on display then that would have been a differant matter. I agree with the other suggestion, take them in a basket of goodies.

im glad they were understanding at the bank. there are normal people out there sometimes, isnt there?, that realize stuff happens. im glad for you.

I am so sorry that happened to you and I know how that feels. It alsmost stopped me from ever doing cakes again because it was my very first cake... a wilton firetruck cake for my son's birthday. I was so proud and was putting the last dollops of icing on my shell border and it slipped off of the table. Thinking I could salvage the cake portion and redo all of the icing, I tried to pick it up but it just crumbled. I ended up throwing a hissy fit ontop of the cake (it was midnight) and my son asks his dad "Daddy is Mommy goign to be okay" and without a pause he said "son that's what you call having a caniption fit." He sent me to bed and baked another cake. So I am sorry this happened to you but I hope you got a good laugh at my story!!!