Okay this isn't a horrible situation but here it is: a woman that I used to work with asked me to make her son's birthday cake several months ago before she left the place I'm still working. I haven't heard from her since. Now in the time that she was still working with me, the theme of the party changed from cowboys to toy story and you know how kids are - it could've changed again by now.

So I've written her 2 e-mails b/c I don't have her phone #. I could try to get her phone #, but I'm really not in the mood to make the cake - I just don't feel like I need the extra stress this week. I'm just getting better from being sick last week and I've already decided not to make another cake I was going to donate to my workplace just b/c I don't feel I need it right now.

I don't do this professionally - just family and friends. But my question is this: Am I obligated to find her number and call and ask if she still wants me to do the cake, or should I leave it up to her to get my phone # from someone here or to call here at work or to respond to my e-mails? I don't want to get a call the night before the birthday asking when they can pick up the cake assuming I've already done it - we never settled on size, price, design, etc......

What do you all think?

Since you are not a bakery, you are under no obligation to withhold your end of the 'deal', especially since there was never a firm deal to begin with. You have tried to contact her, being that it is her son's party, she should be conerned enough to contact YOU about it. Since she hasn't and the party is days away, I would assume that she has contacted someone else about doing it since you no longer work together. Perhaps she left on less than stellar terms and is nervous about having contact with you? I say let it go, if she calls the night before you can tell her that since she never responded to any of your attempts to contact her about whether she still wanted the cake, you had to let other paying jobs take priority and you cannot fit her in. She can call the grocery store!

This is JMO, but I would think that SHE should be the one trying to contact you to see if you are still doing the cake. I'm assuming you didn't discuss important details like number of people, flavor, design,.... I don't think you should be OBLIGATED to find her number at all....

JMHO

Jen

The way *I* see it, she left YOU hanging, not the other way around. The ball's in HER court, so to speak. If she calls you last minute, explain to her that you attempted to connect with her but at this late date, it would be impossible to accomodate her.

Were final details made prior to her not working there anymore? I would say that if she hasn't answered your e-mails, I wouldn't worry about it. You may send her anothere-mail stating that you need to hear from her by such and such day in order to have time to do the cake or you won't be able to do it. And if you REALLY don't want to do it, let her know either by e-mail or try to get her number. She may be assuming that you're going to be able to do and that's why she hasn't contacted you.

well its the week before the party and you still havent decided on the main points of the cake. I would say not do it, and if she calls just sweetly explain that since she didnt call to confirm or answer your emails that you filled her spot on your calender. IMO if she isnt that worried about the cake, then she wont mind having to go to the grocery store to buy one last minute. Good luck

For my own peace of mind I would make the effort to call her and let her know you tried to e-mail her in re: to this and since you didn't get a response you assumed she was no longer intrested. Let her know that you are ill and can not make it now and that you just wanted to make sure she was not counting on you and left hi and dry. This way if you ever do sell cakes you won't offend a potential customer and you don't have to worry about getting a call the night before.
Hope you are feeling better soon!

Well, you have e-mailed her twice, with no response. I would not worry about it. If she calls you the night before, just politely let her know that you attempted contact with no response and therefore did not schedule the cake. If she causes a fuss, just direct her to the local Walmart bakery...HTH

I say no. If she still wanted you to make the cake she would have called you last week to touch base and make sure you were still planning on making the cake, and to confirm the theme of it. If she calls the night before tell her you haven't heard from her in months and didn't know if she even still wanted the cake or what theme it should be. I would also mention that you tried to contact her, but never heard anything.

Send her another email stating that since you haven't heard from her you won't be able to do the cake (you could even tell her you booked another cake, since she didn't let you know one way or the other). Don't worry about it or loose any sleep over it. If it was important to her, she would have gotten ahold of you! Try not to stress out so much...everything will be alright!!

I don't think you need to hunt her down. If no concrete plans were made I'd "try" to let it go. That being said, the same thing basically happened to me a year ago. A gal from church asked me a couple months in advance to make her daughter's Confirmation cake. She asked while in church and I said sure. Never heard another word from her. Not what flavor, colors, bible verse, nothing. My husband said let it go, but I was afraid she would call me the night before to see what time to pick the cake up, so I baked a Bible cake just in case, I put it in my neighbors freezer as I didn't have room. Well, I never got a call and nothing was ever said! So I don't know what the deal was, however, this is a family with a alot going on mental health wise so I just let it go. You know, I never got the cake from my neighbors freezer, I wonder if it is still in there?!?!?

Anyway, I say if she hasn't contacted you she probably made other arrangements.

~ihavasweet2th~

Thank you everyone! I think I'll give her one more day to respond to the e-mail or call and if not, I'll send another e-mail saying that I guess she's found someone else and that's fine - I just wanted to let her know that I won't be able to do it now b/c I have other plans this week and didn't hear from her in time to start preparations early.

We had decided on a banana flavor but she wasn't sure on how many people, or a design, and we never settled on a price. I e-mailed her to let her know I needed to know about the cake b/c I wouldn't be home on Sat. for her to pick it up and I needed to make arrangements for someone to be there.... So I e-mailed her on Friday and I e-mailed her again Sunday - I'll give her until tomorrow (Tuesday) and then write another e-mail like I said above.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I agree with dolfin, call her for your own piece of mind and just in case you do decide to do this as a business in the future. Feel better!!

Is her e-mail address still the same ? Mine changed when I moved..... BUT, she knows how to contact YOU, and she hasn't , so I would say "No CAKE for her"........