Have You Ever Been Overpaid For A Cake??
Decorating By SusieMcG Updated 9 May 2007 , 5:57pm by kbochick
Crazy question and moral dilemma...
I made a cake for a customer this weekend, along with 4 dozen individually decorated cookies to match. I told her how much it cost for materials, and left the bottom line price up to her (since she is an acquaintence, and really just getting started with doing cakes outside of immediate friends & family). When she sent me the check, I was floored - she gave me way more than I had ever imagined.
Have you ever had a situation like this?? Would you return any of the money?? I certainly don't want to offend her by giving any back, but feel guilty with accepting it all.
What are people's thoughts on this??
Is the amt. of money she gave you more than triple the amount of the supplies? If not, I don't think it is too much... She obviously thought your work was worth what she paid. No one made her pay the amt. she did... You are probably fine; we just sometimes tend to under-estimate our worth. I've been told a couple of times by a friend of my sister that I undercharge! And she is a paying customer... She says she wants to manage me and change my prices 
So, anyway, now I AM curious. Did she pay you more than triple of the supplies?
She paid me just shy of 3x supplies. I guess you're right, and I was underestimating my own cakes. Is there an "industry" standard out there for charging cakes? Obviously it could easily go up or down depending on complexity, special ingredients, etc., but I'm so new at this whole "charging" thing - I just don't know where to start!!
This has not happen to me, but it has happened to one of my students. My student tolld the customer that she had overpaid, but the customer was so genuinely appreciative and delighted with the cake that she would not accept money back. Maybe that is how your customer feels.
Im sure she thinks you were worth every penny! not to mention if you leave the price up to an honest customer they normaly are really generous 
I think you should take it as a very high compliment. She must have really liked what you made for her, and she wanted to compensate you for it. I have gotten some really amazing tips from people and felt guilty for it, so I know where you're coming from. But ... no one forced her to pay you as much as she did, so I say ENJOY IT!! 
If the cake and cookies looked anything like the ones in your photos, then I think you definitely deserved a HUGE tip ... your cakes are beautiful!! 
I got curious and went to go look at your pix. 
Cakesbyjess was right; your work is beautiful! I'm more than sure you charged her just right. I asked about the 3x thing because that's how I came up with my base pricing. I read a book about "selling" cake and the author suggested this formula to actually make some money and it be fair to the customer, as well. He said one would get tired of making cake and not making a profit if you were trying to make a business from it. He suggested the 3x but then I also charge slightly more if the cake is a special flavor, has a filling, is 3-D, is covered in fondant or covered in luster dust. I've had some people decide to not order from me, but not many. I do fine with the 3x formula That lady obviously understood what she was getting and paid you correctly of her own volition
It's happened only twice and I have a rule, I will be polite and say "oh you don't have to do that." If the person insists then the money is mine and I hope that the person doesn't get a paper cut from me snatching the money and running away before they change their minds. 
Typically, the industry standard is 3x cost of goods. Some affluent areas can demand more, some less. All depends on the competition in the area and the quality of your work. HTH.
Yes! Isn't it wonderful when people overpay. I put a column in my accounting spreadsheet for "tips" so I can keep track of just how much people overpay. Sometimes it's only a dollar or two, but on occasion, some people go over the top. It's nice to be appreciated like that.
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