i have suddenly started getting orders through word of mouth and i have 5 cakes due by the end of this month. (thats a lot for me)
i am running my business out of my home and planned on delivering all my cakes. there are a few reasons for this but one of them is that i don't feel comfortable having strangers know where i live (sorry to sound paranoid but you just never know these days). another reason is legal issues in my area. i'm in a better position if i am delivering cakes instead of having someone come and pick them up.
my dilemma is that i've had a couple of instances where customers are offering to pick up the cake (eventhough they know i deliver), or drop off pictures for an edible image to me at my home for example. i have tried to steer them toward meeting me at a halfway point but i'm afraid to push it too much if they insist. i don't want anyone to think i'm hiding something. i'm wondering if people want to check out the home that their cake is coming from. i don't know... maybe i'm thinking about it too much.
either way, i am trying to figure out a professional response to this. i don't want to seem paranoid or that i'm hiding something but i really don't want to get into a habit of customers coming to my home.
does anyone have any advice as to how i can respond to this in a professional friendly manner?
TIA 
could you say that you prefer to deliver because you don't want their cake to get messed up while they're driving? (but say it in a nice and helpful way "oh i have so much experience transporting cakes and i want to make sure its perfect for your special event") also, if you ever do allow someone to come to your house i would make sure someone is there with you. i would also only make that exception for people you've done multiple cakes for, so at least you know them a bit more through business transactions.
I agree with the other posts.. Just politely tell them that you would prefer to delivery their cakes to them so for your own piece of mind, you know they are delivered with no diasters.. explain to them the various things that can go wrong when you pick up your own cake... turning a corner to fast, they old have to slam on the brakes, etc...
Here are some stories that were posted on a local bakery's website re: customer pickup. they are hysterical! I can't find it on their actual website anymore, so I'm glad I saved these!
"-Customer requests us to come on site to repair the cake. Fee: In zone, $100.00 plus $2.00 per mile, prepaid via credit card prior to us leaving the bakery. Out of zone, this service is not available.
-Customer may bring cake back to bakery for repair, and repairs will be done at rate of $150.00 per hour, minimum $50.00.
While these policies seem harsh, they were motivated by over 20 years of real experience. For example,
-Hung over best man picked up cake, put in trunk, and burned rubber down the street. Bride calls up crying, asking us to fix her cake. When we said it wasnt our responsibility, she replied, "but you know a best man isnt responsible!"
-Place cake in back of pickup truck. Dad traveled 40 miles with it, couldnt fit on floor of pickup truck due to beer cans. You dont want to know the rest.
-Place cake on floor of van. Dog jumped over back seat and had lunch. When cautioned about this possibility, we were dismissed. By the way, the dog hair was all over the van so it got on the cake too.
-Cake placed on floor under toddlers car seat. Toddler kicked of shoe. That was so much fun, toddler kicked off other shoe. Add one Barney, and the entire cake was messed up.
-Cake given to grandmother in front seat. Unfortunately, the sweet lady had a terrible cold. Bride brought cake back to us because Grandma sneezed, needed the cake re-iced.
-Groom picked up cake. Was late. Cautioned to put cake on floor. Wanted to put it on seat instead. Stopped short to avoid accident, cake ended up on dashboard. By the way, groom was more upset about cake being in air conditioning vents of his car.
-There are many more stories of things that could potentially have gone wrong, and many more that have occurred.
-There have also been hundreds of cakes that have been picked up without any problems. Our delivery and setup service is designed to be a value. What is your peace of mind worth?"
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