Yeah for you!! Says something for keeping a level head and just explaining things.
But what kansaslaura said is true too - got that pounded into me during my Mary Kay days - she who speaks first loses. A good lesson for going forward....whether you're frosting cakes or faces
True.
I think the main misunderstanding was that when she ordered the second set "plain" (the first ones were actually close to plain) I think she thought it was so much less work that I'd charge less. In reality, I charged her my base cupcake price for everything because the actual piping work was not that much... icing smooth was the main work for all of them. Once she understood that I priced her original ones at my lowest, I think it helped her realize that I wasn't trying to cheat her on her second batch. (I also told her I would be happy to make the second batch match the first batch for the same price.)
I'm in a similar delima, a lady just ordered a wedding cake from me 3 tier after she orders she tells me she is serving SAM sheet cakes to cover the difference, I was kinda speechless and am trying to figure if I should tell her to get the whole cake there because I don't want people thinking my cake is the Sams cake. This lady is a friend of one of my friends at church so it's kinda posing a problem, Makes me angry every time I think about the nerve of people. They rant over your cake but don't want to pay for it. I've always heard you get what you pay for, seems to hold true in cakes too. If you want it to taste like air pay the air price.
I think you should also tell this bride that she should get all her cakes from one baker/bakery and not mix and match. Tell her you don't want anyone thinking that you baked those Sams cakes as it might tarnish your reputation and offer to give her back her deposit, etc.
I'm in a similar delima, a lady just ordered a wedding cake from me 3 tier after she orders she tells me she is serving SAM sheet cakes to cover the difference, I was kinda speechless and am trying to figure if I should tell her to get the whole cake there because I don't want people thinking my cake is the Sams cake. This lady is a friend of one of my friends at church so it's kinda posing a problem, Makes me angry every time I think about the nerve of people. They rant over your cake but don't want to pay for it. I've always heard you get what you pay for, seems to hold true in cakes too. If you want it to taste like air pay the air price.
I think you should also tell this bride that she should get all her cakes from one baker/bakery and not mix and match. Tell her you don't want anyone thinking that you baked those Sams cakes as it might tarnish your reputation and offer to give her back her deposit, etc.
Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is that they are getting their stuff form 2 diff places. What if they like your cake better and then that gets you business? I never shop at just one place when I am going to have a party. I think it's wrong to try and tell others who they have to use for their party.
You are not alone! Sometimes I feel that bakers are a magnet for crazy people...
This lady sounds as crazy as the one who wanted me to do 80 regular cupcakes and 24 mini cupcakes decorated like safari animals for THIRTY DOLLARS.
I quoted every bakery in town, and the cheapest cupcake I could find that wasn't a grocery-store cupcake was $1.75, and the most that anyone would do was a swirl of icing. I charged her the same amount since it was my sister's friend, but she didn't want to pay the price I asked! She wanted them for $30!!! AND...she wanted me to make them vegan with egg replacer, but never brought the egg replacer by. I even brought some sample cupcakes to her house, and she loved them...and kept my freaking container...haha.
Then she leaves a message a few days later, "I'll take two sheet cakes for $40." I didn't return her call. Who is she to set MY prices for me?
Then, the day before she needs them she calls up at 8 PM and wants to know if she can have me drop them off at the party by 2 PM the next day.
I told her to go to COSTCO.
I felt like a total b!tch, but if I typed out the ENTIRE story, you'd understand why I was like that. My sister went to the party and said that the lady attempted to make two cakes herself, and she goes, "As you can see, your sister didn't make the cakes. It's my own fault! I kept messing with her and not calling her back, and didn't bring the egg replacer over!"
Then she contacted me to do the cake for her son's birthday!!!
