Getting Supplies Back From Customes???
Business By mmgiles Updated 15 Apr 2007 , 2:50pm by Hippiemama
I recently made a cake for a friend and it was one of my first. She also wanted a cupcake stand and since I made the cake for cost I charged her for the price of the stand and told her to keep it. When taking a cake and dropping it off, how to you get your stands and things back? I'm thinking about cupcake stands or even the colums and plates for wedding cakes for in the future. Do you just buy a new one each time? That seems to eat away at your profit. I considered leaving a box that is pre-addressed and postage-paid but is that really feasable?
Make it easy on yourself. Collect a deposit with the final payment for the cake (BEFORE it's delivered) that will cover the cost of the equipment if they don't return it.
Cash the check, and if they return the stuff, refund the deposit. If not....you keep their money. I do this all the time, and haven't had a real problem yet, knock wood.
I also put a deposit in the cost. When they bring back the item I refund minus user fee the cost. If it costs 100 for the plates etc. I refund 80 and keep 20 for the user fee.
mmgiles - do not hold onto that check. They could easily put a stop payment on it or the account could be empty or something - especially if it is a larger deposit. Just deposit it and write them one back when it is returned. Also that way you can issue a partial refund if need be.
My DH has been trying to get me to do the self-addressed, postage paid box thing. I suppose it would have to be on a case by case basis. Obviously, if the customer is using a 22-inch silver plateau, mailing it back would not be practical. However, if it's just Stress Free Supports, it makes sense.
I always get a deposit equal to the replacement value of each piece - including expedited shipping costs in case I need to replace something FAST! I give the customer 3 days to return my stuff. The amount of their refund decreases each day the stuff is late. After 2 weeks, the deposit is forfeited.
And I do cash the check right away. I take the cash and put it in an envelope just to be sure I have it when it needs to be returned.
If you deal with contracts, as in the case of wedding cakes, be sure to list in the contract when the tiers/plateaus/cake separaters must be returned by, and be sure to get a deposit ahead of time to cover their costs if they don't return it. You will find that when people are dealing with things that aren't theirs, they have little regard for it, and you could end up with broken/missing items.
you can do one of two things add the cost into your cakes and advise the customer that you are charging for the stands,etc or simply ask for them back although you could also say they are a rental and charge for the rental and on return give tem some of the money back.
When I was married, I had to pay a $150 deposit for the items. I had to return them within five days of the wedding in order to get that check back.
I would definitely charge a deposit.
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