What If They Don't Ask How Much You Charge?
Business By makeminepink Updated 26 Dec 2009 , 12:05am by Mike1394
If someone orders something from you and they don't ask what you charge, do you tell them? I know I charge more than some in my area and would hate for customers to be shocked when they come to pick up their order. What do you do or what would you do?
I would definitely make sure they know the price before you make the cake.
definately tell them what you are charging prior to doing any order.
i cant believe someone would order anything and not ask how much? plus you dont want to go through all the time and effort-not to mention expense if they arent willing to pay.
i think telling them ahead of time will avoid any conflict.
I actually hate when people call to order cakes (usually they are friends or aquaintences) and they don't ask how much. Then I always have to find a place in the conversation to interject the price. I hate that, but it has to be done.
When I get ones who do not ask. Once they have finished telling me all the servings and so forth, I say "Alright, let me get your total here..." That way if there is any question as to if they don't want to pay, you know right away.
I have gotten a few that seemed a little shocked, by silence. But they ordered anyways. With those, I always call the day or two before to confirm their order.
How on God's green splendid earth would someone not know how much their cake cost before picking it up? That cake should be paid in full at the latest (too late for me, but I know some do it this late) a day or so before baking. Come on! You aren't the Dominoes Pizza boy, this isn't cash and carry!
this happens to me all the time. I live in a pretty small community, and there are a lot of "seasoned citizens" who actually get downright ornery when you tell them the price. They don't like talking about the money, I think some of them were brought up to think its rude to speak about money. Weird. I have had a couple orders that I realized after we spoke that I never gave them a price. Definitely sweat those out. But those are small orders- $25 or so, not hundreds.
This is why I love email! I can think ahead of time, and they can get over their sticker shock before they respond. Happiness all around.
For those that have a difficult time with the "money" part of this business, here's a good "ice breaker".
When a potential client phones or e-mails you about a cake, the first words out of your mouth (or fingers if typing) should be "what is your budget?".
Please, don't ever start making a cake without telling the client how much you are charging for that cake......that's not fair to you or the client.
Price is the first thing on my mind when a potential client contacts me....I am in this business to make money. 
I have never run into this problem. I always get paid before I turn on my oven. It's not wise to wait until pick up/drop off to get your money. This is how you get screwed. I don't have a formal contract for every cake. On most party cakes I use the invoice as the contract and it has everything listed out on it regarding the cake's decor and flavors and the like. I send them 2 copies... one they keep and one they sign and send back to me. HOWEVER... all of my customers know how much their cakes will cost them before I show up with the cake.
I don't make everyday ordinary birthday cakes... I have a $100.00 minimum order... but even if I was doing $50 sheetcakes I would get paid before I made the cake. There is no excuse for not letting a client know how much their cake costs up front. You have to get over feeling uncomfortable about bringing up price. You are in business now and there is no room for beating around the bush. Not being up front with your customers is bad form really...
Is this a sincere question? Seriously? I CAN NOT believe someone would seriously make a cake and then not tell the person how much the cake cost until they come to pick up. You would risk letting the customer be shocked and then maybe say, "I don't want it". and then be out the money? Who cares if people don't like talking money. Don't sell cakes then.
I must say that I've forgotten a couple of times. There was the surprised "Oh!", but they have paid. Now, both times it was under $100.
I don't get a deposit for anything under $200. I don't even meet with people for under $200. They just have to trust me. Or pay me a huge amount of money to meet with them.
I LOVE you...though I still always get a deposit.
There is simply no way for this to happen. If you are in business then you are getting at least a 50% deposit when the order goes in or it's not ordered. So you have to tell them the total price first and then get the deposit and then let them know that final payment is due a few weeks ahead of time for the cake to even be put in the oven, much less picked up. It's the same with wedding dresses, venues, photographers, DJ's...etc...they all tell you the price up front and ask for a 50% deposit. Just the way it works.
There are a lot of us out here who, although we have legit. businesses, are in super small rural communities (population-wise), repeat customers who are well-known neighbors, deliveries miles and miles away.....My customers know how much I charge per serving, but they often don't know the total until delivery occurs. Not a perfect world always....
I live in a pretty small community, and there are a lot of "seasoned citizens" who actually get downright ornery when you tell them the price. They don't like talking about the money, I think some of them were brought up to think its rude to speak about money.
