How To Answer This Potential Customer?
Decorating By Kitagrl Updated 30 Apr 2007 , 3:48pm by VACakelady
Also keep in mind that if you called any of the box cake mix manufacturers and said that you used ANYTHING other than exactly what they call for on the box, the manufacturers consider it a "scratch cake." They are greatly offended when one tells them they've been altered or improved in any way.
I tell customers I have my own recipes which I never share [except with you gals, where I got them from! 
] and if they like them (which they do) then they don't question me on them. I do like that "commercial base" part though. If I'm ever pressed on it I'm going to use that line. 
possibly:
Like many bakers and bakeries, I start w/ a commercially prepared cake base and then adapt/doctor/enhance it with my own special ingredients, methods and touches to produce a truly special/unique flavorful cake.
Yep! Agree with Doug. 
"My cakes start with a commercial base. I use the freshest ingredients and my own secret recipe to create cakes that my customers rave over."
I've found saying "commercial base" makes people think you have some privileged industry connections. It also avoids those booga-booga words "box mix".
That's a great idea. I think it's honest, and it sounds good.
Emphasize all the high-quality ingredients you use: real vanilla, sour cream or whatever.
Play up the quality of your icings, too.
Oh yeah, I made sure I emphasized "real butter" and "pure vanilla" haha...
Well hopefully she won't want one with 'imitation butter' and 'contaminated, artificial vanilla'.
By the way, just my two cents worth, I personally really don't see anything wrong with tastings and have suggested on another thread what someone here already did (Doug, I believe) - that's to make and freeze cupcakes for just such an event and when serving them to the prospective client, mention that the actual cake will be fresh. As for answering her question about it being from scratch or a mix, I love the idea of saying it's from a commercial base. Before reading that I was going to suggest saying it's semi-homemade (I think Sandra Lee would approve).
I have a sampler box that I offer to customers for a small price. It contains snack size bags of 9 different cake flavors, and little sample cups of popular fillings and buttercream. The customer can purchase this, take it home and play around with combinations. I have the samples on hand all the time, I just bake an 8" square (one mix) and cut it into 64 little pieces. 5 pieces fit in a snack bag (I get to eat the leftover corners) and I freeze them. This way I don't have to do an "official" tasting, the customer gets to taste at their leisure.
I have a sampler box that I offer to customers for a small price. It contains snack size bags of 9 different cake flavors, and little sample cups of popular fillings and buttercream. The customer can purchase this, take it home and play around with combinations. I have the samples on hand all the time, I just bake an 8" square (one mix) and cut it into 64 little pieces. 5 pieces fit in a snack bag (I get to eat the leftover corners) and I freeze them. This way I don't have to do an "official" tasting, the customer gets to taste at their leisure.
That is such a great idea!! I love that!
I have a sampler box that I offer to customers for a small price. It contains snack size bags of 9 different cake flavors, and little sample cups of popular fillings and buttercream. The customer can purchase this, take it home and play around with combinations. I have the samples on hand all the time, I just bake an 8" square (one mix) and cut it into 64 little pieces. 5 pieces fit in a snack bag (I get to eat the leftover corners) and I freeze them. This way I don't have to do an "official" tasting, the customer gets to taste at their leisure.
That is such a great idea!! I love that!
It totally is...great marketing idea! 
I'm going to have to get a bigger freezer! LOL! We have a side by side we use for our family, and then a regular cheap top/bottom fridge/freezer that I use for my cakes and STILL I find myself running out of freezer space! Esp if I have cakes and also find good sales at the grocery store for frozen stuff for the family....
As for the fondant, if it's Wilton, I'd make sure to place that blame where it belongs. 
(kidding)[/quote]
No need to say kidding. Wilton fondont is the worst. I started out using this but quickly switched to MMF and/or Satin Ice. I would go through the trouble of getting a client just to find out later that my "frosting" (and we know it was the Wilton fondant) tasted chewy and gross.
Wilton fondont is good for one thing....PRACTICE! Whew thats enough ranting for today.
Doug is a genius. Seriously. Is there ever a question that he doesn't have the perfect answer to?!?!?!?
I love the "commercially prepared cake base" answer!
