Would You Ever Use A Customers Recipe?!
Decorating By kathik Updated 10 Feb 2007 , 8:18am by PieceofCakeAZ
I have a customer who would like me to make a batch of mandelbread (same as biscotti). She is requesting that I use her mother's recipe. I am not comfortable with this idea because I know my recipes and have tweaked them until I am happy with them. I have a corresponding recipe, it's just chocolate chip, but she really wants me to make this recipe!
What would you do?
Thanks,
Kathi
oh man...thats a tough one. i'm not sure i would do it. HOwever, you could tell her exactly what you wrote here... you are not familiar with that recipe and have tweaked YOURS until they are what you are happy with and what all of your customers expect of you. i know, i', not much help!
I would first examine the two recipes and see what the differences really are! They may be very similar. Maybe combine the recipes (slightly leaning towards yours) since you like that one. Remember, two different people can make the same recipe and it will taste differently!
When you use someone elses recipe guests will take it as yours and may come knocking on your door if they like it. Also, if it doesn't turn out you could lose potential clients....
I've taken customer's ideas and formed my own recipe...but never actually used a customer's recipe. Just my 2cents!
When you use someone elses recipe guests will take it as yours and may come knocking on your door if they like it. Also, if it doesn't turn out you could lose potential clients....
SweetConfectionsChef, that is exactly what I am afraid of! Also as Cindy said, I am afraid it wouldn't taste like her mother's and she would be disapponted. This would be the first time she would be ordering from me and I don't want to lose a customer by not doing it, but I'd rather lose it that way then because she was unhappy with the final product. I guess I think other people would be less likely to order if they hear she was disappointed with the product than my "refusal" to use her mother's recipe. Maybe I could say that I could never duplicate the love and method her mother used and that I would hate to disappoint her. 
Kathi
that is PERFECT! tell her that!!
Let me just say that my mom makes her own MArinara sauce and has given the recipe to each of the kids. NOW, when i make it it is very good BUT never tastes like hers! (hers is GREAT!) even though there is a recipe, there is no saying that this woman's mom didnt add some thing "extra" that she didnt write in the recipe. Or that the measruements are accurate! I have a few recipes written down but they are GUIDELINES.... i dont go by my recipe measurements... this mom might not either?
I have done it a few times. One particular instance was pretty weird. It was a cake mix cake with a can of undrained mandarin oranges in it and the frosting was Cool Whip, crushed pineapple, and vanilla pudding. It tasted awesome and we made them a sample cake just to make sure they liked our version. The frosting was difficult to decorate with (crushed pineapple kinda kills the smooth look 
) but it was what they wanted and it meant a lot to them (they wanted Grandma at the wedding somehow).
Fortunately they loved it.
If you are going to do it, definitely make them a sample first and get their approval.
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