Keeping In Contact With Client - How Often? (Long)
Decorating By dacakelady Updated 17 Jun 2007 , 5:55pm by MichelleM77
Hello CCR's...the situtation is this... I had met a woman from a party earlier this year and in March she wanted me to bake her wedding cake for her in July...(nothing traditional, a full sheet Boston Creme cake)... we met and talked over the details and got delivery arrangements down and everything and I even brought a sample cake for them to try just so they could have an idea of what they wanted and I told her to call me with their critiques... She said the cake was good, but the creme tasted a little salty, so she suggested that maybe we could change the creme to banana flavor...I told her sure...In between then and now, she wanted me to try this cake mix from a local popular grocery store and I never got a chance to do it, but at the beginning of this month, she called me one evening at home(I wasn't there, but checked messages while I was out and called her back from my cell phone)...during this conversation I told her that I wanted to bring her another sample cake using banana creme possibly during the following week(I was baking for a teacher's union bazaar anyway)...she says that she wouldn't be in the mood for cake because she was going to have surgery that week, so I told her maybe the week or two after(making sure that she would be in the mood)...NOW it's the following week, and I come home to hear a message on my machine from her saying that she has decided that she wanted to have someone else bake her cake because she feels that I'm too busy, I don't return her phone calls and I ignored any questions that she had asked me 
and wants a refund..."BUT NO HARD FEELINGS, IF YOU HAVE BUSINESS CARDS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO PASS SOME OUT FOR YOU" 
I told her if that's her choice then fine, and I'll see her Friday(tomorrow)... so here are my questions... How much professional contact should go on with the customer after the initial consultation and would it be right that I kept part of the money she paid me(I only charged her $60...I know seriously underpriced)... sorry that this is sooo long but I really need to know so that this won't happen again THANKS FOR READING AND RESPONDING!!!
Did you have a contract? Was it ever stated that she had xxx amount of time BEFORE the event/wedding to cancel her order? If it wasn't there may be a problem keeping any part of the money. I would however charge her for the samples you did for her since she is canceling her order with no real reason. What type of cake did you make her before? like 8" 6" what? Depending on the size is what you can keep out of her money. I would charge her for the sample cake and return to her, the remainder of her money with a professional letter stating that since she has canceled her order with you, and you did not provide free cakes or free samples for non-booking customers, you have charged her xxx amount for the cake her family consumed and here is the remainder of her money. I'd make it in check form that way you can mail it to her and don't have to actually see her and end up getting smacked or something lol people can be stupid! lol. Or if you HAVE to meet face to face I'd still give her a check that way if she ever pitches a fit about it you have proof she cashed it. 
It sounds like you contacted her every time she contacted you! I don't think there was a problem with communication....I just think she found someone else to do it for like FREE! Sounds a little rude to me.
No, you shouldn't feel bad about keeping some of the money. You guys had a deal and you were prepared to do a cake and she broke the contract! Not you!
When I am in contact with a customer I actually am pretty bad about doing, maybe, too much communication! The last Grad Cake I had I was emailing back and forth about all the little details. We were talking a whole month before I even made the cake. I think it just depends on the customer and what you are making for them. I think you were fine on your part!
Some people!
It's tough.. did you tell her that her deposit was non-refundable or was contingent on you buying supplies to make her cake? If you didn't I think you should give her her money back (less some money for making her tasting cakes). I fail to see where you were ignoring her though. She called.. you got back to her.. you inquired about bringing her another sample cake.. she didn't accept it at that time. Sounds like a PITA customer to me. I'd give her a portion of her deposit back and get yourself a contract so that your terms are clearly spelled out for the customer and you should this ever happen again.
What type of cake did you make her before? like 8" 6" what? Depending on the size is what you can keep out of her money. I would charge her for the sample cake and return to her, the remainder of her money with a professional letter stating that since she has canceled her order with you, and you did not provide free cakes or free samples for non-booking customers, you have charged her xxx amount for the cake her family consumed and here is the remainder of her money.
I made her a 6" Boston Creme cake...actually, I was only considering keeping about $15 and giving her the rest( I know that she doesn't have much money)but when I gave her a price quote, she said it was great...when I spoke with her and asked what exactly was she talking about, she just kinda rambled on about not feeling comfortable with me anymore and that I wouldn't have time to do her cake(HELLO!!! IT'S IN FREAKIN JULY!!! IT'S THE MIDDLE OF JUNE!! 
)
I was just really lookin forward to getting some kind of exposure, you know?
She may have been a PITA customer, but if you're asking her to tell your how your cake tastes (and you have a relationship with her that lets her suggest which cake mix you should use) you've been sort of a not-so-professional vendor. Lesson here: Fake it till you make it. No one wants to buy a wedding cake (or anything else that's both important and "one chance, no do-overs") from someone who's not dead certain about what they're doing or selling.
She may have been a PITA customer, but if you're asking her to tell your how your cake tastes (and you have a relationship with her that lets her suggest which cake mix you should use) you've been sort of a not-so-professional vendor. Lesson here: Fake it till you make it. No one wants to buy a wedding cake (or anything else that's both important and "one chance, no do-overs") from someone who's not dead certain about what they're doing or selling.
I only asked for her opinion because that was my first time making that cake(she didn't know) and I wanted to make sure that she would have exactly what she desires for her wedding reception...her suggestion to me was just part of a conversation that we were having about different types of cakes - I know what I like to use, but sometimes good ideas can come from anywhere...and personally, I feel that I am dead certain about what I'm doing and selling...but I've seen first hand that a baker would sell cakes all day long and they look beautiful, but some of the public's opinion would feel that the cakes taste dry or have lack of flavor - but they still sell... I want my customers to like the taste and look of what they are paying for...I know what I have tastes good, but everyone is different...
UPDATE: I meet with the customer yesterday evening(at their home) and bring their refund of $45 (minus $15) for the sample cake...surprisingly, there was no objection or any type of mean attitudes about anything...the BTB gave me a hug and then invited me to the reception/BBQ/picnic ...then she told me that she would recommend me to her neighbors for cake orders...I kinda thought that was a nice gesture, although she wouldn't take my cake 
...she says"I feel you're just a little too busy"...then I told her" I had time set aside just for your cake"...not sure how to feel now...
I had met a woman from a party earlier this year and in March she wanted me to bake her wedding cake for her in July.........In between then and now, she wanted me to try this cake mix from a local popular grocery store and I never got a chance to do it, but at the beginning of this month............NOW it's the following week, and I come home to hear a message on my machine from her saying that she has decided that she wanted to have someone else bake her cake because she feels that I'm too busy, I don't return her phone calls and I ignored any questions that she had asked me........
In March you talked to her about a cake, she wanted you to make a sample cake and you never did, and then never talked to her in over 2 months? If I have the timeline correct, then I would have to take the side of the customer. If I have the timeline wrong, then there was just miscommunication and not enough in writing (contract, etc.). I would take it as a learning experience either way.
To MichelleM77:
Definitely have the timeline wrong...we met in late March, she called me about the middle of April and got her sample cake shortly after that...we had conversations since then but they did not pertain to HER wedding cake, just if I had tried something she recommended... we talked eventually of making a change to the type of filling for her cake and when I wanted to bring her another sample to make sure I had it right, she told he to hold off on doing that because she was having surgery the week that I wanted to bring it to her, so I told her that I would contact her the following week(this week) or maybe the next to find out when she would like to try the next sample(I thought I would be giving her enough recovery time from the surgery)...
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well that's what I get for replying to posts at 1 am!
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