Hello CakeCentral friends,
I have a customer who is getting married in Nov. She has hired me to do her cakes before with no issues. She asked for a tasting and consultation for her wedding and I agreed (even though she has tasted plenty of my cakes). I got a sitter, I made her taster and got ready for her arrival... she did not show. No call, no nothing. RUDE!! A few days later, she apologized and said she was sick. What? Too sick to pick up the phone?!?!? She begged me to reschedule her appt. So, being the nice person that I am, I agreed. She was, after all, a paying customer. So, again, I got a sitter, made her tester cake, prepared for her arrival... and confirmed her appointment the day before. Guess what... NO SHOW. NO CALL. Nothing. AGAIN. She called and left me a message the next day... "I forgot" was her lame excuse. Now I need to call her back. Any advice??? Tell her to find another baker? Give her the Bridezilla surcharge? Tell her I will do her wedding cake with 100% pre-payment and no tasting?? What would you do?
WOW!! That is a hard question. Do you know the wedding date? I would call her and tell her I just got an order for that day. Sorry can't make your cake, I just signed a contract with another bride. I wouldn't want to deal with a bride like that.
Carolina
That is a tough one....I would email her and tell her since she has shown no respect towards your time etc...you are no longer available to do her cake in Nov.I know it hurts since everyone wants the money but if she has done it to you...she probably has done it to others and will continue to do it until someone says enough!
Charge her for the tastings she has missed. Let her know that if she wants a tasting she will have to pay for your time. If you really want to take this order make sure you take control. Let her know you won't be walked on. I'd just tell her you are no longer available. I have no patience for stuff like this.
I wouldn't even bother,she sounds like trouble,plus I will charge her for the 2 tastings she missed.even if she doesn't pay me,maybe that might scare her away.
I think I'd tell her that you now charge for tastings (at least for her, even if you dont' for others) and that it must be paid for in advance in order to reserve that time slot.
As for the wedding cake, I would be leary...certainly the entire thing paid for well in advance! 
Hello CakeCentral friends,
I have a customer who is getting married in Nov. ... Now I need to call her back. Any advice??? Tell her to find another baker? Give her the Bridezilla surcharge? Tell her I will do her wedding cake with 100% pre-payment and no tasting?? What would you do?
If you'd still like doing the cake, convey to her that she's used up her free tastings and she's managed to reduce her (free) consult time with the two prior no shows. "I'll be more than happy to schedule another tasting/consultation but it will need to be paid for in advance. Should you decide to have me create your cake, I require $50 to hold your date. Once the contract is confirmed and signed, any changes will result in additonal charges. Full payment is due no less than 30 days from event date. Would you like to schedule another tasting at this time? (If yes...)Payment for this tasting needs to be made by...
OSLT
She sounds like a airhead. I wouldn't throw away a paying client though just because she's airheaded. I would work with that information though. Knowing she's an airhead, ask her to pay up front for the cake and tell her you'll be happy to freeze the taster cake you made so that she can have it when she can stop by and pick it up, and let her know that you can't afford to hire a sitter again so she may have to put up with being quiet at nap time or excusing you for a minute to refill a cup of juice. You can also do a lot of cake planning and designing by email. I've done a lot of cakes that way for people coming in from out of the area. She could email you specifics about what she'd like and you can scan a copy of your sketches and email them to her. That way no one has to worry about time constraints.
Why do you need to call her back? Did she ask you to in the message she left? I'd probably just wait and let her call you back. If she wants a cake from you, she will. When she does, if she wants another tasting I'd tell her that you went to considerable effort and expense twice already, and even though you understand she couldn't make it, you would have at least expected a phone call to cancel. I'd tell her you're not willing to prepare another tasting now, and that she's tasted your cakes anyway so she knows what your quality is.
I agree with Jeanne that you'll need to take charge of this business transaction if you don't want to end up with a PITA experience. I'd let her know that if she wants you to make her cake you expect her to honor the appointments she makes with you because this is your business and you need to use your time effectively. I don't think I'd change my payment terms, but I would tell her in no uncertain terms that if you do not have full payment by your due date, you will not be repeatedly calling her for it, and if she misses it, you will NOT deliver a cake to her wedding. PERIOD.
