Cake Tasting For A Birthday Cake??
Business By amandasweetcakes Updated 15 Mar 2007 , 1:19pm by Melvira
I have a question...I was just contacted by a women who wants to order a presenet cake for her husband. After discussing # of servings, etc. I told her the cake would cost approximately $65 to $80, depending on the style she chooses.
Well, she just emailed me back and wants to have a cake tasting. I am a small business and work legally from my home. I offer cake tastings but usually only for wedding cakes. I just don't think it is worth my time to make up 3 different flavor samples, which would leave me with alot of leftovers, all for an $80 cake.
What do you think? I wans going to offer names of some previously satisfied customers and explain that it would not be cost effective for me to have cake tastings for all of my smaller cake orders. Of course, not in those words.
What would you do??
Thanks! 
but seriously tell her you only do tastings for wedding cakes...period.
I only do cake testing for wedding cakes. There just isn't enough money to be made in birthday cakes to give samples. JMO
Unless you are already planning on baking a cake for a family event and want to *save her a piece* to sample, the answer is unequivocably no. Explain to her that you are sure she could understand that due to the cost of a cake tasting, it is reserved for orders over $200. You can offer to sell her a 6" cake at a low price, but other than that, forget it. I'd like to see her standing at the counter at Wal-Mart or whatever grocery store telling them she's going to need to taste that $18 sheet cake before she purchases it. 
Yes, you did the right thing. I don't cakes for a living or even part time, but I would have said the same thing.
I had a friend long time ago, ask me to bake her a cake and that she would pay me for the materials so I could make it for her. But then, she asked me if I could make her a sample first and then she would taste it. She would decide to buy it or not after tasting it to make sure she liked it! 
I very nicely suggested that she go somewhere else because I told her that I am not a business and don't do tastings because like I said before, I was just doing this cake for her and she was covering for the materials.
She decided that I make the cake for her afterwall. It was really good, her family loved it, but she of course had to say "something" about the cake. She said it was a tad bit sweet! Well! Fine then.
later on I heard from her own co-workers that she nick-picks everything and has a problem with pretty much everything she buys, eats, touches, etc.
Ugh! Well, that's the past. Moving on now...
Ok, I'm glad you're all in agreement on this one. I would hate to lose the order, but it is definitely not worth a tasting.
Melvira - unfortunatley I don't have any cakes that I could steal a piece or some batter from. That would be the way to go.
I like the idea of offering her a small 6" round cake for a reasonable price.
I'll let you all know how she responds.
Here's something that I do if a non-wedding customer wants to taste samples. I posted this in another thread and people seemed to like the idea. If the customer wants to come by to discuss details for something then I can usually work them in, but they take the samples home with them and have their own "tasting".
Another similar thread: http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=149791&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=30
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 had the same request. She said if I'm going to pay $75 for a cake, I want to taste it first. I understand their point, but it isn't worth the time, ingredients, gas. I lost the order but I really wasn't worried about it. A lot of times, they want you to bend over backwards for them and have no intention of ordering from you anyway.
Besides my weekly orders, I make a cake for us weekly. If someone comes by to look at my portfolio to talk about an order, I politely offer them a small slice. I am just a hobbyist home baker, and usually they are
pleasantly surprised at the offer. In this way, no matter the flavor, they see that my cakes are very moist and flavorful........ works for me anyway!
best of luck
I had the same request. She said if I'm going to pay $75 for a cake, I want to taste it first. .....
These same people will go to a somewhat expensive restaurant for the first time, order a big dinner, and pay the bill when it comes. I don't see them telling the waiter, "If I'm going to pay $100 for dinner, then I want a freebie first to see if it's any good."
Surprise, surprise!! I haven't heard back from her. Oh well. It just isn't worth the time or expense.
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