Now that I got that out of the way!...lol...
I don't think you should feel at all guilty about saying that you use your own recipe, or that your cakes are homemade. As long as you aren't saying "from scratch" I don't think you're stretching the truth at all. Find an honest answer that you're comfortable with, that's all that's really important.
I like the "commercial base" answer as well. I'm gonna have to start using that one! I'm glad to see you are charging her for the cake tasting. I do that with anyone who wants a "sample". I offer a 6" cake for a fee and. I'm not making cakes all of the time so I don't have "samples" sitting around for tastings and I also know a lot of bakeries are now charging for samples.
Jacqui
VACakelady - I love your suggestion!!! Can anyone recommend how much they charge for something like this??
I think is is a great idea to always have answers prepared for all of these questions! I met with a bride Sunday who really "took the cake" for me. White we were planning what she wanted for her tasting, she sent flavors that I do not do, but that she had found from another baker, so that was a headache from the beginning. Anyway...she asked (all with a snotty attitude) "What happens if you drop my cake? -- What day does my cake get baked? -- What day will my icing be made? -- How do I know you will keep it fresh?" The list went on and on!!!
I had to really stumble through my answers, so I have thought a lot this week about complete answers to all of these questions!!!
Janette -- that was my feeling exactly!!! The wedding is in September and I know she is "interviewing other cake people" (her words). I am really hoping she decides to go with someone else!!!
This brings up a whole other question that maybe you guys have dealt with. For years I just wanted business and was happy to get any work at all. Now, by no means am I where I want to be, but I feel like I can be a little choosier about my work. Has anyone ever met a bride (or any other client) that you just didn't feel you could work with? And if so, what did you do?
This is actually the second one in the last couple of months that I have felt this way about. The other one is getting married the last weekend of this month and I really am not looking forward to it! I have a feeling no matter what I do it will not be well received!
For those of you wondering about pricing for the sampler box, I charge a small $6 +tax fee for the box. It's not much, but the customer always comes back to order a cake, so I make more money off of it in the long run.
Thank you VACakelady!! That was about what I was thinking. I love this idea. I'm going to work on it Sunday and Monday while we are closed!
I use little printed stickers and put one on each snack bag showing the flavor. That way the customer knows what is what when they get the box home. I think I forgot to mention that.
I use little printed stickers and put one on each snack bag showing the flavor. That way the customer knows what is what when they get the box home. I think I forgot to mention that.
I think you mentioned samples of fillings also. What do you put those in? I was thinking those little plastic cups and caps that the soy sauce comes in when ordering Chinese food.
Yes, I have the condiment cups that I bought a case full of from Sam's club. I think they are 2oz, but I don't fill them all the way up.
I wondered to what you say to someone you don't want to do business with. You don't want to make them mad.
I did tell one couple don't be in a rush look around until you find just what you want, it's a very important day in your life. Thank goodness they didn't come back. If they did I don't know what I would have said.
Maybe, oh you didn't leave a deposti for that day so I booked it.
Sticky
I have a sampler box that I offer to customers for a small price. It contains snack size bags of 9 different cake flavors, and little sample cups of popular fillings and buttercream. The customer can purchase this, take it home and play around with combinations. I have the samples on hand all the time, I just bake an 8" square (one mix) and cut it into 64 little pieces. 5 pieces fit in a snack bag (I get to eat the leftover corners) and I freeze them. This way I don't have to do an "official" tasting, the customer gets to taste at their leisure.
This is a really good idea... and I love you signature line!
Thanks Peacockplace. I have customers raving over the sampler box because it's so unique. You can't just go into a bakery and say "I want samples" unless you are doing a wedding consultation. My customers love to be able to taste everything for a minimum price and not have to pay for a decorated cake. It's so convenient for me too.
Do you mind sharing how much you charge for it?
Yep, I charge $6 + tax. It's a deal for them and I typically end up with an order from it. I put everything in a nice gable box that I got from www.brpboxshop.com, it makes a nice presentation too.
Hope you don't mind, but I'm probably going to steal this idea. I have some cute boxes and I think this would work great for me.
Feel free to use it, it's a great tool to show your customers the quality of your product.
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