I wouldn't go into the details of getting a sitter, tell you think she's rude, etc. I think that sounds whiny to a customer. I think it's perfectly fine to tell US all that - that's what we're here for! A person needs a safe place to vent, after all.
I would send her an email...
"So sorry to hear that you forgot to attend your second missed tasting. Unfortunately, none of the tasting samples on my cake tree will ripen until well after your wedding. It's unfortunate, and completely my fault. Had I understood ahead of time what little value you would be placing on my time and money, I would have waited until you arrived before going out into the back yard and picking your tasting samples off the cake tree. That way the samples would still be hanging there awaiting your smallest whim."
This is why I stopped doing tastings for 'free'. What I do is charge $35 for the tasting and if you sign a contract w/ me I will give you a $35 credit towards your cake.
Going forward:
1. Don't call her back. Act like you never got the message the same way she acted like she didn't make an appointment with you. That would seem appropriate due to the type of communication she seems to be used to. 
2. Tell her that due to her 2 no-shows you've inacted a new policy, go w/ the above one, and a contract is a must. All of my contracts require a 30% non-refundable deposit. Period. I had a bride call off her wedding last week for this upcoming Saturday. She'd also had a tasting that she & her groom paid for. B/c of these policies I was not out on supplies or anything I already put in for b/c SHE paid for them.
Best wishes on this whatever you decide.
Why do you need to call her back? Did she ask you to in the message she left? I'd probably just wait and let her call you back. If she wants a cake from you, she will. When she does, if she wants another tasting I'd tell her that you went to considerable effort and expense twice already, and even though you understand she couldn't make it, you would have at least expected a phone call to cancel. I'd tell her you're not willing to prepare another tasting now, and that she's tasted your cakes anyway so she knows what your quality is.
Good point!
I would send her an email...
"So sorry to hear that you forgot to attend your second missed tasting. Unfortunately, none of the tasting samples on my cake tree will ripen until well after your wedding. It's unfortunate, and completely my fault. Had I understood ahead of time what little value you would be placing on my time and money, I would have waited until you arrived before going out into the back yard and picking your tasting samples off the cake tree. That way the samples would still be hanging there awaiting your smallest whim."
I think you forgot to address her as Your Majesty! Don't you wish you could really say what you're thinking sometimes? LOL!
I just had a bride stand me up this week! I feel your pain. Only 2 strikes in my "ball game". Her best friend had a problem and she forgot to call. Pretty sad, but O.K.
Since then she has requested a second chance. So I told her I can only do tastings on Mondays or Tuesdays and she wants a Friday. "Sorry, the next available Friday I have is July 31". Fridays are too busy for tastings. So she decided a Monday will work best for her. I'm now doing her a favor by meeting with her. She is doing me no favors by requesting to "Talk". We will see-last chance.
I have done cakes for her family and I know she has "tasted" my cake as well. If she doesn't show this time-"Sorry, but your date has been filled." Besides, I am really busy the week of her wedding. I always do first come first served. However, I do have a back up team always ready to work when I need them. So no problem, but I will not do her wedding if she is a no show again.
I hope it all works out for you both. Hang in there! and Good luck!
Toni
I would send her an email...
"So sorry to hear that you forgot to attend your second missed tasting. Unfortunately, none of the tasting samples on my cake tree will ripen until well after your wedding. It's unfortunate, and completely my fault. Had I understood ahead of time what little value you would be placing on my time and money, I would have waited until you arrived before going out into the back yard and picking your tasting samples off the cake tree. That way the samples would still be hanging there awaiting your smallest whim."
That's hilarious! Don't you so wish you could say that to brides?
I would send her an email...
"So sorry to hear that you forgot to attend your second missed tasting. Unfortunately, none of the tasting samples on my cake tree will ripen until well after your wedding. It's unfortunate, and completely my fault. Had I understood ahead of time what little value you would be placing on my time and money, I would have waited until you arrived before going out into the back yard and picking your tasting samples off the cake tree. That way the samples would still be hanging there awaiting your smallest whim."