So...why is it that people are always coming to us trying to get a deal? I feel like asking them if when they get their hair or nails done, don't they go to a person that they can trust that has experience? If so, they are willing to pay the price for the better service. Why is it any different with food? If you want a bargain, go to a place that will give you a bargain! If you want a unique decoration or flavor that Vons/Costco/SaveMart won't give you, then you need to be willing to front the money for that uniqueness! And if they are really that cheap and still wanting the decorations, then they need to learn how to do it themselves! And if they think that they can bake a better tasting, better looking cake, then by all means, I urge them to do so, and leave us alone! 
I'm in a similar delima, a lady just ordered a wedding cake from me 3 tier after she orders she tells me she is serving SAM sheet cakes to cover the difference, I was kinda speechless and am trying to figure if I should tell her to get the whole cake there because I don't want people thinking my cake is the Sams cake. This lady is a friend of one of my friends at church so it's kinda posing a problem, Makes me angry every time I think about the nerve of people. They rant over your cake but don't want to pay for it. I've always heard you get what you pay for, seems to hold true in cakes too. If you want it to taste like air pay the air price.
I think you should also tell this bride that she should get all her cakes from one baker/bakery and not mix and match. Tell her you don't want anyone thinking that you baked those Sams cakes as it might tarnish your reputation and offer to give her back her deposit, etc.
Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is that they are getting their stuff form 2 diff places. What if they like your cake better and then that gets you business? I never shop at just one place when I am going to have a party. I think it's wrong to try and tell others who they have to use for their party.
the problem is that at parties people rarely distinguish one cake from the other, and most people will ask where the pretty looking cake came from (you) and assume you made the gross cheap, stale cupcakes from someone else. thus, hurting biz. plus, in the words of indydebi, why do some of your guests get the nice fresh baked, custom made cakes and some get the one out of hte grocery case?
My niece ( by marriage) just ordered all her cupcakes for their daughter's graduation from Sam's Club.... She paid $ 11.92 for 30[/b] cupcakes..... that makes them about .38 cents each..... now how in the world can we compete with something like that !!??
They "looked" okay.... nothing fancy, just a little squiggle of the school colors on each one....... Now mind you.... her kids all have allergies and are sick ALL the time.....she is a real HEALTH nut about everything, but instead of having MY cupcakes, she goes cheapy, for her guests.... sighhhhhhh....
Have you ever tasted Sam's cakes? Ewwww.
I think you should also tell this bride that she should get all her cakes from one baker/bakery and not mix and match. Tell her you don't want anyone thinking that you baked those Sams cakes as it might tarnish your reputation and offer to give her back her deposit, etc.
Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is that they are getting their stuff form 2 diff places. What if they like your cake better and then that gets you business? I never shop at just one place when I am going to have a party. I think it's wrong to try and tell others who they have to use for their party.
the problem is that at parties people rarely distinguish one cake from the other, and most people will ask where the pretty looking cake came from (you) and assume you made the gross cheap, stale cupcakes from someone else. thus, hurting biz. plus, in the words of indydebi, why do some of your guests get the nice fresh baked, custom made cakes and some get the one out of hte grocery case?
Thanks for explaining that beccakelly. I also used to think, "What's the big deal", but after spending so much time here and hearing a few different scenerios, I now understand.
Of course, then there's the other side of the coin, i.e. my father-in-law! For my wedding to his son, his daughter's wedding and his niece's wedding he did what he's done for years - went to Cuccio's for certain pastries, Vineiro's for other pastires and some cookies, and Lord's Bakery for something else, and Alba's for something else, etc. Whatever these places are "known for" in Brooklyn and Manhattan, he would buy. So my husband or his brother would go to the City for some things and my DH's brother-in-law or cousin would go to the other side of Brooklyn for other things. It was kind of a joke, but the venetian table at my wedding consisted of at least six tables which were wheeled out - that's about half of what my sister-in-law had for hers!
Suzy ... I'm sorry that you have had to deal with all of this lady's crap. It's PITA customers like this that make me question being in business every time. I'm glad that it has all worked out and that she finally agreed to pay the agreed-on price. I think you should tack on a PITA charge just for the extra headaches she has given you!!! 
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