I have a lady who I made a strawberry shortcake for a few weeks ago. It's nothing fancy or expensive, and I just finished another one (made #12 for the weekend.... and it is definitely the easiest.) She is wanting me to do one a month for the birthdays at work. My problem with it is that she wants to pick it up at 6am. Now we don't get up until 8am and I really want to tell her I'm sorry but I don't do pick ups at 6 in the morning. I offered to have it ready for the night before, but she said she doesn't have room in her refrigerator to keep it. Would it be wrong or rude for me to say no way? I mean I don't think you can pick up from most businesses that early. And I'm all for pleasing the client, but isn't this a bit much? My hours are all a mess anyway with all nighters most weekends and I'm slow in Monday mornings when I get to sleep till 8!

no that's not rude of you to say no. I would tell her it is either the night before or none at all. Does the local bakery open at 6am for a strawberry shortcake. No.
Just be polite and tell her you sleep in until 8am.

I agree that it would not be rude to tell her she cannot pick it up at 6am. I am unfamiliar with the type of cake you are talking about but does it need to be refrigerated? If not, then she should have no problem collecting it the night before. If it needs to be refrigerated, then surely she can make space in her fridge for ONE NIGHT A MONTH!!

The only one who is rude is her. Being a baker doesn't mean that we have to be up at the crack of dawn to SERVE our customers, just to do our work!
I would very calmly and unemotionally tell her Sorry, I am unavailable for collection until 8am, otherwise you may pick it up the day prior. If she wants any cake, she will have to store it somewhere!
I am getting more stringent with my conditions, because I am sick of my family getting 2nd choice of when we can do things based on my cake collections, so I now say I am unavailable at that time, but can do xxx instead. They have all been great about it!
Good luck!

I don't know... sleep IS pretty dang important... (no joke!)

What I DO think is rude is that she's probably expecting you to agree to that 6am crap w/o a FEE!

I agree with everyone else. 6 am is very early (unless you are me and then it's very late LOL). Just politely tell her that you will not be available until after 8 am. You might also suggest delivering it to her at her place of work for an additional fee. Just a thought

Lazy_Susan

If she can't make room in her fridge for cake, then she needs to clean out her fridge anyway.

No Way! She's being rude even asking.

I would tell her that Monday mornings are not good. If she understands, she'll clean out her frig and make room.

If we conform to every request, the business controls us and becomes a burden.

Depending on how far away her office is, maybe she can arrange for somebody else from the office to pick it up during morning break or something.

I guess I am an early riser. I would personally just let her pick it up if that is the only time she can get it (probably on the way to work) It is only once a month, not like every day. I would say most bakeries ARE open at 6 am. But if you dont want to, then just say no. She might have to go somewhere else. OR just suggest cakes that dont have to be in the fridge, then she can get it the night before.

If your normal business hours begin after 8 am I would tell her that you are unable to arrange a pickup at that time. Offer to deliver it (with fee of course, lol) or she can pick it up the night before.

I don't think that is rude at all. I would feel the same way if it were me. I think you handled it wonderfully!

I don't think it's rude of you to say no to that. It's your decision, she can't force you to do something you're not willing to do.

If she wants the cake badly enough, I'm sure you can work something else out. Otherwise you'll just have to do without her business. But I'm sure it won't come to that.

Sometimes people just don't "get it" and have expectations that aren't always realistic. Mainly because they just don't think it through before they ask! This was probably the case in her situation.

Stick to your cake pans!

After 8:00am any given day or the night before.

I work in customer service for my real job that pays the bills and although I want to give my customers the best I have to offer... sometimes enough is enough... even with my customers at work!

I dont understand...isnt she paying for the cake? Its money and business for you.....why is it such a problem to go out of your way and wake up at 6 to give her the cake? you can always go back to bed until 8.

You are the one who wants the business.

I am not saying you are to always do this but y not this time?

why is it rude of her to ask? She didnt insist...she asked.

I see no problem with her asking.

It would be to your advantage...its money in your pocket even if its a little inconvenient for you to wake at 6.

why don't you suggest to her that you make other wonderful flavors that do not need to be refridgerated. Maybe they should try some of those and then she can pick it up the evening before.

12 strawberry shortcakes in a row would get boring

6 am? ohhhhh heeeeeeeeeeck no!
She can come get it the night before if she wants it......or you can offer to leave it out on your front porch steps and she can come get it whenever she wants.

if she wants a vanilla whipped cream filling, why not make it with pastry pride or bettercreme, then it won't need refrigeration? she can get it the night before and everybody wins! however, if it were me i would let her pick it up at 6. of course, you have to understand that im a personal trainer and regularly have clients every morning starting at 5 am. so i totally get that people need to finish some things up before they get to work in the morning. you can go to bed a little early sunday night, then go back to bed after she picks it up monday morning and get your additional 2 hours of sleep.

I'd add an aggrevation fee. Look at it this way .... if you were in a storefront with hours of 8:00 to whatever, you'd have to pay someone to go in 2 hours early for this pick up. Just because it's out of your home, doesn't make it a non-legitimate business expense.

5:50 a.m. get up and be semi-presentable to customer.
6:00 a.m. customer for whatever reason is running late. doesn't show unti 6:10 / 6:20.
exchange pleasantries, blah, blah, blah. Goodbye.
6:15 / 6:25 a.m. climb back into bed and try to go back to sleep.
even if the above scenario is unrealistic...Interrupted sleep is no fun. I should know, My sleep was interrupted at 1:00 a.m. this morning, it's now 4:30 a.m. and I'm still up!
Ask customer to pick up cake the night before. Sounds like her refrigerator needs to be cleaned out once a month anyway!

i would DEFINATELY say no...u can't just ask your grocery store to have someone there at 6am cuz it's convenient for u...

if you are a business, then you should treat ppl like u are a business. she can pick up the cake any time after XX, or the night before, anytime before XX...no room in the fridge?? MAKE SOME! lol...i wouldn't be rude about saying no, but i would say no...

No Thank You! My hours are 8 AM - ?.

Beth in KY