First "disappointed" Customer Wah!! (Long)

Business By amandasweetcakes Updated 7 Jan 2007 , 12:46am by LisaMS

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amandasweetcakes Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:36am
post #1 of 47

Well, I guess it was bound to happen, you can't please everyone. But I feel sick over it. icon_cry.gificon_cry.gif I actually knew going into the order that she would never be satisfied. It was for her son's 1st birthday, she wanted a 10" round with a smaller 6" round smash cake,both to be decorated like the ocean with sea creatures made with m&m bodies. She sent me a pic and I told her I could do it. She also wanted me to make a cruise ship to put on top of the lg cake. I told her the cruise ship would be out of proportion with the sea creatures, and told her I thought a sailboat would be more to scale, plus it's more appropriate for a 1 year old. I told her I could use some primary colors on the sailboat, instead of a white and gray luxury liner. She wanted cookies, too but didn't want to pay alot. I made her six cookies, which I thought was very nice of me considering that really isn't enough for an order and didn't charge her what I normally would have, and the fact that she wanted 3 cookies to look like life preservers (my very cute suggestion) and 1 cookie with a lobster, 1 with a school of fish, and 1 with a seahorse. That's 4 different cookies with a total of 6 cookies icon_mad.gif . So I gave her the price. Then at the last minute she comes back with a change and adds filling to the small cake, which I also didn't charge her for (my mistake) icon_sad.gif . All of these details were confirmed over about 20 emails. I kid you not. I mean we are talking about $100 cake and cookies, not $1000's or even 100"s for that matter. I also want to mention again, that I came up with a couple of very cute and creative ideas for her. So after all the details were settled, she went off to Europe with her family for 2 weeks, while I worried about this cake. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that she kept telling me over and over in all of her emails that the cake was all her family cared about. The pressure was on. Then the husband wanted to know the exact dimensions of cake and boat, (which had not been sculpted yet), I mean was he building a special cake table or what!!! icon_eek.gif

Anyway, they pick up the cake and I hear nothing from them for a couple weeks. Then this week I got an email from a friend of hers who wants me to make a cake for her. So I think, well, I guess she liked it. Wrong! icon_redface.gif I had been hesitant about sending her an email because I didn't want to hear bad news. So I send her and email and thank her for the referral and ask her if she liked the cake. Well...the color of the ocean was not exactly like the pic she emailed me icon_mad.gif ( I reminded her that everyone's computer is different and I also prefer a lighter ocean so the creatures stand out better). She also wasn't happy with the sail boat she wanted more color on it (Now remember she had wanted a crusie ship).

I'm just sick over it. This is the one reason why I am hesitant about going full force into this biz, because I guess I don't have a thick enough skin. I want everyone to love what I do. I work hard on my cakes and did with this one. So now I'm afraid to make the cake for her friend. icon_eek.gif

Sorry, I just had to vent. I'm sure it happens to many of us. Thanks for listening.
LL

46 replies
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munkey Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:44am
post #2 of 47

what is that lady smoking??? that cake is gorgeous. WOOOW. The cookies are a very nice accent to it also. When I read your post I had an image in my head of what it might look like and man I was way off. It's 10x better than I imagined. That woman is just being picky and is probably used to getting what she wants and not any other way.

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lapazlady Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:46am
post #3 of 47

The cakes are charming. And you can not please everyone, especially someone that has a very fixed idea, you just can't produce what is in someone else's head. BUT, it must have been pretty good if you got a referral. Take a deep breath and go on to the next customer.

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bobwonderbuns Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:47am
post #4 of 47

Sweetie don't sweat it. I know, I've had all kinds of odd customers, some come back and some don't. Some don't order and I never know why. I used to fret about it but I've decided that I do cakes because I love doing cakes and NOBODY can take that away from me! If my cakes are up to my standards (which they rarely are, but they're getting closer with each try icon_wink.gif) then I'm happy. If not, I try harder the next time. Believe me, America's love affair with sugar gives us ALL job security!! I scrutinized your cake and cookies and you did nothing wrong. She should have spoken up before. Sometimes if I have a customer who gives me grief, and I don't hear from them afterward, that's fine by me! I look at my own work and say "that was good, but you can improve here or there." Then I try and do just that!

So don't sweat it sweetie, you are very talented and if you believe in yourself, others will too. I know we do!! icon_biggrin.gif

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johnniekake Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:48am
post #5 of 47

First of all the cake and cookies are adorable.......................I mean you really did a great job!!