Lol! This tree must be in the garden next to the money tree and labor/time tree. Since she is an airhead she would probably be lost in that garden for ages. I tell you some people think that the world revolves around them. Like other others have said, if you do the cake do it on your strictest terms.
The advice to not call her back is correct...She's not your customer until you've put her deposit in the bank. No need to jump through hoops to contact someone who is obviously not making any effort herself.
If she does call, no tasting appointments, she's used that chane up. If she's already tasted plenty of your cake, why does she even need a tasting? She's just trying to get the "full wedding planing experience" where you make as many appointments as possible in order to make yourself feel busy and special. 
You should offer to send her a quote by email, based on the type of design she wants and her guest count, then if she wants to hire you she can send a deposit. THEN you can schedule a sit-down with her to plan the design, but no free cake! Tell her she can order something in the flavor she's thinking about between now and November if she's so uncertain about what she wants.
I don't think that you can realistically expect her to pay you for missed appointments unless you said beforehand that there would be a charge if she missed it. You can, however, refuse to let her run over you.
Has she locked in on the cake for November? If so, I don't think you should back out of the obligation; however, I would let her know in no uncertain terms that you paid for a baby-sitter as well as invested in the ingredients to make her samples, and any other costs that you incurred. I would then proceed to bill her for two missed tastings... hey, in this day and age if you don't cancel your doctor's appt. within 24 hrs of the date, you get charged a fee (and it's usually around $25.00.) They don't apologize for slapping you with it either. YOU have inconvenienced THEM.
I sure hope you have a contract with this chickie... sounds like you need one.
Wow, I don't even know what to say.....I wouldn't do her cake though (unless she pays you 100% upfront and well in advance too) because all of this shows how dependable she is. If you do this cake for her, you'll most likely not get all of your money. You should look at this as your "for warning".
This bride is bad news....
Wow, I don't even know what to say.....I wouldn't do her cake though (unless she pays you 100% upfront and well in advance too) because all of this shows how dependable she is. If you do this cake for her, you'll most likely not get all of your money. You should look at this as your "for warning".
This bride is bad news....
Ohhh and offer her no more taste testings unless she comes in first and pays you for the taste test.
I'd e mail her that there would be no more tastings since she'd missed the two. She can order a small cake if she wishes to have a taste before making a decision. I'd offer some dates for a consultation (no tasting) and tell her the charge for that, to be paid in advance. I'd let her know the fee for holding the date for her wedding, to be paid at the time of the consult. If she decides to go with me I'd require 50% at the time of the order and the other 50% 30 days before the wedding date. I'm no pro but I have done some wedding cakes. They can be soo dern stressful. I don't let anyone walk over me and this little gal is rude and unconcerned about how she may be inconveniencing you. This promises to ONLY get worse as her wedding date grows closer. Airhead or not I don't need that kind of business. Set her straight if you can or drop her and open that November date for someone else.
I'd e mail her that there would be no more tastings since she'd missed the two. She can order a small cake if she wishes to have a taste before making a decision. I'd offer some dates for a consultation (no tasting) and tell her the charge for that, to be paid in advance. I'd let her know the fee for holding the date for her wedding, to be paid at the time of the consult. If she decides to go with me I'd require 50% at the time of the order and the other 50% 30 days before the wedding date. I'm no pro but I have done some wedding cakes. They can be soo dern stressful. I don't let anyone walk over me and this little gal is rude and unconcerned about how she may be inconveniencing you. This promises to ONLY get worse as her wedding date grows closer. Airhead or not I don't need that kind of business. Set her straight if you can or drop her and open that November date for someone else.
What would I do? I certainly wouldn't waste any more time on her than already have!
Don't call her and don't e-mail. Hope someone else orders for that date.
If she calls and tries to re-book her consultation tell her you hope she chokes on her grocery store wedding cake.
This is a red flag. Infact, its two red flags. Dont go any further....let her find another baker. You dont have to be treated like that. Nobody should. good luck!
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