Hello!

I had a strange request from a Dentist that I've sold a few orders to. He called me asking if I could make teeth cookies if he gave me a picture of what he was thinking of. I told him that there are molar tooth cookie cutters available in the U.S. (I'm in Saudi Arabia), as well as toothbrush cutters, mouths, etc. Well, he told me to order two of everything dentist related that I could find, one for me and one for him. He said he will be wanting cookies in May, but didn't specify how many, and said he wanted a set of cutters for himself to make chocolate items from. Huh? I think he'd need molds for that, not cookie cutters.

Being overseas the postage to send the cutters over won't be cheap. I'd probably recoup the cost when he buys cookies, but it will surely cut down on the profit, if there is any when I pay for the shipping (probably at least $20). I don't mind buying the cutters when I'm home in the summer, since I won't have to pay much for postage and I won't have to sell many tooth cookies to make the cutters pay for themselves, but other than this dentist I don't see the opportunity to sell alot of tooth cookies!

I am also put off by his request that I order the same cutters for him. It seems like he will probably take the cutters to bakeries here to see if he can get the cookies cheaper than from me, have his personal cook make them (it's common to have an in house cook here), or something like that. Can't think of why else he'd want the cutters for himself. I'm really torn! He has ordered 3 or 4 times from me, and I hate to turn off a customer, but it just seems kind of wierd. Even if he would offer to pay for the postage, it just bothers me to get him the cutters (which are not available over here, but he could order them off the internet on his own).
What do you think, guys?

Julie

Well...since he could order them off the internet himself and he is asking you...it seems that he trusts your judgement or else he would just order them himself!!!

He says he want to do some chocolate cut outs...with his cutters; since that doesn't interefere with your cookie order...he is likely thinking that that is something he could try his hand at for the occassion he is thinking of...

I would be gracious and order what he has asked for, have him pay his portion of the shipping costs or if the shipping is high I'd have him cover all the shipping...

See if you could get him to order and pay for his cookie order beforehand so that you don't have any worries and seeing as tooth related cut outs may not be in high demand for your other customers.

Charge him enough for his cutters so that it pays for yours and the shipping. If he doesn't like it - he can get his own. I would do it.

I agree with the others, but I thought it was funny about him ordering cookies and making chocolates. Doesn't that sound like he's investing in himself to have future business giving his clients sweets?

Just an idea but could you just make yourself some sort of template and use that rather than ordering the cutters since wont be using them that often. Or use the tutorial on here to create your own I think that would be cheaper then you can just tell the Dentist (honestly) that you didnt bother to order them you just freehanded the design that will end any mental conflict you might have with getting them for him. Just a thought

I think he is using you and will probably order once for cookies and then have someone duplicate them for all the other times. Just tell him that you only would order what ever you would use in your business so the receipt reflects your business purchases and if he wants to order himself he can do so on the web. Also mention that using cutters on chocolate really wouldn't work that you would need molds and that you could do all that for him. I still wouldn't order two sets of anything.

Just me....but if a customer of mine requested that I order cutters for them I would tell them I'm not in that business.....that I'm in the cookie business! I also wouldn't tell them where I buy them from....I would guide them to the Internet where they can search for themselves. Man that sounds mean and truly isn't intended to be....but hey, I need job security also and the last thing I need is someone duplicating my work or something similar to it!

I have to add.....I don't mind decorators being inspired by my work and trying it for themselves (I would consider that flattering), but in a case where it could create "close" competition or result in a loss of business for me is what I mind!

He may truly be wanting to use his for chocolate. I went to a SC DOS and we were each given a cowboy hat cookie cutter that had been filled with chocolate. They were inspired from a demo at the ICES convention in Texas. When I got home the chocolate popped out perfectly with just a little pressure.

Here's a thought - Have him order a set online and pay 100% of it. Then you can use his cutters when he wants the cookies. Yes, he may try to go elsewhere but atleast you didn't plop down a lot of money on tools you may only use once.

I've used cookie cutters to cut chocolate, doesn't seem that strange.

The people I sell cookies to are more than capable of making them themselves, but the point is who has the time and wants the mess. I'm sure you make your cookies pretty to present which for most people is more effort than they want to put in. I have no doubt he will continue to order from you even if he or his kids do make cookies with the cookie cutters, they aren't going to be the same as what you do.

I would order them and get him to pay 100% of the shipping costs. He did say for you to order a set for yourself, does he seem like the type to stick it to you? If he wanted you to order a set for yourself he isn't asking you to rub it in everytime you look at them that he isn't ordering. He will continue to get cookies from you.

I would figure out what the cost would be for two sets including postage and give him that figure and see if he still wants them. If so, I'd order them and give him one set and keep one.

If you have a baby bib cutter, turn it upside down and voila...you have your molar.

I'd do it in a heatbeat, and order a couple of other things as well. if he's paying a set of cookie cutters for you plus the shipping, then I'd use the opportunity to order something else as well and just deduct that cost (of the xtra cutters) from the total bill. At least it saves you the shipping cost and you get a set of dentist cookie cutters for your effort on top

I've used cookie cutters to cut chocolate, doesn't seem that strange.

The people I sell cookies to are more than capable of making them themselves, but the point is who has the time and wants the mess. I'm sure you make your cookies pretty to present which for most people is more effort than they want to put in. I have no doubt he will continue to order from you even if he or his kids do make cookies with the cookie cutters, they aren't going to be the same as what you do.

I would order them and get him to pay 100% of the shipping costs. He did say for you to order a set for yourself, does he seem like the type to stick it to you? If he wanted you to order a set for yourself he isn't asking you to rub it in everytime you look at them that he isn't ordering. He will continue to get cookies from you.

Thanks for all your responses and advice! I went ahead and ordered the cutters. I guess the worse that can happen is I'm out $40 and he gets the cookies made elsewhere (but they won't be as good as mine! LOL), but hopefully he will continue to be a happy customer, with his own set of cutters.

He hasn't actually offered to buy me the set of cutters or discussed how much he is going to pay for, in fact the orders are on my credit card and shipped to his PO Box (there is no home mail delivery here and the PO Box I use at my husband's work is unreliable). It's really pretty complicated as to why I haven't discussed the exact who-pays-for-what with him. His PO Box goes thru a sort of shipping-forwarder company called Aramex-I had to have the 2 companies that I ordered from ship to an Aramex PO Box in New York, then periodically the Aramex company sends the contents of that PO Box to his PO Box at their company over here in Saudi Arabia (it saves on shipping by combining many shipments into one). So I know what the postage is from the Cutter companies to the NY PO Box, but I have only an approximate idea of what it will be from NY to here. I've paid for the cutters and the postage to NY and he will have to pay for the shipping from NY to Saudi, should be about even-if he offers to pay for the whole thing, great!

Julie

Sounds very complicated but if you're happy, I'm happy.

Diane

LOL, Diane!

Julie

Edited as I don't know how it came up twice.

update?