Second of all..................people just crack me up!!!! Blow her off !!! I know "easier said than done"!

You will find out that unfortunately you cant please everyone.Fact of Life!!!
and it sucks icon_mad.gif

ya no what........... the cake couldnt have been that bad .......her friend wants you to do one thumbs_up.gif o hold your head up high and do it!! The heck with the other lady!!

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tatetart Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:50am
post #6 of 47

My gosh Amanda! I don't know what she could have wanted and not gotten. The cakes and cookies are adorable, and the work is great!

Oh well, don't let this discourage you at all. The 20+ emails was a red flag about her ability (or lack thereof) to be pleased. This is just one persons opinion.

Here is my opinion. The colors are great. I love the detail of sealife on the sides and the sugar sand around the bottom. The cookies are a real nice touch to the whole theme. And a cruise ship would have sunk the whole cake, so the sailboat was just the right touch!

There--- I have just canceled out her opinion! icon_biggrin.gif

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cakesondemand Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:50am
post #7 of 47

Seems to me with all those emails there wasn't anything you could do to make her happy. Your cakes are great there are just some people you can't please no matter whaat you do. Keep on decorating and be proud of what you did looks great to me. Love your cookies too, so cute.

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adrisss Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:52am
post #8 of 47

Your cakes are really pretty, something happend to me like that, but well I think cake decorating is really subjective point of view ( I dont know if I said the right way , excuse me my english) but everyone will have a diferent point of view over your work, a diferent perspective, It's like trying to do the same cake twice it will never turn up the same, because you alway put something diferent , I can tell you something Amanda you are an artist, and many people will not agree with you piece of art. But what is most important is that you fell happy with your creation!!!!

It is wonderfull, and I am sure that she got a lot of complimets in here party, what maybe happend is that she allready had in her mind a picture of something else.

Take Care and Happy New Year!!!!!!

Adriana

icon_smile.gif

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Jopalis Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:55am
post #9 of 47

I think the cakes are adorable and love the accent cookies! She is probalby one of those people that find fault with everything. You know it's cute. We think it's cute! Chalk her up to experience with difficult people. I would be upset too. Sounds like she got an icredible bargain as well. Somebody obviously liked it if you got a referral out of it.

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kelleym Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 12:55am
post #10 of 47

She is smoking crack. I'm so sorry you got a "crazy".

But she DID give you the referral, and since she and her friend aren't the same person, I'd do the cake for her.

What a beautiful cake. How did you make the sail for the sailboat?

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robjomac Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:02am
post #11 of 47

Hi, I am a newbie to this site but I just had to comment. I think the fact that her friend liked the cake says a lot. You do beautiful work. Obviously the friend liked it enough to have you do one for her. Go for it! I am sure you will do just as wonderful a job on that one. I aspire to be as talented as you some day.

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daisyblue Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:05am
post #12 of 47

Oh my gosh!! Those cakes are AWESOME!! You rock!! Pay no attention to that customer. There are plenty more GOOD customers out there that will appreciate your beautiful art work!!!

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nglez09 Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:06am
post #13 of 47

Sounds like this family didn't think Italy looked like a boot as much as they'd hoped.

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kaychristensen Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:09am
post #14 of 47

I think you were to hard on yourself. Your cakes were very cute. thumbs_up.gif You gave her a discount on the cookies. Which you didn't have to do ( I would have probably done that also) I wouldn't have put filling in a smash cake. To me it doesn't make sense. You let the little one smash the cake. So to me it wouldn't be necessary. But I think she was just one of those people that finds fault in everything. Well if someone else was inquiring about getting a cake by you than someone liked it. thumbs_up.gif Or they wouldn't have emailed you to place an order. So don't let this stop you from doing what you are good at. Good Luck with all the orders you are going to get thumbs_up.gif

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cinderspritzer Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:12am
post #15 of 47

they're fantastic.

write her an email back and tell her that her face isn't the shape you like, her hair isn't the shade you like and that she can f-off. or something.



then delete it an don't think about her again.


that cake is amazing, and that's the fact.

enjoy your referral, be glad someone else was so impressed with your work, and let that make up for it.

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indydebi Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:12am
post #16 of 47

Ditto on munkey's remarks!

You could always offer to stand up and bend over to make it easier for her to kiss your a....... uh, well, never mind! icon_twisted.gif

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kris2005 Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:14am
post #17 of 47

Sorry you've encountered a crazy person .i think this is absolutely appropriate for a 1yr old what kid likes cruise ships.....puh-lease

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karateka Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:18am
post #18 of 47

I think I want some of what she was smokin'.


