I currently work in the dental field. I just got all the proper license's/permits to sell decorated cakes on the side. It has been going well so far, however recently a co worker asked me to do her wedding cake. I said sure when you get married. (She had not been asked) yet. So a few months later she gets asked and now she says she wants the cake for free because I said I would make it. What do I do she is a very difficult co-worker and until I leave this job she will make my life a living hell. Any ideas?

You simply tell her that you are a licenced company and you charge for your work.Just because you agreed to do her cake once she got engaged does not entitle her to FREE cake....Ignore her at work if she becomes a B$#@%...

Edited to say...Do not do her cake for Free......Please......you will just make it harder for yourself to get paid business.

Welcome to CC!

Just start laughing, tell her you are a business and that when you said you would make the cake, you assumed she was going to pay for it. Then tell her that you're just starting your cake business and with the cost of licensing and equipment you're not in a position to do any donated cakes.

And if she keeps pushing, tell her you're not running a cake charity. I keep telling my daughters, sometimes when you're dealing with a bully you have to be a little rude back to them, or they walk all over you.

Can you just smile and say, "I'm afraid you misunderstood. My price per serving is...."

In my old age, I've finally realized it is really hard for someone to make your life miserable if you keep smiling at them and speaking very matter-of-factly.

I would be hesitant at this point to do it at all, she sounds like she would be a bridezilla for sure. I definitely wouldn't do it for free!!!

"You can have your cake for free when you can figure out how I can get all of my ingredients free, my labor for free, my rent, insurance, permits, licenses for free ..... well, you see where I'm going here! And oh yeah, convince my kids that they dont' REALLY need 3 meals a day."

Ask her how many days a months she's planning on working for the dentist for free. Same thing.

First Welcome to CC!

Now I must have missed something, since when does asking someone to preform a service mean that the service is suppose to be preformed for FREE! I am believing that since you are co-workers that she knows that you are now licensed and was in fact placing a paid order.

What they said. Please please please pleeeeeease don't do it for free.

Welcome to CC. I'm not a commercial baker, but listen to these ladies. Don't do it for free.

A question: when she asked you (back before she was engaged) did she ask you: will you do my cake for free/as a gift? or did she just ask if you would do her cake? I'm just confused about her entitled attitude.

If you didn't correct her when she brought up the issue of the cake now that she is engaged, you will have to talk to her about it again at some point. What you can say is something along the lines of "have you figured out your budget and design ideas are for the cake so I can see what I can do for you? I will need to shop for the supplies at least a couple of weeks in advance". That should make her realize that there is an expense involved. If she doesn't get it, then you will have to be blunt and just tell her that with the current economy you are not in a position to take on that expense. Good luck.

I smiled and said sure I will make it but never did I say free! I think because I started making the girls personal birthday cakes for them as I was going thru various classes she assumed that I would make her cake for free as well and even told me she turned down another offer. She is not someone I have ever liked working with in the last 8 years. I was in the service and never worked with such a witch!

Dont give your works of art for free!

Well, make sure you have the conversation with her soon, that way she can go with her "other offer". Are you kidding me? in this economy people are actually offering cakes for free. She's lying to you. don't fall for it and pretty please don't give in and make it for free.

Thank you guys for all your advice! I will absolutely not make this cake at all. If she treats me bad oh well at least I have my pride and my hard earned cash in my pocket!

Tell her you're already booked. She doesn't have to know that you're booked spending your time here on CC with the rest of us.

Theresa

Wait until she tells you the date...sorry I'm booked. Run very fast from this one!!!!! It just seems obvious to me that whatever you do no matter how fantastic it just won't be good enough. You'll never hear the end of it. Run, Run, Run

Did she ask for a "6-foot wedding cake for FREE?" That's what happened to me a couple years ago -- something about a champagne wedding on a beer budget, but sitting in the oversized kitchen of her 10,000 square foot mansion I wasn't buying it!

I am with everyone else, run away fast!!
I have a co-worker that is just like yours. She used to expect my cakes for free. I did make one cake for her for free but that was it. After that she kept asking (of course my fault for doing the one) but I stood firm. I am soo glad I did.

You might tell her what you get for free will reflect free.

Show her your beginning work.

If she wants cheap tell her to go to Walmart!

Unless you specifically agreed to make the cake for free I don't see why she thinks she gets it for free. If you just agreed to make her the cake, that's all you agreed to, not making it for free. If you didn't agree, months ago, to make it for free then I would tell her just that: "Yes, I agreed to make your wedding cake but, I didn't agree to bake it for free".

~Kim

DON'T DO IT!!!!
I was faced with a similar offer. An ex-coworker was getting married and asked me to make her cake. I came up with a design and was going to charge her a VERY CHEAP rate.
Plus her wedding was going to be 4 hours away.
Needless to say, she expected the cake to be a cash on delivery deal. I did not receive a deposit.....or full payment, therefore no cake!!!!

I have kids and cannot afford to work for free..... bottom line.

I am going to tell her tomorrow. Also I do not even want to do the cake even if she offers to pay for supplies. Which I am sure she probably will not. Thank you guys I need to stop this hag fast!

All I could do the minute I saw the title to your post was BUST OUT laughing. I don't know how you managed a straight face when she made the request!

First Welcome to CC!

Now I must have missed something, since when does asking someone to preform a service mean that the service is suppose to be preformed for FREE! I am believing that since you are co-workers that she knows that you are now licensed and was in fact placing a paid order.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. <<<<beep>>>>> <<<<<beep>>>>>

Back the truck up.

She asked you if you would do her wedding cake under the ASSUMPTION she would be asked to be married?

TACKY.

Run away. Far away.

I had a co-worker ask me to make 20 cakes for a festival at her church that I didn't even attend. She's like "since your a baker I thought you would like to donate these cakes for me." I was like "uh, no". My husband was out of work at the time and times were tough and she thought I was going to bust out money for supplies to make her free cakes. She didn't even offer to pay for supplies. Needless to say, she never asked again.