Client wants Sweet 16 cake for this evening. Client agrees to purchase silk flowers. Client drops off silk flowers this morning. SILK FLOWERS ARE UGLIER THAN SIN.








Wrinkled, unsymmetrical, and just plain a mess. I can't put these on top of this cake and not be upset. I dont think they can be ironed and I have to have this cake looking good by 5PM.

What if you used some steam to get the wrinkles out? You could put them over some boiling water?

I certainly understand how you feel, but if that's what the client wants, then that is what you must give her. There's no question here that she knows exactly what she's getting. She may have even purchased additional flowers for other things at the party and would be very upset if the cake didn't match.

You can only do the best you can if the client provides any of the materials for the cake presentation--so, in this case it may be to "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear"

If she's not happy with the look of the cake, I"d gently remind her that the flowers/colors, etc. were all her choice!

Rae

I don't think the flowers are too bad... I have seen worse. It might look better when the cake is all done. and like BlakesCakes said-- she knows what she is getting.

They aren't the ugliest flowers I've ever seen, so don't fret it. She probably has purchased other flowers and decorations to match too.

At least she knows you didn't make them, she provided them, and that's what she wants.

I tried to steam them by hanging them upside down from the shower rod in the bathroom with the water on hot full blast and they just wont work... I love the colors, they will go perfect with the ribbon she has but they just dont look neat. I think I am going to try to duplicate them with gumpaste and do it at no extra charge and give her them back. I'll just explain that they werent feasable or something along those lines.

Thank you all for your imput.

I know those flowers aren't in the greatest shape, but I would still use them...it's what your customer wanted. Would you use a different cake topper for a wedding cake just 'cause you didn't like it? You would really insult this customer if you made that big of a change.

Maybe you could place the flowers on the bottom border on the cake board, then do something pretty on top that will go with the color scheme. Just a thought.

They really don't look that bad. I agree that you should just use them.

Good luck!
angie

Listen, I know that you think your rep is on the line here, but think of it like everyone else is..... the CUSTOMER gave you the flowers to use on her cake, so use them. Do not tell her you what you think about her flowers, you don't want to insult he taste. And don't go out of your way to make gumpaste fowers. Why should you have to pay for the customers bad taste?

Your CAKE looks perfect and beautiful. There's nothing you can do about how you think the customer's flowers look. She picked them, she brought them to you. Put them on with confidence and let it go.

Again -- your CAKE looks perfect.

Here's the finished product. I dont think it looks as bad as I thought it did. In hindsight, I think I was freaking out for no reason

I have rose bushes that are supposed to be represented by those silk flowers, and if my roses would look like those do, I'd let the aphids eat them! What dollar store did she buy them from?

I would be very candid with the customer and tell her that I am not happy with the flowers she brought. And from now on, if your customers want to provide the flowers, you should make them bring them to you before you bake, for your reputation's sake.

Theresa

from a customer service point of view, if I brought you flowers to use on the cake and you didn't use them I'd have an issue with paying you the agreed upon price. come on - at the end of the day, this is a cake being made to a customer specification - just use th flowers,cash the check, and forget about it. Your cake is great - look at how smooth it is!

Ok, daughter was not happy, mother was. Mother paid me so I should be ok with it right?

Well, no because if I got a cake I wasnt happy with on my 16th birthday, I'd be in a foul mood too.

Mother says,"....there just flowers... you're not even going to see them much longer"

Good greif.

did the mother give you the flowers or the daughter? either way the daughter should be mad at the mother and not at you. you did exactly what the customer asked and you got paid.

The mother supplied the flowers.

Your cake beautiful. It even made the flowers pretty.

The finished product is beautiful! If the daughter wants to be mad at someone it should be her mother not you. By using the flowers you were only doing what you were asked to do by the paying customer.

I agree!

The cake looks really nice. What 16 year old thinks her mother knows best anyways?

Great job.



kos

The finished product looks GREAT....... you did the right thing.......

For my sweet 16 I got a hideous and not very tasty grocery store cake with poinsetta's on it (my bday is Dec. 24th) and I was happy just that someone thought to buy me a cake at all on christmas eve!

In short snotty sixteen year olds and clients with bad taste are not your problem. You preformed the job you were hired to to to the specifications you were given and now you are done. But I think turned out pretty in any case.

Thanks for the kind comments, everyone.

I agree that the cake turned out beautiful, and you did the best you could with less-than-perfect flowers. Try not to let it bother you too much that the birthday girl didn't like the cake. As I remember, 16-year old girls are pretty hard to please!!!!!!

I can see both sides of the coin- the cake looks lovely- on the one hand, yeah customer gave you what they wanted you to use for the cake, she paid you, her daughter can take it up with her if she's not happy. If something had been logistically not cool, I can see bringing up a suggestion (nicely) how such and such wouldnt work, and explain why. In a situation like that it's less about just plain taste than about you being the expert and knowing what will work and what wont. Happens in my industry all the time.
And I understand about the reputation thing on that note. With the cake thing if you're not happy with the flower but you did it anyway, and you were not comfortable, I would just not put it in my portfolio.
If someone asked me to design a website for their business that I felt in my professional opinion did not meet their needs (not just from a 'oh that's perdy' standpoint- but functionality/marketing etc) I would discuss different ideas with them. I'm a professional, I'm great at what I do, and Im' not going to have a shoddy job in my portfolio. Because yeah that is my reputation as a pro! Just like I wouldnt do a job that went against my personal integrity/value system, just to say I did it. Anyway...not sure if that input makes any sense or if of any use, but that's just me sharing from another type of designer perspective Since those flowers werent really that bad, it's not really the same thing I guess, sorry LOL

I think you did the right thing and have a very nice cake to show for it!
Good job!

puppyloveconfections, I think your cake turned out very pretty. I agree that you ought to cash the check and let it go. You can't account for other people's bad taste. You did your best with what you were given to work with. I did a wedding cake for a good friend and didn't particularly like the silk flowers she bought for it. But I made them work and it turned out well, and was she happy! That's all that counted. You did good, pat yourself on the back and forget about it. I don't even save pics of cakes I don't like. Ü

You made the flowers look pretty. Don't be upset because you did what thery wanted, and the 16 year old is probly just emotional, after all she's 16 you should have seen me at 16, I was no peach to live with at times (and I'm the good kid)