There are a lot of us out here who, although we have legit. businesses, are in super small rural communities (population-wise), repeat customers who are well-known neighbors, deliveries miles and miles away.....
I'm not sure what any of the above has to do with telling them the cost of something. 
My husband believes it's in bad taste to talk about money, but you can bet your a$$ he never buys something without knowing how much it costs!
You mean these people never take their car in to get it worked on and find out how much it will cost UP FRONT? You mean they never buy a house and agree on a purchase price BEFORE the final closing? You mean they send their kids to college and have NO IDEA how much tuition is before they get the bill?
I am so tired of small town people being depicted as mindless hicks who have no access to those "talkin' pitcher boxes", who have no idea what's going on in the world, who are unable to know the value of what they're buying, who think they are living in the 1950's Mayberry mentality.
I grew up in small towns. Lived in a one-horse town, but we had to stop calling it that because the horse died. And many of the most influential, intelligent, worldly people I've ever met crossed my path in those little towns, and they helped mold me in the person I am. (some of you may think that's nto necessarily a good thing! 
)
In my hometown, not only do we all know everyone but I"m related to everyone (dated one guy and we had to go back 4 generations to find out it's ok to date. My current hubby and I share a relative ... his aunt is my cousin). And I"m here to tell you that not ONE PERSON ever contracted with me for cake/food without knowing a price. NOT ONE PERSON ever brought their car to my father in law's garage and didn't know how much it would cost up front. I never went to get my hair done without knowing how much money I'd need.
I find this answer to be a cop out. Not telling someone the price up front is irresponsible and I"m sorry but if the baker gets screwed because of his/her hesitation to "I don't want to talk about money", then they deserve it.
If you're going to pretend to be in business, then at least pretend to do it right.
When a potential client phones or e-mails you about a cake, the first words out of your mouth (or fingers if typing) should be "what is your budget?".
This is exactly what I do and what Mike said about the deposit is so true! I get 50% down for wedding cakes (balance is due 10 days before wedding) and I get 100% of almost all other types of cakes like b-day, baby showers etc. at the time of the order 
I don't always get a deposit...More and more lately, I've been taking last minute orders(if I can accomodate the order I most definitely do!)...gone are the days of snubbing an order 'cause it didn't make the '10 days in advance'(making things during slow times has helped me tremendously to fulfill last minute orders). If there's no money when I deliver (and it MUST be in cash if paying upon delivery), the cake wouldn't stay.
Small town people aren't mindless hicks, they just operate a little differently. Sadsmile has it right...location, location, location dictates different business practices and all4cakes, totally agree and understand! Last minute orders are pretty ordinary here and as long as I can accomodate them, accepting cash at delivery works beautifully..once again, not a perfect world always! I do tons of orders where it goes according to the perfect bus. plan.....deposits monthis in advance, paid in full 2 wks in advance, I also do tons where the total is collected at the venue...and they don't know the exact total amt. (gasp!) until they're handing over the money. I've done thousand dollar weddings and I've done $25 baby cakes. Gotta roll with the punches on occasion in this here small town 
!
Small town people aren't mindless hicks, they just operate a little differently.
I totally agree!!!!!!! Like I said, grew up in small towns my entire life. I'm almost 51 and have only lived in Indpls for the past 12 years. So I am VERY well versed in how small towns operate.
I just find it personally insulting when I see threads that give the impression that small town folks don't know anything, they have no idea how the world outside of Pleasantville works, and have no way to know what things cost, etc. Everyone I know in a small town knows how to find out what something costs, what a contract is, how to buy in the stock market, has access to expensive cars and houses, etc. I just hate it when a threads paints that negative, ignorant impressionalist portrait of us "small towners". 
I DID NOT grow up in a small town, but my husband did. So country and rural, I call his Grandma's house and church the Color Purple House & the Color Purple Church. Never saw anything like that in my life! But let me tell you, those rural people are a heck of a lot more money consience and money wise then a lot of the "Big City" folk I know. They definetly want to know their cost before they do ANYTHING!
Sounds like were my husband grew up. Just to show you, the princepal was his brother's princepal (they are 13 years apart) and would call his mom directly when they got in trouble. No need to look up the number, she all ready knew it!
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