Personally, I think she responded that way because she was hoping for an offer of a partial or full refund. Write her off. Some people are never satisfied. But make sure you keep her name and email address around with a big red NO through it, just in case she ever calls again!

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HollyPJ Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:20am
post #19 of 47

I love the cakes and the cookies! And I'm not just saying that to make you feel better--they really look good.

What kind of a parent wants to put a cruise ship on her 1-year-old's birthday cake?

The sailboat is perfect.

I'll bet the party guests loved the cake, especially the birthday kid. icon_smile.gif

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jenifergilliland Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:23am
post #20 of 47

Your cakes are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!! That lady is just one you can not please. I work at a pharmacy and we have alot of people like that come in the store. My boss always says they would complain if the ice cream was too cold. You just can't please some people. Can you tell me how you did the sea creatures?

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flayvurdfun Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:31am
post #21 of 47

it just goes to show you did a great job.... she may not have been really happy but ohters were and you got another order from it.... dont worry over it.... that is a great cake!!!!

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emilykakes Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:34am
post #22 of 47

This lady has some "issues" and they have nothing to do with your cakes. You designed a really awesome cake for her and you pulled it together flawlessly! Please don't let this nincompoop make you second guess yourself! And BTW...you were right on about the shade of blue that you used for the ocean, any darker and you would have lost a lot of your details. thumbs_up.gif

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indydebi Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:37am
post #23 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenifergilliland

.....My boss always says they would complain if the ice cream was too cold......





HAHAHAHA! My husband says, "Some people would complain if you hung 'em with a NEW rope!"

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amandasweetcakes Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:42am
post #24 of 47

Thanks everybody! icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif I knew I could count on my CC family to make me feel a little better. icon_biggrin.gif I still feel a little queezy, but this too shall pass. I wish I was one of those people that can just let stuff roll off their back. You'd think at 36 I'd be able to take this stuff better. But it feels like a personal attack.

Oh well, I knew she was trouble from the first email. icon_evil.gif She must be a treat to live with. icon_razz.gif

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TandTHarrell Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:44am
post #25 of 47

This is very nice, I love it !!!!!!

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birdgirl Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:50am
post #26 of 47

Your cake is very cute--I would ignore this one and not worry about her! Some people are very picky!

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christeena Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 1:53am
post #27 of 47

I am glad you're feeling better about the situation but I personally feel that if she can afford to pack up and go to Europe for two weeks, she could've hired Collette Peters to make her son's cake and still would have complained! icon_evil.gif

Twenty e-mails for a 1-year olds cake is slightly nuts and frankly she got a bargain at $100. icon_eek.gif I would have probably turned her down after the 5th e-mail 'cause there is no way this babe is ever going to be happy with anything anyone attemps to do for her! Be happy with the referral and move on. icon_smile.gif

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franjmc Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 2:07am
post #28 of 47

You're absolutely right, you will need to get yourself a thicker skin if you want to go into cakes as a full on business.
Le tme say, I think your cakes and cookies are absolutely beautiful, I would have been delighted with them if I was your customer, but unfortunately, there is always people out there who will never be happy with what you do.
If you can tell this from the start, my suggestion is to charge them more.
I have a PITA charge on my pricing model, that actually adds 2 extra hours of labour onto the price of a cake if I know a customer is going to be high maintenance. You then have the choice of getting more money out of it, or offering the customer a part refund, without actually losing any money.
Keep your chin up, it's hard when people criticise our art, but I bet you've had heaps of happy customers, so think about those, and don't dwell on this one.

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antonia74 Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 3:04am
post #29 of 47

From reading your sad description, I was expecting to scroll down and see something disappointing! Your cake and cookies are SOOOOO CUTE!!! icon_eek.gificon_eek.gificon_eek.gificon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif I would have been proud to give those to a client!

Tell her to get stuffed. icon_lol.gif

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FatAndHappy Posted 6 Jan 2007 , 3:20am
post #30 of 47

Your cake is amazing - I would have been doing cartwheels if this was my babies 1st cake. She obviously has issues beyond this. Call it a learning experience! Don't get down on your tallent. You are an excellent decorator - be proud! Hand in there - at the risk of sounding like my mother - it won't be the last!

You rock - keep believing in yourself! thumbs_up.gif

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